How can I better prepare myself for the pain Picosure gives? And what about red ink? (photos)

Question

My PicoSure treatment was 4 weeks ago. The doctor assured me it will get rid of the red completely, but I'm seeing here that isn't true. Can you give me advice on what to do about this? I already prepaid a large amount to get rid of my tattoo. It also was extremely painful. Much more than I imagined and my arm was hurting badly for hours after and medium pain for five days after! How can I help the pain before my next treatment? I thought I had a high tolerance for pain, but not with this!

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Hi Chic.  There are two issues here - pain control and whether the Picosure is the right laser for you.  For the issue of pain, we would recommend asking about a triple numbing agent like 30% Lidocaine, Benzocaine and Tetracaine.  While superficial in nature, it can help a bit.  You could also ask about direct injected Lidocaine.  While the area of injected lidocaine is usually limited, this may be an option for you as well.  Ask your provider about it.While the Picosure has received lots of marketing hype and is very good for green colors, it is not great for red.  The challenge with multicolored tattoos is that in most cases you need 3 wavelengths (different types) of light to properly remove the tattoo as quickly as possible.  The Picosure only has one (755 nanometers).  So, while the Picosure may eventually get the red out, it will be much slower than with a double frequency Yag (532 nanometers) laser.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Picosure is not a good laser for a red ink tattoo. Your tattoo will be best treated with a 532 wavelength laser. Picosure is best for dark colors such as black, blue, and green and purple. I recommend addressing your concerns with your treating physician. Best of Luck!

Choon Kia Yeo, MD · Answer

Sine you have a high tolerance of pain, I would like to suggest that you request your doctor to apply a topical triple anesthetic cream for 30 minutes before the procedure. Ice or use a Zimmer cooler to cool the area during treatment.The pain level should be at about 2/10. I usually use a local anesthetic with lidocaine and the treatment is pain free.PicoSure is the latest and best treatment for tattoo removal because it has the photo thermal action as well as the photomechanical impact in the pico(trillionth) second pulse resulting in greater disruption and clearance  of the tattoo and usually requires 3-4 treatments instead of older technology which requires 8-12+ treatments. Even dark stubborn blue, green, and recalcitrant tattoos can be removed. However it is not very good for the red but it will lighten  the red. As you have already prepaid a large amount I would suggest you continue the treatment and hopefully the red would be removed.Your other options would be to increase the power of the PicoSure to treat the red but you will have more blistering or to use a Q switch Nd:Yag like the RevLite.Good Luck,Dr. Yeo

How can I better prepare myself for the pain Picosure gives? And what about red ink? (photos)

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How can I better prepare myself for the pain Picosure gives? And what about red ink? (photos)

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Everything you need to know about PicoSure

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