Skin Med Spa adds picosecond tattoo removal in Downers Grove

Skin Med Spa in Downers Grove has added picosecond laser tattoo removal for patients across Chicago’s western suburbs, including Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs and Naperville. The upgrade aims to improve treatment of stubborn colors while reducing heat exposure to surrounding skin.

Why it matters: - Picosecond laser technology can break tattoo ink into finer particles than older nanosecond Q-switched lasers, which may improve outcomes for difficult colors like red, blue and green. - The new service gives western suburb patients another local option for full tattoo removal or fading tattoos for cover-ups. - The treatment is now available at Skin Med Spa’s downtown Downers Grove location at 960 Warren Ave.

What happened: - Skin Med Spa added a picosecond laser for tattoo removal at its nurse-practitioner-owned medical spa in Downers Grove. - The service is available to patients from Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs, Naperville and nearby western suburbs of Chicago. - The clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Same-day appointments are available.

The details: - Picosecond lasers deliver energy in trillionths of a second. - Q-switched lasers deliver energy in nanoseconds, or billionths of a second. - The shorter pulse breaks ink into finer particles and reduces heat reaching surrounding skin. - The body’s lymphatic system clears fragmented ink in the weeks after each session. - The treatment works on black ink and on red, blue and green pigments. - Michael Fressola, ACNP-BC, leads tattoo removal at the clinic. - Fressola is a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner and a Rush University graduate. - Fressola began working with laser tattoo removal in 1998 at Advanced Cosmetic Lasers in Chicago. - Barbara Kowalczyk, FNP-BC, and Noelle Trost, LE, also perform tattoo removal treatments. - Each patient starts with an in-person assessment. - The provider reviews tattoo size, colors, ink density, age and location, plus the patient’s skin type and sun exposure history. - Sessions last minutes and do not require numbing beforehand. - Treatments are spaced several weeks apart so ink can clear between visits. - Patients are asked to protect the area from sun for two to four weeks before and after each session. - Patients can choose full removal or partial fading for a cover-up. - Session pricing typically ranges from $150 to $250, depending on tattoo size. - Larger tattoos are priced individually at the assessment. - The clinic is a short walk from the Main Street station on Metra’s BNSF line. - The station also serves Western Springs, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, Lisle and Naperville. - By car, the clinic is about 10 to 15 minutes from Hinsdale, Oak Brook and Burr Ridge. - The location has access from I-88 and I-355. - Tattoo removal joins existing Skin Med Spa laser services, including laser hair removal, CoolPeel CO2 resurfacing, Opus Plasma, ResurFX non-ablative resurfacing and IPL photofacials. - The practice also offers neuromodulator and dermal filler treatments, PDO thread lifts, microneedling, medical-grade facials and peels, truSculpt iD body contouring and medical weight loss programs. - Treatment details are available at tattoo removal treatment information. - Patient reviews are compiled at patient reviews.

Between the lines: - Skin Med Spa is leaning into a technology shift that could matter most for patients with older tattoos or multicolor designs that were historically harder to treat. - The clinic is positioning the service for convenience, with suburban access by train, car, and same-day scheduling. - In-person assessment remains essential because tattoo size, color, density, age and placement all affect the number of sessions needed.

What’s next: - Patients seeking removal or fading will need an initial evaluation before treatment planning begins. - Session counts will vary by tattoo, with larger pieces quoted individually after assessment. - The clinic will continue offering tattoo removal alongside its broader menu of aesthetic and body-contouring services.

The bottom line: - Skin Med Spa has added a faster-pulse laser that may improve tattoo removal results for colored ink while keeping treatment local for western suburban patients.