Hoya ConBio MedLite C6
Q-Switched Tattoo/Pigment · QS Nd:YAG 532/1064nm
What it's actually cleared for: Q-switched Nd:YAG tattoo removal and pigmented lesions (C-series family)
Last verified: August 6, 2026 · How we verify
New: —|Used: $10k–$20kmarket estimate, no email required
Bottom line
The used-market classic that built the American tattoo-removal industry — the RevLite's older sibling, discontinued for years but still everywhere. At $8,000-18,000 on the secondary market it is the cheapest legitimate entry into laser tattoo removal from a manufacturer with a real parts ecosystem. It lacks the RevLite's PTP mode and higher energy ceiling, so it's a tattoo-and-spots machine, not a toning machine. For a startup removal studio watching every dollar, it's still the answer — just buy on pulse count and lamp condition, not price alone.
Overview
Ubiquitous used tattoo workhorse
How it works
The science
Frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG producing 1064nm (black/dark ink, dermal pigment) and 532nm (red/orange ink, epidermal lesions) at nanosecond widths, with ConBio's dye handpieces converting to 585nm and 650nm for blues and greens. The photoacoustic shockwave fragments ink for macrophage clearance over 6-8 week intervals. Flat-top beam profile and up-to-10Hz repetition were class-leading in its era and remain clinically adequate for most professional tattoos.
Patented tech
The ConBio dye-conversion handpiece system (585/650nm) and homogenized flat-top beam optics; the C6 predates PTP, which ConBio reserved for the RevLite line.
Origin
Fremont, California, USA (ConBio/HOYA ConBio).
FDA & regulatory status
What it's actually cleared for:
Q-switched Nd:YAG tattoo removal and pigmented lesions (C-series family)
510(k) numbers
K060977
Regulatory data is compiled from public FDA 510(k) records and may lag recent clearances. Always confirm status with the manufacturer before purchase.
Treatment economics
What practices charge
$100-400 per tattoo session by size and market; high-volume studios run $99 small-tattoo specials profitably because per-shot cost is essentially electricity. Sun spot/lesion sessions $150-300.
Consumables & recurring cost
No per-treatment consumables; dye handpieces are pulse-limited at $1,500-3,500 refurbished — verify remaining life before purchase, because dead dye handpieces are the most common hidden cost on used C6s. Flashlamps a few hundred dollars, widely available third-party.
Ideal for
Best-fit practice
The bootstrapped tattoo-removal startup, the tattoo shop adding removal, or a medspa wanting a cheap dedicated tattoo box so the pico stays free for high-margin facial work. Not for the practice whose brand depends on "latest technology."
Compliance
Medical director & delegation
Identical posture to any Q-switched Class IV laser — state rules range from physician-only to certified-tech-friendly; verify before modeling labor costs. $1,000-3,000/month retainer typical where required.
Contraindications & screening
Gold salts history, recent tanning or melasma-prone skin at 532nm, isotretinoin per protocol, keloid history, oxidizing cosmetic tattoos. On Fitzpatrick V-VI stay at 1064nm and test-spot — the C6 has no PTP safety valve for low-fluence work.
Ownership
Warranty & service
No manufacturer warranty remains — a third-party-service machine, which is fine: famously simple, most techs know it cold, parts circulate freely at $250-450/hour labor. Buy from a dealer offering a 90-day to 1-year warranty, not an as-is auction unit.
Resale & used market
Flattened at $8,000-18,000 and should hold through the decade on steady tattoo-studio demand. Model it to zero over 5 years; anything recovered is upside.
Chains using this device
No confirmed chain deployments recorded yet.
Owner reviews
Write a reviewNo approved reviews yet. Be the first owner to publish one.
Alternatives
History
Every tracked change to pricing, lifecycle status, FDA data and warranty terms — newest first.
August 5, 2026
Warranty & service
No manufacturer warranty remains — a third-party-service machine, which is fine: famously simple, most techs know it cold, parts circulate freely at $250-450/hour labor. Buy from a dealer offering a 90-day to 1-year warranty, not an as-is auction unit.
Source: Automatic record update
August 1, 2026
Record created
Added to The Aesthetic Index — August 2026
Source: The Aesthetic Index editorial
Get the full State of Aesthetic Devices 2026 report
The first independent census of the US aesthetic device market — free.