Does PicoWay Actually Remove Colored Tattoos?
PicoWay's four wavelengths handle black and red ink well, but green, blue, yellow, and white are a different story. Here's an honest breakdown, color by color.
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If you've got a colorful tattoo you're hoping to fade or clear completely, you've probably already run into some conflicting advice. Some clinics will tell you any ink comes off eventually with enough sessions. Others will quietly admit that certain colors, yellow especially, barely respond to a laser at all. Both of those things can be true, depending on the pigment sitting in your skin. In this article, we'll cover how PicoWay's wavelengths target different ink colors, which shades tend to clear fastest, what a realistic session-by-session timeline looks like, and the risks worth knowing before you book anything.
What Is PicoWay, and Why Does It Matter for Colored Ink?
PicoWay is a picosecond laser platform, meaning it delivers energy in trillionths of a second rather than the billionths-of-a-second pulses older nanosecond lasers use. That difference sounds tiny, but it changes what happens to the ink. Faster pulses shatter tattoo pigment into much finer, dust-like fragments, which your immune system's cleanup cells can carry away more efficiently over time.
Older nanosecond lasers can still work, especially on simple black ink, but they tend to leave larger pigment fragments behind, and that's where colored tattoos get frustrating. A laser that only handles one wavelength well is going to struggle the moment your tattoo has more than a single shade in it. This is the main reason PicoWay gets recommended so often for multicolor pieces: it isn't a one-trick device.
How Does PicoWay Break Up Different Ink Colors?
Tattoo ink sits deep in the dermis, well below the surface layer of skin, which is part of why it's so stubborn in the first place. Every pigment absorbs light differently depending on its color, and PicoWay covers that range with four separate wavelengths: 532nm, 730nm, 785nm, and 1064nm.
Here's the short version of how that plays out in practice.
- 1064nm: best absorbed by black and gray ink, the easiest colors to treat.
- 532nm: targets red and orange pigment.
- 730nm or 785nm: used for blue, navy, and green ink, which sit at the harder end of the spectrum.
A provider switches between these wavelengths during a single session based on what colors are actually in your tattoo, which is why multicolor pieces take longer per visit than a simple black-ink design.
Removal Difficulty by Ink Color
Here's where an honest answer matters more than a reassuring one. Not every color fades at the same pace, and the table below reflects what tends to happen across real sessions, not a best-case scenario.
| Ink Color | Wavelength Used | Removal Difficulty | Typical Sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black / gray | 1064nm | Low | 6 to 10 |
| Red / orange | 532nm | Moderate | 8 to 12 |
| Blue / navy | 730nm | Moderate to high | 10 to 15 |
| Green | 785nm | High | 12 to 18 |
| Yellow / white | Limited options | Very high | Often incomplete |
Yellow and white pigment are the outliers here. Neither one absorbs any of PicoWay's wavelengths particularly well, so the laser has very little to grab onto. In practice, that often means a light shadow of yellow or white ink stays put no matter how many sessions you do. If your tattoo includes either color, it's worth going in with that expectation already set.
Multicolor tattoos also take longer than single-color ones, not just because there's more ink, but because your provider has to keep switching wavelengths within the same session to address each shade properly.
What to Expect: The Session-by-Session Timeline
Sessions are typically spaced six to eight weeks apart, and that gap isn't arbitrary. Your skin needs time to clear away the fragmented ink and fully heal before the next round. Booking sessions closer together doesn't speed things up. It mostly just adds irritation without adding progress.
Right after treatment, expect the area to look red and slightly swollen for a day or two, similar to a mild sunburn. Over the following one to two weeks, you may notice the treated ink taking on a frosted or slightly raised texture before it settles down. Between sessions, you'll typically see the color get a shade lighter each round, though progress on darker or multicolor ink is usually more gradual than on simple black designs.
A useful way to think about it: black and gray tattoos are often close to done within six to ten visits, while a tattoo with green or blue in it can take a year or more of spaced-out sessions to reach a similar fade. Your provider can give you a more specific estimate once they've seen the tattoo's size, ink density, and color mix in person.
