You really regret your tattoo. Join the club: 25% of women and men (well, actually, more of them are men) who have tattoos feel just like you do.
But you don’t want to make another mistake. You’ve heard that tattoo removal is painful and takes a really long time. Do you really want to do this?
Jeffrey Gosin, MD, founder of Shore Vascular and Vein Center in Somers Point, New Jersey, understands both the frustration of having an unwanted tattoo and the desire to avoid a potentially painful and long removal process. That’s why he offers tattoo removal with the enlighten® III picosecond laser by Cutera®, which takes 40% less time to remove tattoos than traditional lasers do.
So, what does laser tattoo removal with the enlighten III feel like?
Like grade school
Remember when you were in junior high and just couldn’t get through the day without zapping someone with a rubber band? Or — if you were the studious type — getting zapped yourself by the class clown?
That’s basically how it feels to get zapped with the enlighten III laser. Before your tattoo removal session, Dr. Gosin first applies a numbing cream to your skin to control pain and discomfort. Each time the laser energy targets and shatters the pigment in your tattoo, you feel a brief, snapping burst of energy against your skin.
The dual-wavelength enlighten III laser features both longer (two nanoseconds) and shorter (750/660 picoseconds) pulse durations so that it efficiently breaks up all densities and colors of tattoo pigment. The short wavelengths remove red, orange, and yellow pigments. The longer ones are best for dark colors, such as black and dark blue.
Because the enlighten III uses acoustic shockwaves, not heat, to break up tattoo pigment, your skin isn’t burned by the treatment. You may have some slight swelling and irritation for a day or two after your session, but we’ll instruct you on how to take care of your skin after you’re through.
Like you went to the head of the line
Your buddies are facing up to 15–20 sessions of laser tattoo removal, with at least a month or two between each treatment. You need to leave that much time between laser tattoo removal treatments because your skin needs to heal. Your body also needs to clear away and excrete the shattered pigment, so you can see how much ink is left in your tattoo.
But you did your research, and you picked the enlighten III laser. Though you still need to leave 4–8 weeks between laser treatments, you won’t need as many of those treatments. Depending on how complex your tattoo is, you could be done after just three sessions, or no more than 10.
The enlighten III is equipped to target all ranges of pigment, from the lightest to the darkest. If you have very light colors — such as pale yellow or white — you may need to have another session or two. Light colors are first oxidized by the laser, which later breaks down the darkened pigment in a subsequent session.
Like a big relief
Laser tattoo removal gives your skin a clean slate. You can either choose to get another tattoo or leave your skin tattoo-free. In most cases, you won’t even have a ghost of your “mistake.”
During your consultation, Dr. Gosin gives you realistic estimates of exactly how clear and beautiful your skin will be once you’ve completed your treatments. And if you wonder how other women and men feel about the enlighten III, 100% of the reviews on RealSelf say that enlighten III is totally “worth it.”
If you’d like to be tattoo-free by summer, call now to book your first laser tattoo removal treatment. Call us at 609-297-5992 or book an appointment online.
