PicoSure Laser Tattoo Removal FAQ

Outstanding.

No, but you should not have a recent tan or sunburn in the area to be treated with the PicoSure or any other laser. Recent sun exposure plus a laser treatment can result in burns.

Yes. Yes. Be sure to tell us prior to treatment and we’ll do two things: first, any prior shingles should be healed; second, you should be placed on antiviral medicine to prevent shingles. This can be started just before or at the time you begin your laser tattoo removal. Laser therapy over an area of prior herpes simplex infection (fever blisters) can also reactivate this type infection and antiviral medication is a good idea.

We prefer the abscess be healed first, before any laser treatment.

No. Most amateur tattoos are more easily treated than professional ones. However, it depends on the ink used and how deep the ink was placed.

Great question. The areas with great circulation such as the chest and back, can often be retreated every 6 weeks. Areas below the waist or on the hands have less circulation and take longer to heal and we’ll often wait 8 weeks between treatments. However, if you have persisting redness in the treated area we may wait a bit longer. People with vary dark skin, including Pakistanis, Indians and Africans, may also require a longer interval between treatments.

Wait at least six weeks minimum from the time it was inked–waiting 12 weeks is better.

The biggest risk is hypopigmentation, or lightening of the skin, in the treated area. This usually resolves in 1-12 months if you get it. Posttreatment blisters are common after PicoSure laser treatment. These are produced by the PressureWave technology and are not heat-induced blisters. They usually heal within 7 days. These do not indicate a need for a change in laser energy settings and may recur with subsequent treatments.

No. It is possible to get darkening of some inks, usually in flesh tone or cosmetic tattoos. This may occur with ferric oxide or ferrous oxide formation after treatment, in which the ink can become rusty or black. Such tattoos typically require an increased number of treatments before improvement is seen.

Yes, and this is the standard of the care in the laser treatment and cosmetic industry. We do the same prior to Botox, Fillers, varicose vein treatments, mole removal and other laser treatments.

We have a trained group of longstanding employees who are friendly, bilingual and knowledgeable. Dr. Van Reken is a dedicated laser expert who also speaks Spanish. Our office has used various lasers since about 2009. We have about 10 lasers that do tattoo removal, skin tightening, scar resurfacing, sun damage removal, acne reduction, varicose vein destruction and other things. We have at least 2 machines and at least 3 wavelengths that can perform tattoo removal. The team is medically trained and physician supervised. There are free consultations and price quotes with Dr. Van Reken prior to treatment. Any technician that treats you at Reno Sparks Medspa will be manufacturer certified on any laser you are treated with. The PicoSure is the most effective tattoo removal laser in the world. The medical supervision re tattoo removal and other laser services is the most comprehensive in Northern Nevada with Dr. Van Reken on site for questions and treatment settings 95% of the time when services are performed. Our prices are reasonable. If you compare a per treatment price with older technology it will be cheaper with the older lasers (including our Medlite C6). If you compare the total price for tattoo removal from start to finish the price is similar and the value higher with the PicoSure laser removal system.

cost of laser tattoo removal varies. An example might be a football sized tattoo–single treatment that would cost about $700 and a package of 3 would cost about $1700, so you would save $400 by buying the package. Some smaller tattoos cost under $100 and radiation treatment tattoos in cancer patients we remove for free. Financing treatments through credit cards or Care Credit is an option. At Reno Sparks Medspa we accept checks, cash, credit cards and Care Credit.