Side Effects and Risks
Redness and mild swelling right after treatment are common and usually settle within a few days on their own. Beyond that, there are a few risks worth knowing about before you commit to a series of sessions.
- Blistering or crusting: can happen, particularly after early sessions, and should be left alone to heal rather than picked at.
- Pigment changes: some people develop temporary lighter or darker patches of skin around the treated area. This risk is higher for deeper skin tones, which is one reason providers often use lower energy settings and plan for more, gentler sessions in those cases.
- Scarring: uncommon with a properly calibrated picosecond laser, but not impossible, especially if aftercare instructions aren't followed.
Certain situations call for a conversation with your provider before you start at all: pregnancy, a personal or family history of keloid scarring, and any photosensitizing medication you're currently taking. Mentioning these upfront lets your provider adjust the plan instead of finding out mid-treatment.
Aftercare matters just as much as the session itself. Keep the area away from prolonged water exposure for about a week, and be strict about sun protection, since unprotected sun exposure on freshly treated skin raises the odds of pigment changes. If you notice spreading redness, worsening pain, or a fever, contact your provider right away rather than waiting it out.
How Much Does It Cost?
Cost is one of the hardest questions to answer in general terms, and honestly, anyone who gives you a firm number before seeing your tattoo in person is guessing. Pricing typically depends on the size of the tattoo, how many colors are involved, and how many total sessions your specific ink is likely to need.
A small single-color tattoo will cost far less over its full course of treatment than a large multicolor piece that needs a year or more of sessions. Because of that spread, a consultation is really the only reliable way to get a number that applies to your situation, not a generic average. Current pricing and any active offers are listed at /en/promotion.
Are You a Good Candidate for Color Tattoo Removal?
Good candidates tend to be people who understand this is a gradual process, not a quick fix, and who are prepared to space sessions out over months rather than weeks. If your tattoo is mostly black or dark ink, you're generally looking at a shorter, more predictable path. If it leans heavily on green, yellow, or white, it's worth going in with realistic expectations about how much can actually be lifted.
Skin tone, tattoo location, and how the ink was originally applied all factor into your specific plan, which is why an in-person look matters more than anything you'll read online, including this article. A board-certified provider can tell you, color by color, what your tattoo is realistically working with.
The Bottom Line
PicoWay's picosecond technology and four wavelengths make it one of the more capable options for colored tattoo removal, but it isn't a one-size-fits-all fix. Black and gray ink respond fastest, red and orange fall in the middle, blue and green take considerably longer, and yellow or white pigment may never fully disappear.
- Removal difficulty depends almost entirely on ink color, not just tattoo size.
- Sessions are spaced six to eight weeks apart for a reason, rushing them doesn't help.
- Side effects are usually mild, but pigment changes are a real risk worth discussing upfront.
- Multicolor tattoos take longer and cost more than single-color ones.
Like any procedure, it comes with trade-offs, and ultimately, the choice depends on your tattoo's colors, your timeline, and what result you're actually hoping for. If you're considering color tattoo removal, a consultation is the best way to find out what's realistic for your specific ink. BeautyStone is a clinic in Seoul's Hapjeong neighborhood, and current offers are listed at /en/promotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How long does a PicoWay session take?
For a hand-sized tattoo, plan on roughly 10 to 20 minutes of actual laser time. Add numbing time beforehand, and the full appointment usually runs close to an hour.
Q2. Does PicoWay tattoo removal hurt?
Most people describe the sensation as similar to a rubber band snapping against the skin. It's uncomfortable rather than unbearable, and a topical numbing cream applied beforehand takes the edge off for most patients.
Q3. How many sessions will a multicolor tattoo need?
It depends on which colors are involved. Since your provider has to switch wavelengths to target each shade, multicolor tattoos generally need more total sessions than a single-color design, sometimes stretching past a year of spaced-out visits.
Q4. Can PicoWay get rid of yellow or white ink completely?
Rarely all the way. Yellow and white pigment don't absorb PicoWay's wavelengths well, so a faint trace often remains even after a full course of sessions. It's one of the more honest limitations of laser tattoo removal in general.
