To those trying to remove color tattoos,

The real reason more sessions are needed

Last Tuesday, a person came to the clinic with a small flower tattoo on the inside of the wrist

mixed with red, green, and black.

They came in.

At the Oval clinic, after 4 Pico sessions

only the black had faded

while the red and green were almost unchanged,

“If it's the same Pico, why do the colors react differently?”

they asked.

PicoWay, unlike other Picos,

looks pretty similar, right? But

PicoWay is a picosecond laser from Candela

with 1064nm, 532nm, and 785nm

all available as three wavelengths.

Unlike Enlighten or PicoSure,

only PicoWay has the 785nm wavelength

separately.

Why this matters is that the key wavelength that

absorbs blue and green ink is 785nm.

Why do results differ for color,

even with the same Pico?

Key point of this article

Multicolored tattoos with red, blue, and green require

30% more sessions than monochrome tattoos.

Because each color has a different absorption wavelength,

you need to switch between 1064nm, 532nm, and 785nm in

turn.

If you searched for PicoWay color tattoo removal

and came here,

you've probably already had one or two sessions somewhere, or

you may be skeptical after calculating things because you were told “it'll all be gone in a few sessions.”

There's one important thing here.

Tattoo ink absorbs light at completely different

wavelengths depending on the color.

Black ink responds well to 1064nm,

red to 532nm, and blue/green at 785nm

break down best.

So if you treat a red-and-black tattoo with a device like

PicoSure that has only a single 755nm wavelength,

the black will respond somewhat,

but the red may not fade much.

That happens because the wavelength doesn't match,

so the ink doesn't break down.

PicoWay can use all three wavelengths alternately in one treatment,

so it's relatively strong for multicolored tattoos.

That said, each session takes longer, and because the response

speed differs by color,

about 30% more sessions are needed compared with a

solid black tattoo.

Last month, a 32-year-old office worker came in.

They had received 6 sessions of PicoSure at the Oval clinic

and came in because the red wouldn't fade,

but after we added 3 more sessions with the 532nm wavelength,

that's when the red started to fade.

Director Wi Young-jin's key summary

For color tattoos, it's not that “all Picos are the same,”

but whether the wavelength that matches your tattoo color

is available on that device is what matters.

If red, blue, and green are mixed, you should plan from the

start for 30% longer than a monochrome tattoo, so you won't

regret it later.

PicoWay color removal,

who is it right for?

You'll see the difference clearly like this.

Usually we set it at 6~8 week intervals, and for multicolored

tattoos we plan the sequence so that the first 3 sessions break

down the black first, then move on to the colors.

When removing color tattoos in the clinic,

the three questions we hear most often

Q1. Will fluorescent ink or areas mixed with white come off too?

This needs to be looked at case by case.

Fluorescent ink is

hard to remove completely with any Pico device,

and a paradoxical darkening response can even happen

right after treatment.

Apricot-toned ink mixed with white is similar.

Because it contains titanium dioxide,

it can turn black when hit with a laser.

Q2. Is color tattoo removal cost

much higher than black?

In the clinic, the per-session price is

usually similar or only slightly different.

But because the number of sessions is 30% higher,

the total cost goes up accordingly.

We recommend starting with enough sessions planned from the

beginning.

Q3. After treatment, how long do blisters or

hyperpigmentation last?

For color tattoos, the 532nm wavelength also stimulates

melanin, so temporary hyperpigmentation after treatment

can last about 4~8 weeks.

Blisters can occur if the energy is high,

and they usually go down within a week.

So for the first session, we lower the energy and see the

response, then from the second session onward

we raise it in earnest.

If you take away just one thing today,

— for color tattoos,

don't start with “how many sessions will it take,” but with

“which wavelength is available.”

In the next article,

I'll explain how to set the treatment interval for color tattoo removal between 6 weeks and 8 weeks.

That was Wi Young-jin.

Before counting sessions for a multicoloured piece, it is worth looking at the whole picture. Beautystone uses the Kirby–Desai assessment in consultation, covering skin type, location, ink amount, layering, scarring and colour, to set an expected range for your tattoo rather than a general figure. Colour is only one of the six items, and the estimate is reviewed as each wavelength is used, so it can move up or down.

Ask about a session range for a colour tattoo

Read more

• For those considering tattoo removal in Hongdae·Hapjeong, Director Wi Young-jin answers

• Tattoo removal for 30,000 won per session? “If you calculate the total cost, you'll get blindsided.”

• PicoWay tattoo removal — how many sessions on average until it's gone?

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do the parts mixed with fluorescent ink or white come off too?

A. Fluorescent ink is difficult to remove completely with any pico laser equipment, and white-mixed apricot-toned ink is similar. Because it contains titanium dioxide, it can turn black when exposed to a laser.

Q. Is it much more expensive to remove colored tattoos than black ones?

A. The cost per session is similar, or only slightly different. However, since the number of sessions increases by 30%, the total cost rises accordingly.

Q. How long do blisters or pigmentation last after the procedure?

A. Temporary pigmentation after the procedure may appear for about 4 to 8 weeks. Blisters may occur if the energy is set too high, and they usually go away within 1 week.

Q. When removing a color tattoo, do you schedule the treatments in a specific order for each color?

A. Yes, we typically target the black ink first before moving on to colors. For the first three sessions or so, we break down the black pigment using the 1064nm wavelength. After that, we treat the red, blue, and green colors using their respective wavelengths, spacing the treatments 6 to 8 weeks apart.