If you have looked into fading or fully removing a tattoo, you have likely encountered a significant technology gap in the medical aesthetics industry. For decades, the industry standard was traditional Q-switched nanosecond lasers. While effective in their time, legacy systems were slow, required dozens of sessions, caused substantial thermal discomfort, and notoriously struggled with vibrant pigments like blues and greens.

The introduction of Picosecond technology (PicoSure®) fundamentally changed clinical tattoo removal.

Understanding the difference comes down to basic physics:

• Nanosecond Lasers (Photothermal): Older lasers deliver energy in billionths of a second. This slow pulse duration relies primarily on heat to melt ink particles. Because heat transfers into the surrounding dermal tissue, it increases the risk of thermal injury, skin texture damage, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

• PicoSure Picosecond Lasers (Photomechanical): PicoSure fires in trillionths of a second. This ultra-short pulse creates a powerful acoustic shockwave that shatters ink mechanically rather than heating it.

Instead of heating the ink into large fragments, PicoSure pulverizes it into micro-dust. Your lymphatic system can then carry those microscopic particles away far more rapidly.

Dark black ink absorbs a wide range of wavelengths, but recalcitrant colors—such as deep blues, bright greens, and purples—require precise targeting. PicoSure’s 755nm wavelength has a uniquely high absorption rate for green and blue spectrums, breaking down pigments that traditional Q-switched lasers leave behind.

Because photomechanical shockwaves minimize heat damage to surrounding skin:

• Treatments require fewer total sessions to reach full clearance.

• Recovery is faster, with significantly lower risks of dermal scarring or permanent hypopigmentation.

Having advanced technology is only half the equation—clinical expertise, custom fluence settings, and skin assessment determine the actual outcome.

In 2015, 207 Laser became the first clinic in Maine to introduce the PicoSure system. Over a decade later, our medical team in Portland and Kennebunk continues to leverage this experience to deliver safe, highly effective tattoo removal and targeted cover-up fading.

Considering tattoo removal? Book a consultation with our clinical team or contact our Portland and Kennebunk offices to evaluate your tattoo.