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 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. PicoSure has been proven success in treating even dark, stubborn blue and green inks, as well as previously-treated, stubborn tattoos that were not successfully cleared in the past.