Christian Slavin founded Zapatat in 2009 with the aim of revolutionizing the field of tattoo removal by making it more accessible, safer, and convenient for people. He joined guest host Connie Willis (info) to discuss tattoo removal and the technologies used to get rid of unwanted tattoos. Slavin initially stumbled into the idea for Zapatat while chatting with a friend about his daughter's tattoos. Intrigued by the flaws in the existing tattoo removal industry, he decided to start his own company with a mission to improve the process.
Driven by the goal to make tattoo removal more accessible and affordable, Slavin delved into research and discovered significant issues in the industry, including high costs and suboptimal results. He decided to revolutionize the approach by introducing a more efficient and cost-effective method. In the first year of operations, Zapatat performed 1,000 treatments and the numbers grew significantly in the subsequent years, Slavin reported.
He emphasized the importance of addressing darker skin tones, which led his company to develop technology that could treat dark skin without causing damage. Slavin spoke about his collaboration with Dr. Rox Anderson to develop a protocol resulting in a significant reduction in the number of treatments required. Up to 80% of a tattoo can be removed in one setting, he noted. Slavin explained the science behind laser technology, describing the principles of selective photothermolysis that allow lasers to target specific particles without damaging surrounding skin.
Slavin attributed the success of his business to word of mouth, social media marketing, and their ability to tap into an untapped market of people who would not typically visit a dermatologist for tattoo removal. While there is competition in the industry, Slavin believes that Zapatat's success is not solely dependent on technology but also on their unique technique, pointing out the challenges faced by dermatologists in embracing this technology due to the time-consuming nature of the treatments.