Laser Tattoo Removal (PicoWay)

Laser tattoo removal using PicoWay picosecond laser technology, delivering ultra-short pulse bursts that shatter tattoo ink particles photoacoustically across multiple ink colours. Multi-wavelength configuration targets black, dark, red, and coloured inks. Minimal damage to surrounding skin tissue compared to older nanosecond laser systems. Number of sessions depends on tattoo size, age, ink density, and skin response.

SILK Laser Clinics Perth CBD performs laser tattoo removal using PicoWay — Candela's picosecond laser platform — which operates on fundamentally different physics from the older Q-switched nanosecond lasers used in first-generation tattoo removal clinics across Perth and Australia. PicoWay fires laser pulses in the picosecond range (one trillionth of a second), approximately one hundred times shorter than nanosecond pulses, which creates a predominantly photoacoustic (shock wave) effect rather than a photothermal one. When the ultra-short pulse strikes a tattoo ink particle, the rapid energy deposition causes the particle to undergo explosive mechanical expansion and shatter into microscopic fragments — far smaller than those produced by the slower, heat-based fragmentation of nanosecond lasers. These smaller fragments are more easily recognised and cleared by the body's macrophage immune cells through the lymphatic system, which is why picosecond technology is associated with fewer sessions to achieve comparable clearance and a reduced risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation compared to older platforms. PicoWay's multi-wavelength configuration — 1064 nm (targets black, dark blue, and green inks), 532 nm (targets red, orange, and yellow inks), and 785 nm — provides broad ink-colour coverage to address the multi-colour tattoos commonly seen in Perth's tattooed population. Free consultations are offered at the Perth CBD enex100 location to assess each tattoo's characteristics — size, ink type and density, age, depth, and any previous treatment history — and provide a realistic session estimate and individualised pricing. The number of sessions required varies widely: professionally applied tattoos with dense, deep ink typically require eight to twelve sessions; amateur or cosmetic tattoos may clear in four to six sessions. Sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart to allow macrophage clearance of fragmented ink between treatments.