Treatment of traumatic tattoos with the Nd YAG laser: a series of nine cases

Inadequate primary skin cleansing for dirt-ingrained skin abrasions can result in disfiguring traumatic tattoos. We present nine cases of traumatic tattoos treated with the Nd YAG laser. In six cases the pigmentation was completely cleared and in three cases minimal pigmentation remained. The Nd YAG laser offers effective late treatment of traumatic tattoos with many advantages over conventional destructive treatment modalities. The best treatment is still immediate debridement and cleaning.