In my practice, I strive to combine effective treatments with a personal touch. For me, tattoo removal is the perfect intersection of these two ideals. My initial search for the right tattoo removal device led me to try a number of different lasers — Q-switched Nd:YAG, Alexandrite and more — but they did not deliver the outcomes I was looking for. During my fellowship, I attempted to replicate procedures that had been receiving a great deal of attention, but I was extremely disappointed by the results. That’s when I discovered the enlighten® system from Cutera. When I began using enlighten, it featured two pulse durations (2 ns and 750 ps) and three unique laser wavelengths (532 nm, 670nmand 1064 nm).
The enlighten System: Picosecond Technology That Delivers Results
The enlighten system offers something truly unique: a picosecond laser that actually works. It’s a high-powered picosecond laser that’s easy to use, with an easy interface and the solid Cutera engineering behind it.
The benefit of enlighten is that I can address any tattoo.
Recently, a patient came in with a very specific tattoo removal request. Back in college, he and several of his friends got matching tattoos in different colors. Through ‘luck of the draw,’ though, his tattoo was in turquoise, which didn’t seem to be a big deal — until he wanted to have it removed! He had been told previously that removing the tattoo would be difficult, if not impossible, because of the color of the ink. He had almost given up until he learned about the enlighten system, and I’m happy to say we were able to take care of it for him in just two treatments.
The ability to combine pulse durations within a treatment regimen is one major advantage of the enlighten system. When I’m removing tattoos, I always use the two pulse durations (2 ns along with either 750 ps or 660 ps) in two passes. The longer pulse duration gets the larger particles and the shorter then cleans up the smaller particles.
I’ve seen firsthand how the market for tattoo removal has grown, and I’ve noticed that the industry-wide numbers bear out my experience. With a growing number of individuals experiencing tattoo regret, the market is expected to hit a year over year growth of 12.7% through 2023.1
enlighten with PICO Genesis: Beyond Tattoo Removal
PICO Genesis™ is another reason the enlighten system is central to my practice.
PICO Genesis reduces the appearance of naturally occurring pigment such as melasma and lentigines, and it does so with incredible efficacy. PICO Genesis is a 2-in-1 laser procedure that shatters unwanted pigment, eliminating age spots and sun spots while delivering deep remodeling within the skin.
In addition to being far more convenient for patients, PICO Genesis makes a big difference in terms of skin quality, hypopigmentation, scarring and roughness. As a result, patients also come away with skin that looks and feels better than previous treatments allowed.
It’s important to note that patients don’t always do their research, and as such they may not always be aware of the differences between treatment options. Word of mouth, though, is a very powerful means of bringing new patients through the door. When patients get the results they’re hoping for, they’ll spread the word. It’s been my experience that Cutera delivers the solid engineering that gets results patients notice. In fact, the enlighten system and Cutera’s excel® V system account for nearly 90% of my procedures. As your patient base grows, you can be confident that you can provide.
1 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/tattoo-removal-market
