title: Areolar cosmetic tattoo ink darkening: a complication of Q-switched alexandrite laser treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medical tattooing of the areola is widely performed in Korea. However, cosmetic tattoos containing flesh-tone, purple-red, and yellow dyes are sometimes resistant to Q-switched laser and may even become darker.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two Korean women in their 30s who had a mastectomy got light brown to red areolar medical tattoos but they were not satisfied with the shape and size of the tattoos. They underwent Q-switched alexandrite laser treatment with a 3 mm collimated beam at fluences of 7.5-8 J/cm2 in order to trim the irregular contour and reduce the diameter of the tattoos.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within 5 minutes a dark gray to black discoloration of the treated area was evident and remained dark for 6 weeks. Improvement was not noted after two further Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical areolar tattoos should be approached with extra caution when attempting their removal with high-energy pulsed lasers such as Q-switched alexandrite laser and a small test site should be performed prior to treatment.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Sung-Eun
authors: SE
authors: Chang
authors: Kyoung-Jin
authors: KJ
authors: Kim
authors: Jee-Ho
authors: JH
authors: Choi
authors: Kyung-Jeh
authors: KJ
authors: Sung
authors: Kee-Chan
authors: KC
authors: Moon
authors: Jai-Kyoung
authors: JK
authors: Koh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008408:Mastectomy; D009558:Nipples / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013653:Tattooing