Tattoo Removal Glossary: Terms Explained in Plain English
Clinics speak a dialect of physics and dermatology. This glossary translates the thirty terms you are most likely to hear — so a consultation sounds like information, not a sales pitch in code.
Jump to: Alexandrite · Carbon peel · Complete removal · Cover-up fading · Dye handpiece · Fitzpatrick scale · Fluence · Frosting · Ghosting · Hyperpigmentation · Hypopigmentation · Keloid · Kirby–Desai scale · Lymphatic system · Macrophage · Nanosecond · Nd:YAG · Paradoxical darkening · Photoacoustic effect · Picosecond · PIH · PMU · Q-switched laser · Ruby laser · Saline removal · Selective photothermolysis · SMP · Spot size · Test spot · Wavelength
Alexandrite
A laser crystal that produces a 755 nm wavelength. Strongly absorbed by melanin and by green and blue inks, it is the core wavelength of the PicoSure platform; because melanin absorbs it too, clinics use extra care on darker skin.
Carbon peel (Hollywood peel)
A facial treatment where a thin layer of liquid carbon is applied to the skin and then blasted off with a Q-switched laser. Used for skin rejuvenation, pores and pigment — related to removal mainly because it uses the same laser family.
Complete removal
Removal carried to the point where no ink is visible. Achievable for many tattoos — especially black, older and amateur work — but not guaranteed for every tattoo; clinics that promise it universally are overpromising.
Cover-up fading
Partial laser removal that lightens an old tattoo enough for a new design to cover it well. Usually takes 2–5 sessions, far fewer than full removal. See our cover-up fading guide.
Dye handpiece
An attachment that converts a laser's output to additional wavelengths — commonly 585 nm and 650 nm — to target sky-blue and green inks that the main wavelengths handle poorly.
Fitzpatrick scale
A six-point classification of skin types (I–VI) by how skin responds to sun, from very fair and always burning to deeply pigmented and never burning. Clinics use it to choose wavelengths and safe energy settings.
Fluence
The laser energy delivered per unit area, measured in joules per square centimetre (J/cm²). Higher fluence hits ink harder but raises the risk of skin injury, so it is matched to skin type and ink density.
Frosting
The temporary whitening that appears on skin during laser treatment, caused by tiny gas bubbles forming as ink shatters. It fades within about 30 minutes and is a sign the pigment absorbed the energy — not the tattoo disappearing.
Ghosting
A faint, pale outline or shadow of the tattoo that can remain after removal, either from residual traces of ink or from lightened skin (hypopigmentation) in the tattoo's shape.
Hyperpigmentation
Darkening of treated skin after laser treatment, as melanocytes produce extra pigment in response. More common on darker and recently tanned skin; it usually fades over weeks to months.
Hypopigmentation
Lightening of treated skin, where melanocytes temporarily (occasionally lastingly) produce less pigment. It can leave a pale version of the tattoo's shape and is more noticeable on darker skin tones.
Keloid
A raised scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original injury, driven by excess collagen production. People with a personal or family history of keloids have a higher scarring risk with any skin procedure, including removal.
Kirby–Desai scale
A published scoring system that estimates how many laser sessions a tattoo will need, based on skin type, body location, ink colour, ink amount, scarring and layering. A useful reality check on quotes.
Lymphatic system
The body's drainage and immune network of vessels and nodes. After laser treatment shatters ink, the lymphatic system is the route by which the fragments are carried away and processed.
Macrophage
A type of immune cell that engulfs and digests debris. In tattoo removal, macrophages consume the laser-shattered ink particles and transport them toward lymph nodes — the reason fading happens gradually over weeks.
Nanosecond
A billionth of a second. Q-switched lasers deliver pulses measured in nanoseconds — short enough to shatter ink rather than cook surrounding tissue, but longer and more heat-based than picosecond pulses.
Nd:YAG
The most common laser crystal in tattoo removal, producing a 1064 nm wavelength (and 532 nm when frequency-doubled). 1064 nm targets black and dark ink and is the safest wavelength for darker skin tones.
Paradoxical darkening
An unwanted reaction, mostly with permanent makeup and flesh-toned inks, where laser energy chemically reduces iron-oxide pigment and the colour turns darker instead of lighter. The reason test spots are standard for PMU.
Photoacoustic effect
The mechanism of picosecond (and partly Q-switched) removal: ultra-short pulses create a rapid pressure wave in the ink particle that mechanically shatters it, with less heat than older approaches.
Picosecond
A trillionth of a second — a thousand times shorter than a nanosecond. Pico lasers (PicoSure, PicoWay, Pro 1 Pico and others) use pulses this short to shatter ink into finer particles with more pressure effect and less heat.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Darkening that follows any skin injury or inflammation — including a laser session — as healing skin overproduces melanin. It is the most common pigment side effect of removal and usually resolves with time and sun protection.
PMU
Permanent makeup — cosmetic tattooing such as microbladed or machine eyebrows, lip blush, eyeliner and freckles. PMU pigments and placement differ from body tattoos, so removal has its own techniques and risks. See our PMU removal guide.
Q-switched laser
A laser engineered to release its energy in extremely short, high-power pulses (nanoseconds). The long-standing standard for tattoo removal before picosecond platforms; the Hollywood Spectra is a well-known example.
Ruby laser
A laser producing a 694 nm wavelength, strongly absorbed by green and blue inks and by melanin. Effective on stubborn colours but used cautiously on darker skin; available as an option on some platforms such as Discovery Pico.
Saline removal
A non-laser removal method where a saline solution is implanted into pigmented skin with a tattoo machine; osmosis draws pigment up into a scab that lifts ink as it sheds. Used mainly for small areas and PMU.
Selective photothermolysis
The core principle of laser removal: choose a wavelength the target (ink) absorbs far more than surrounding tissue, and a pulse short enough to damage the target before heat spreads. The right wavelength for the ink colour is everything.
SMP
Scalp micropigmentation — cosmetic tattooing of tiny dots on the scalp to mimic hair follicles or density. Removal is usually quicker than for body tattoos because the pigment is shallow, but the area can be large.
Spot size
The diameter of the laser beam on the skin, in millimetres. Larger spot sizes scatter less and reach deeper ink; smaller spots concentrate energy at the surface. Operators adjust it to the tattoo and treatment stage.
Test spot
A small, discreet area treated first and watched for a few weeks to see how ink and skin respond. Standard practice for PMU, darker skin, keloid history and unusual pigments before committing to full treatment.
Wavelength (nm)
The colour of laser light, measured in nanometres. Different ink colours absorb different wavelengths — 1064 nm for black, 532 nm for red and orange, 650 nm for green, 585 nm for sky blue — so wavelength coverage decides which tattoos a clinic can treat.
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