Thanks for your question and posting pictures. I could not DISAGREE more with the advice of using a q-switch laser on African-American skin for tattoo removal. The method of action of q-switch/nanosecond lasers is heat. It burns the ink and often the melanin out of the skin. Darker skin types are infinitely more susceptible to hypopigmentation from this older technology.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, using a pressure wave rather than heat to shear the ink molecules apart. After using the PicoSure for almost 3 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. If they have more time than money, we encourage them to come every 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.
