How the PicoWay^® system improves tattoo removal

Tattoos are often thoughtful and artistic personal expressions. Unfortunately, they can also be rash decisions with a permanence that’s eventually regretted by their owners. Picosecond laser technology provides an effective removal tool for those who no longer care for their body art. A whopping 40% of millennials have a tattoo, and, according to a poll by Ipsos, approximately 30% of all Americans have at least one tattoo. This clearly represents a potentially massive client base.

The PicoWay laser system offers the most innovative laser tattoo removal technology. Compared with the nanosecond technology of the past, today’s ultra-fast picosecond laser removal technology offers less risk and pain for patients, faster results, works to remove a broader range of colors and requires fewer treatment sessions.

“A lot of us are familiar with nanosecond technology, but there were limitations,” said Dr. Lesley Clark-Loeser, a co-founder of the Precision Skin Institute in Davie, Florida. “My limitations were that I couldn’t treat all skin types safely. I also couldn’t predict what was going to happen to skin texture over time in these patients. This is the first time I am seeing skin tone improve over time as a tattoo is disappearing.”

How it works

The PicoWay system offers the shortest pulse durations of any aesthetic laser —one picosecond is equal to one trillionth of a second*. These extremely short laser pulses allow treatment across a broad range of skin types and darker skin tones. Less advanced lasers that offer longer nanosecond pulses create a photothermal effect, which can overheat melanin found in darker skin tones and cause scarring, hyperpigmentation, and hyperpigmentation. Also, the PicoWay system is the only picosecond platform with 4 wavelengths to address a wide range of tattoo colors, including difficult to remove blue and green tattoos.

The PicoWay system delivers short, fast, and powerful pulses of targeted energy. This creates the primarily photoacoustic impact needed to fracture tattoo ink into minuscule particles. This is achieved without the photothermal impact of other lasers, which can overheat surrounding skin tissue—a stark contrast to the slower pulse speed of nanosecond laser technology.

Successful treatment overview

Before each session, tattoo removal clients should thoroughly clean and shave the area that will be treated. A topical anesthetic or cooling pack may be applied at the time of treatment. Treatments typically last just 15 to 30 minutes and can require multiple sessions spaced 6 to 16 weeks apart, depending on both the tattoo size and its complexity. After each session, the patient should keep the area clean and regularly apply sunblock to the area if going outdoors. Mild redness or itching may occur and typically lasts only for a few days.

The technology surrounding tattoo removal has improved dramatically with picosecond lasers. The PicoWay system makes the procedure easier for both the practitioner and patient.