The treatment of decorative tattoos with the carbon dioxide laser.

The carbon dioxide laser was used in the treatment of 51 patients with decorative tattoos. Sixty-eight treatments were performed under local anaesthesia. Morbidity from treatment was low. Results 6 months after treatment in 44 patients revealed excellent or good results in 24 patients and hypertrophic scarring in three patients. These results confirm the value of this laser in the treatment of tattoos and demonstrate the advantages of this therapy over other treatments currently employed.