Connecticut's premier dermatology and skin rejuvenation center
203 428-4440
Tattoo Removal with Picosecond Laser
Many Americans have tattoos. It should come as no surprise that tattoo regret runs very high for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, removing a tattoo isn’t as simple as getting one and finding a skilled provider to remove your tattoo is even more difficult. Tattoos are like snowflakes as each tattoo is unique and requires removal techniques tailored to the individual case. Once the tattoo is evaluated, it may be removed over a series of treatments with a specialized powerful laser which uses more power during its pulse than most American cities use.
Do you really want someone in a medical spa or a technician without specialized training treating you with such a powerful device? Complications of laser tattoo removal include scarring and permanent skin color changes. At our practices, all laser tattoo removal treatments are done under the direct supervision of Dr. Omar Ibrahimi. Dr. Ibrahimi customizes the settings for each treatment and the treatments are performed by our nurse who has been personally trained by Dr. Ibrahimi himself.
Dr. Omar Ibrahimi demonstrates a laser tattoo removal treatment.
Dr. Omar Ibrahimi is a board certified and fellowship trained laser surgeon. Our office has the latest picosecond laser technology known as the Enlighten III laser. We also have two additional Q-switches lasers making us the only facility in the state that has 3 different devices and a total of 10 wavelengths to target unwanted tattoos. We are able to effectively treat every ink color in patients of all skin colors.
Dr. Omar Ibrahimi has contributed two key recent studies that have advanced the way tattoos are treated currently. He has also been involved in the clinical trials of the latest picosecond laser technology.
Commonly asked questions about laser tattoo removal
Does laser tattoo removal hurt?
The tattoo removal process involves a small amount of discomfort. If the area is small it can usually be numbed up with a shot of numbing medicine, and topical numbing creams can also be used to reduce the amount of discomfort for most tattoos. These usually make the treatment tolerable for most patients.
What is the picosecond laser technology and is it better?
Picosecond lasers have attracted a great deal of buzz recently for the treatment of unwanted tattoos. There are three major brands of picosecond lasers. The PicoSure, the PicoWay and the Enlighten III laser. Work done at Harvard Medical School’s Wellman Center of Photo-medicine nearly 15 years ago suggested a picosecond laser would result in more efficient and powerful tattoo removal. However it has taken 15 years of research and engineering efforts to finally build a stable picosecond laser so we can finally offer this option to patients. Treatments with picosecond lasers may help clear tattoos with less treatments and also treat tattoos that have stopped responding to traditional Q-switched laser technology. The Enlighten III laser is the most powerful of the three commercially available picosecond lasers and is the one we prefer to use in our practice.
How many treatments does it take?
The speed at which your tattoo will be removed depends on a few things: 1) The type of tattoo you have 2) The skill level of the person operating the tattoo removal laser. A dermatologist that understands the physics of tattoo removal is not the same as a nurse or non-physician who has minimal understanding of the laser. 3) The type of laser used. Our office is one of the few in the country that uses new picosecond laser technology. We also have two additional Q-switched lasers that give us more devices and wavelengths for laser tattoo removal than any other facility in the state. Many places rent lasers which are moved around from location to location, which lessens the efficacy of the device. We use 3 state of the art tattoo removal lasers that are not rented or shared by anyone else. Because we have the Enlighten III picosecond laser, we are able to obtain results far quicker than other offices performing laser tattoo removal. Tattoo removal can be anywhere from 6-10 treatments but it may be less depending on the factors listed above.
What does it cost to remove my tattoo?
It is not possible to give a simple answer to this question. How much it costs to remove a tattoo depends on the size, color and type of tattoo and this can only be evaluated by a consultation. Be wary of those who offer you a bargain or a lower price. If you need more treatments because the person who is treating you does not understand laser physics, the “cheaper” treatment may actually work out to be more expensive than seeing a laser expert who can optimize the laser settings for you and improve the appearance of your tattoo faster. In addition, the technology to perform laser tattoo removal is expensive, and we recommend seeing a board certified dermatologist with expertise in laser surgery because they often employ the best technology for laser tattoo removal compared to medical spas where the focus is on the bottom line.
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