Tattoo removal just got a whole lot faster.

That's thanks to a breakthrough tattoo removal, which allows people to erase unwanted tattoos.PicoSure is the name of the laser. Its name comes from the fact that the laser energy is sent at a trillionth of a second, a picosecond.It is the first one of its kind, and is FDA approved for laser tattoo removal, age spot removal, wrinkle reduction and the treatment of acne scars.The services are being performed at Carbon Surgical Associates in Palmerton, as well as TruSpa and Skin Care Center in Palmerton.Dr. Michael Martinez, who practices at Carbon Surgical Associates at 255 Delaware Ave., said PicoSure is the most advanced laser treatment available for safe and effective tattoo removal."About half of all Americans have at least one tattoo," Martinez said. "Research has shown that at least a third of them have tattoo regret."Martinez added, "We are one of only a handful of surgical practices in eastern Pennsylvania to offer this service."Carbon Surgical Associates has partnered with TruSpa and Skin Care Center at 234 Delaware Ave. in Palmerton to provide the service.Martinez said his decision to team up with Tricia Schaefer, owner and spa director of TruSpa and Skin Care Center, was due to her "vast knowledge and years of experience with aesthetic laser treatments."He said the practices are the first in the Lehigh Valley and Carbon County to offer this "cutting-edge" technology.Schaefer said she believes the technology is a win-win for both practices."I'm very thankful that Dr. Martinez even considered me," Schaefer said. "We're fortunate to be able to offer this revolutionary technology to our patients and clients."Martinez said both he and Schaefer are trained to perform the laser therapy."Generally for all the patients, I am performing the first laser treatment, and then Tricia will be performing subsequent follow-up treatments," he said. "And, then Tricia is responsible on the cosmetic side for all the pre- and post- treatment follow-up."As for the cost to have the procedure done, Martinez said it depends on the procedure."The cost for tattoo removal depends on the size of the tattoo," he said. "For skin rejuvenation, it depends on the area of the body; it's highly variable depending on the specific needs of the patient."In terms of the time frame involved with the procedure, Martinez said it takes about three to five treatments to achieve greater than 90 percent clearance for laser tattoo removal. For skin revitalization, it typically takes four treatments separated by four weeks, said Martinez, who added that the treatments are fairly quick, as each procedure generally takes between five to 10 minutes to perform.So, surely there must be plenty of pain involved in the process.Not necessarily so, according to Martinez."Tattoo removal treatments are similar to what one experiences when getting a tattoo; some people liken it to getting snapped on the skin like with rubber bands," he said. "For skin revitalization, that is generally very well-tolerated, with minimal discomfort to the patient, and minimal downtime; essentially, a person could go back to work the next day."Generally speaking, Martinez said patients have their first treatment at the time of their initial appointment.Martinez said the PicoSure laser targets pigment within the skin. It shatters the pigment, allowing the body to eliminate it from view, he said.The laser is effective at clearing all ink colors, including sky blues and greens, which were previously difficult to treat with the older lasers, said Martinez, who added it is also effective against recalcitrant tattoos. These are tattoos that were treated but not completely cleared using older laser technologies, he said.To schedule a consultation, contact Carbon Surgical Associates at 610-826-4595, TruSpa Skin Care Center at 610-826-4900 or visit

www.picosurelehighvalley.com.