Doctor-led laser tattoo removal using the Candela PicoWayTM laser, right here in the Whitsundays.
Candela PicoWayTM laser uses picosecond pulses to create a photoacoustic effect that breaks tattoo ink into smaller particles that can then be cleared by the body’s immune system.
At Whitsunday Cosmedics Skin Clinic, we begin with a thorough assessment of your tattoo and surrounding skin. As a doctor-led clinic, our careful pre-treatment skin assessment includes a dermoscopic review of any mole or pigmented lesion in or near the tattoo that merits medical assessment before any laser treatment commences.
If a particular tattoo no longer reflects who you are now, then the PicoWay laser may help you move on from it. Our initial assessment provides an opportunity to discuss your goals and set realistic expectations for treatment.
Outgrown your tattoo? Complete removal can't be guaranteed, but tattoos can fade considerably with treatment.
Lightening an existing design helps your tattoo artist create a fresh tattoo on that part of your body.
The PicoWay can treat blue, green and purple inks, and older tattoos may respond differently to treatment, depending on factors such as ink colour, density, depth and skin type.
Older Q-switched lasers deliver energy in nanosecond pulses. The PicoWay’s pulses last mere picoseconds (that’s roughly a thousand times shorter).
At your tattoo consultation, Dr McCann will:
Tattoo removal commonly requires multiple sessions, usually spaced at least six to eight weeks apart. The number of sessions varies depending on factors such as the tattoo’s size, colour, density, depth and your skin type.
If you’re having laser tattoo removal in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and the Whitsundays it’s important to follow aftercare instructions.
We usually recommend:
All treatment plans are overseen by experienced doctors, including pre-treatment dermoscopy for clinically significant lesions.
An expansive local suite of lasers including VBeam Prima, PicoWay, Candela Alexandrite, CO2 ablative laser, eMatrix, and Candela Sublative.
All practitioners performing laser treatments are fully laser licensed and trained.
Treatment recommendations are built around your skin's current condition, your lifestyle, sun exposure habits, and your long-term goals.
Based in Whitsunday Plaza, Cannonvale, with ample parking and easy access
We understand life here – in and out of the water, enjoying the sunshine – and we help you minimise its effects on your skin.
Most people feel some discomfort, and it varies with the tattoo’s size and location and your own tolerance. We will discuss ways to manage discomfort at your consultation.
There’s no reliable number until your tattoo has been assessed. Small, older, black tattoos generally need fewer sessions than large, dense or multicoloured ones. You’ll get an estimate at your consultation.
Cost depends on the tattoo’s size and complexity and on how many sessions it needs. Fees are discussed at your consultation.
No. Black and other dark inks generally respond best. Blue, green and purple can be treated with the PicoWay, though they may take longer. Yellow, white and some pastel or fluorescent inks respond poorly to any laser.
It means highly trained medical oversight of decisions about your care and a careful pre-treatment skin assessment that sometimes identifies suspicious lesions near the tattoo.
Picosecond and nanosecond (Q-switched) lasers both use light energy to break tattoo ink into fragments your immune system can clear. In a 2017 randomised trial involving black tattoos, both picosecond and nanosecond lasers achieved similar levels of clearance, while participants reported lower discomfort with the picosecond treatment.
*Average scores from a 2017 randomised trial of 21 patients with 30 black tattoos, each treated with both lasers (1064 nm) in two sessions six weeks apart. Results may differ for coloured inks and for other patients.