With the proliferation of tattoos in recent years, doctors have seen an increase in the number of people requesting tattoo removal. The reasons for this vary: the tattoos may be poorly placed or executed, the site may have become infected, or the person may simply have outgrown whatever impulse led to the tattoo.

Because tattoos are placed fairly deeply under the skin, previous removal methods (including excision, dermabrasion, chemical removal, and the earliest lasers) caused unacceptable levels of scarring. Today, newer lasers are more gentle, more effective, and less likely to lead to scarring, making this the treatment of choice for removing tattoos.