Comparison of two picosecond lasers to a nanosecond laser for treating tattoos: a prospective randomized study on 49 patients.

Background: Q-switched nanosecond lasers demonstrated their efficacy in treating most types of tattoos, but complete disappearance is not always achieved even after performing numerous laser sessions. Picosecond lasers are supposed to be more efficient in clearing tattoos than nanosecond lasers, but prospective comparative data remain limited.

Objective: To compare on different types of tattoos the efficacy of a nanosecond laser with two types of picosecond lasers.