What tattoo laser is better the PicoWay or Quantra C plus for my tattoo? (Photo)

Question

My tattoo is only black with shading.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Tattoos should be removed with q switched or pico lasers. Using a PFD patch in tandem with a laser will get you more removal quickly as compared to tattoo removal without it. It will take a series of treatments, but it's difficult to determine how many treatments you'll need. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a laser tattoo removal expert. 
Best, Dr. Emer

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! Tattoos should be removed with q switched or pico lasers. Using a PFD patch in tandem with a laser will get you more removal quickly as compared to tattoo removal without it. It will take a series of treatments, but it's difficult to determine how many treatments you'll need. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a laser tattoo removal expert. Best of luck!

Laura Riehm, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question and posting a picture.  Tattoo regret is very common.  Almost every tattoo can be completely removed with enough time and treatments.  It's usually only white ink is hard to remove.  The most important factor is patience.  You have to give your body time to absorb the ink.  For laser tattoo removal you have two routes:The older nanosecond or Q-Switch laser technology, like the Quanta came out about 20 years ago.  The majority of former Q-Switch patients we see have significant hypopigmentation (ghosting) around and under their tattoo.  The Q-Switch lasers have trouble differentiating between the melanin in your skin and ink.  The technology uses heat to burn the pigment out of your skin.  In addition, we have seen patients with raised scars as if they have been branded.  Both of these condition are typically irreversible.  Picosecond laser came out about 5 years ago.  Every laser manufacturer has a different marketing hook to make you choose their laser.  At the end of the day, it's about the technology and experience of the clinician.  All PicoSecond lasers (like the Enlighten, PicoWay & PicoSure) fire 1000 times faster per second, using a pressure wave rather than heat to shear the ink molecules apart.  The hype of extra wavelengths does not make that much of a difference.  Don't be fooled that one is better than another.  It's the tattoo removal protocol that each office uses that makes the difference.  The 755 nm will get rid of most of the ink colors.  For red and pink ink, you would need to make sure they have 532 nm.  After using the PicoSure for 3 and half years, we have only seen pinpoint hypopigmentation in a very small number of patients usually of darker skin tones.  We cannot say it is impossible to get burned with a Picosecond laser, but it is highly unlikely.  We tell every PicoSure tattoo patient to expect at least 6 treatments, but don’t be surprised if it takes 10 to 12.  Patience is the key for our patients.  We typically see our tattoo removal patients every 8 to 12 weeks initially.  We eventually encourage them to wait up to 6 months as the tattoos seem to continue to fade while they wait.Treatment prices vary by market. The cost for picosecond treatments will be higher, but you should need less than half the treatments compared to a nanosecond laser.  The patch is only used with the older nanosecond lasers.  Best of luck.

What tattoo laser is better the PicoWay or Quantra C plus for my tattoo? (Photo)

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What tattoo laser is better the PicoWay or Quantra C plus for my tattoo? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about PicoWay

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.