Until the launch of PicoSure, Q-Switched lasers had been considered the gold standard for removing tattoos. Q-switched laser treatments use thermal energy to heat up and break apart the ink particles. Now with PicoSure, ultra-short pulses (one trillionth of a second in length!) hit the ink particle with a pressure so great, the ink shatters into tiny dust-like particles. Because the particles are so small, they are more readily absorbed and eliminated by the body. This can mean better clearance of the tattoo and less treatments overall!

As the number of individuals with tattoos has increased, so has the need for improved tattoo removal methods. Tattoo removal methods have evolved from potentially harmful treatments that often had painful and sometimes permanent side effects to less harmful methods with good results. Until the introduction of laser tattoo removal, people resorted to tattoo removal methods such as acid treatments, surgical excision, and dermabrasion. PicoSure tattoo removal requires fewer treatments than traditional Q-Switched lasers.