ENLIGHTEN LASER

Pros

• Many physicians consider picosecond lasers, like the Enlighten, to be the best tattoo removal lasers on the market.
•  It’s less painful and works in fewer treatments than older-generation lasers do.
• RealSelf members’ before and after pictures show impressive results—ranging from 90–95% removal—when using Enlighten laser to treat brown spots and tattoos. 
• Manufacturer’s data indicates that the Pico Genesis FX will improve skin radiance and smoothness while reducing pigmentation, redness, and pore size.

Cons

• The pigment may darken, especially with makeup tattoos, like microbladed eyebrows. As Dr. Phuong Q. Tien, a board-certified physiatrist in Westminster, California, explains in a RealSelf Q&A, “Many of the inks used in this form of tattooing contain iron, which allows the artist to create a more natural effect. But the iron in these inks will often oxidize when treated with a laser, causing it to darken or become reddish-brown.” It’s usually best to let these semipermanent tattoos fade on their own over a few years.
• Ask your doctor if you can undergo tattoo removal or laser treatments. For example, you should not have the procedure while pregnant or breastfeeding, and formal contraindications may include a pacemaker or chronic conditions such as heart or kidney disease, diabetes, or epilepsy.

Your cost will depend on your provider’s level of experience, their geographic location, and how many sessions you’ll need.

Before the treatment begins, your provider will likely apply a topical numbing cream (you can request it, if it’s not automatically offered). You’ll need to arrive an extra 30–60 minutes prior to treatment, to give the cream time to start working. 

Depending on your skin tone and the color of the pigment you’re aiming to eliminate, your provider will choose an appropriate wavelength for the intensity and color of the ink. They will then try a test patch. If you pass (i.e., you’re deemed an appropriate candidate for treatment), the provider will begin dragging the laser’s three-pronged applicator over the area. 

Patients say it feels like an elastic band snapping against the skin. You may feel some heat when the device passes over the treatment site and may also hear a sizzling noise, but most patients won’t need prescription pain medication to endure the procedure. If you’re concerned or have a low pain threshold, ask your provider about lidocaine injections.

Though treatment times vary, a single session will likely last 15–30 minutes.

Most people see results with Enlighten’s Pico Genesis and Pico Genesis FX after one or two treatments, especially for facial rejuvenation. However, it depends on the tone of the pigment you’re removing.

As Dr. Jessica H. Kim, a board-certified dermatologist in Olympia, Washington, explains in a RealSelf Q&A, “You may require six or more sessions to see desired results [for tattoo removal].” According to Dr. Kim, this is an improvement from previous nanosecond, Q-switched technology, which required at least 12 sessions. For acne scarring or dark spots, three to four sessions are usually enough. For melasma, it may take longer to see results, since it’s a form of hyperpigmentation. Some providers say that you may need five sessions before you notice results for melasma treatment.  

Allow up to 12 weeks between each session so that your skin can heal and your body can metabolize the pigment. 

There is no social downtime with Enlighten for most simple procedures, such as acne scars, brown spots or facial rejuvenation. Tattoo removal may involve some downtime, if more aggressive treatment is required. 

Dr. Lisa Jenks, a physician in Colorado Springs, Colorado, describes in a RealSelf Q&A what side effects patients can expect: “I tell my patients that it’s very normal to experience redness, swelling, oozing, and blistering for five to seven days after Enlighten tattoo removal.” 

She recommends using Aquaphor skin-repair ointment and keeping the area covered. You may also experience some darkening of the pigment for the first week or two as your body absorbs and excretes it. In rare cases, such as with microbladed eyebrows, the deepening of the pigment could be permanent or require additional sessions to remove.

The removal of tattoo ink, pigmented lesions, and acne scars is permanent. 

Sunspots and age spots may return over time—especially with exposure to daylight, so some people get annual follow-up treatments to maintain their results. 

Melasma may also reappear, depending on hormone fluctuations. Always wear water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 when heading outdoors.