What kind of laser is used to remove ink?

The pulsed kind. There are a few different types, and they work in slightly varying ways. They’re all ultimately trying to do the same thing though - break down the ink pigments so that they’re small enough for the body to process them.

How do they do that?

When a laser hits your skin, it passes through the top layer and reaches the dermis where the tattoo ink is held. When it hits the tattoo ink, it transfers energy to the ink pigments, which breaks them down.

What are the different types of lasers that remove tattoos?

There’s the Q-switch lasers that repeatedly transfer energy to the ink pigments, which expand and eventually break apart. This is what causes blistering and scarring - having heat trapped in your skin. Then there’s Pico lasers, which pulse even faster, repeatedly transferring energy. This causes shockwaves in the skin (called a photoacoustic effect) which shatter the ink pigments. Lots of heat gets trapped in the skin because of the high energy used and that can cause lasting damage.