A picosecond laser fires light pulses lasting trillionths of a second—far shorter than older nanosecond lasers. Those ultra-fast bursts hit tattoo ink or pigment with a rapid photomechanical shock that shatters it into tiny particles your body clears, often with fewer sessions and less heat to surrounding skin.
What 'Picosecond' Actually Means
A picosecond is one-trillionth of a second. A picosecond laser delivers its energy in pulses that brief—dramatically shorter than the older nanosecond (billionth-of-a-second) lasers that dominated tattoo removal for decades. That difference in speed changes how the light interacts with ink and pigment in your skin.
Because the pulse is so short, most of its work is photomechanical rather than photothermal. Instead of primarily heating the ink, the laser produces a rapid pressure wave—almost a microscopic shockwave—that fractures pigment into extremely fine particles. Your body's immune system then carries those particles away over the following weeks. Smaller fragments tend to clear more efficiently, which is a large part of why picosecond technology has become the standard for serious removal work.
Why It Matters for Tattoo and Scar Removal
For tattoos, the practical payoff of picosecond speed is fewer treatment sessions and better results on colors that historically resisted removal—blues, greens, and dense blacks. The shattering effect breaks stubborn ink into particles fine enough for your body to clear, so pieces that once seemed permanent can visibly fade.
Because the ultra-short pulse deposits less residual heat into surrounding tissue, picosecond treatment is also generally gentler on the skin than older lasers. That lower thermal load is meaningful for comfort and for reducing the risk of unwanted changes in skin texture or tone. The same pigment-targeting precision makes the technology useful for pigment spots and certain scar-related discoloration, though every case is different and results are never guaranteed.
- Ultra-short pulses shatter ink into finer, easier-to-clear particles
- Often fewer sessions than older nanosecond lasers
- Effective on traditionally difficult colors like blue and green
- Less residual heat means a gentler experience for surrounding skin
How Laser Eraser Uses Picosecond Technology
At Laser Eraser, the picosecond laser we use is the PicoWay® system, and a physician—not a technician—operates it for every treatment. Founder Dr. Alvaro Alban, an emergency-medicine physician who pursued specialized training at the Institute for Laser Medicine in Skippack, Pennsylvania, built the practice around doctor-administered care. Each session's settings are customized to your skin type and the specific ink colors in your tattoo.
That physician-led approach is a genuine differentiator from franchise chains and spas. It means treatment decisions—wavelength selection, energy, spacing between sessions, and honest expectations about how many visits your tattoo may need—are made with medical judgment. Most tattoos take roughly 8 to 12 sessions to fully remove, and our flat-rate Complete Removal Packages cover every session at one fixed price, starting tailored to your tattoo.
Frequently asked questions
For most tattoos, yes. Picosecond lasers deliver energy in pulses a thousand times shorter than nanosecond lasers, shattering ink into finer particles your body clears more easily. That often means fewer sessions, better results on stubborn colors like blue and green, and less residual heat to surrounding skin—though outcomes still vary by individual.