Teens and young adults are well known for acting without thinking, and getting a tattoo is at the top of the list of acting before thinking. From having a boyfriend or girlfriend’s name tattooed across their shoulder or upper arm to a huge design across the lower back or down the lower arm (a sleeve), suddenly they are left with a permanent “mark” on their bodies that they are thrilled about – that is until they realize the indelible ink on their bodies is not what they thought it would be. Suddenly getting the tattoo was not the best idea, especially when they want to enter the job force and the very visible tattoo seems to be holding them back or even preventing them from getting a dream job.
Enter laser tattoo removal…
Tattoo removal is a growing trend. When you think that one in five US adults has at least one tattoo (Harris Poll 2012 Survey), it is inevitable that some will change their minds and want the design removed. Further studies by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery indicate that dermatologists performed over 90,000 tattoo removal procedures in 2013, a 52 percent increase over the prior year.
The Enlighten™ laser tattoo removal system by Cutera®, a leader in laser and light-based aesthetic systems, offers the newest and most innovative breakthrough in tattoo removal. FDA-approved since November 2014, it has the ability to remove permanent discoloration and unwanted tattoos with the most advanced laser system. With a dual wavelength and dual pulse duration laser, this system operates at pico-second and nano-second durations to erase a wide variety and color range of tattoos, ink compositions and even benign skin discolorations.
With picosecond lasers, the energy from the beam enters the skin in a much shorter time period which allows for more destruction of the ink particles. Ultimately, this equates to a fewer number of treatments to remove the tattoo.
With the Enlighten™, the following facts about the system are worth noting:
- Typically takes between three and six sessions depending on the extent and depth of the tattoo
- Works on any ink color with darker colors being easier to remove
- Less painful than with other laser tattoo removal systems
- Less destruction of surrounding tissue
- Removes benign pigmented lesions
According to a recent Market Watch article, revenue from tattoo removal has surged to an estimated $75 million over the past decade and is expected to climb. Cutera® expects the industry to grow at a progressive rate of 19 percent by 2017.