If you are in the laser industry, or a customer looking for the best treatment for tattoo removal, you will most definitely have heard of the ‘Pico’ laser by now. You have probably wondered to yourself ‘well are they that much better?’ or have seen the expensive price tag and think ‘well are they worth buying?’. Fear not, this article will take you through everything you possibly need to know to fully understand the Pico laser.
Before we start, I fully recommend you go and read my article on ‘how tattoo removal works’ as this will give you a better understanding of some of the fundamental principles of tattoo removal.
So firstly, what is a ‘Pico’ Laser? To understand this, I will briefly state how a tattoo removal device works. Tattoo removal devices release energy as light in pulses, which is why when we use the tattoo removal machine it fires light very quickly. The speed of these pulses is called the pulse width. A typical Q-switch laser device has a pulse width of nanoseconds (meaning when it fires a shot of energy, this lasts around 1 nanosecond) which is one billion times faster than a second. In contrast, ‘Pico’ lasers have a pulse width of picoseconds, which is one trillionth times faster than a second (meaning one shot of energy is 1000 times faster than a typical nanosecond Q-switch laser).
So after I have just bored you to death with maths, I know you are asking ‘well what is this to do with tattoo removal?’ If we think back to the theory of selective photothermolysis (more details provided in my 'how tattoo removal works article') it states that the laser pulse duration must be less than or equal to the time taken for the tattoo ink in the skin to lose approximately 50% of its heat (called the thermal relaxation time) so we can effectively target and destroy the ink particle and not damage the surrounding skin. In simple terms, if we let the ink particle cool too much, then we may run the risk of causing some damage to the skin.
Now, the thermal relaxation time of tattoo ink is very very fast (thought to be less than 10 nanoseconds) meaning it cools quickly. Because of this, we must use lasers with very short pulses! Now this is where ‘Pico’ machines come in. Their pulses are immensely fast (one billionth of a second!) which matches the thermal relaxation time of the ink particles better and means the ink cant cool before it gets hit again, which in theory will make laser tattoo removal more effective.
How does this make Laser tattoo removal more efficient?
Because the ink particles are being hit so quickly, the ink particle is heated and photo-acoustic waves are generated which breaks the ink up into fragments for the body to remove. Basically, picosecond lasers are thought to generate greater photoacoustic waves which better fragmentises the ink particles (making it easier for the body to remove them), with less overall sessions needed to fully fade or remove the unwanted tattoo.
Because this can be hard to understand, I always liken the use of a picosecond laser device with the knocking down of a brick wall. For example, If we hit the brick wall once every 10 seconds with a hammer it will take longer to be broken down than if we hit it once a second.
Further advantages of the Pico Laser
Now, another reported advantage of using a ‘Pico’ Laser if they are highly effective in removing green colours! If you are already in the tattoo removal industry then you know just how difficult green is to treat. Pico machines are extremely effective at removing green and purple tattoos! If you look at figure 1, you can see that the green colour was virtually all removed in just 1 session. The Pico machine releases wavelengths of light in the 755nm range, which can target the green ink found in the dermis making it perfect for the removal of such colours.
Do I think you should buy a Pico machine?
I honestly think it depends on what are you wanting. There is no doubt that Pico machines are brilliant and in my opinion are probably more effective in removing tattoos than the typical Nanosecond ND:YAG Q-switch machine. However, there are a few considerations. The Pico machine is huge and does look very cool, but you must consider whether it is a right fit for your studio. Secondly, you have to consider the price. Pico laser removal machines demand a much higher price tag and your prices may have to be increased to reflect this. This is especially the case as you will also be removing tattoos in much less treatments therefore the overall money you will be making will be decreased if prices are not increased. Whilst in some areas the higher prices will work, in other areas people will be unwilling to pay higher prices as they will not know (or even probably care) about the difference between machines.
In summary, whilst Pico machines are brilliant there are also some disadvantages to them which you must consider before purchasing. If this price tag is too much, then the typical Q-switch laser machine that releases pulse widths in the nanoseconds are still a brilliant and safe option for tattoo removal.
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Remember, I offer a free consultation to answer any questions you may have.
Dr Lockhead
DrZLockhead@gmail.com
0113 418 0464
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