By Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist at Rico Clinic, Montreal. Last reviewed June 14, 2025.
If you live in Griffintown and you have been quietly thinking about getting a tattoo removed, you are far from alone. At Rico Clinic we have been doing exactly this work since 2017, and in that time we have performed 546+ treatments, earned 135+ Google reviews, and held a 5.0 rating across roughly eight years in practice. I am Vlad, the clinic’s founder, and I have personally guided hundreds of Montrealers through laser tattoo removal, from a tiny knuckle word to full-sleeve cover-up prep. This page is meant to answer the real questions a Griffintown first-timer actually has, honestly and in plain language.
Whether the ink is a reminder of an ex, a design that no longer fits the person you have become, or something you simply want gone before the next chapter, you can have it safely faded or fully removed close to home. Our clinic sits at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, an easy trip from the canal, and your first step is always a free, no-pressure consultation.
Why Griffintown residents choose Rico Clinic
Griffintown has transformed faster than almost any neighbourhood in Montreal. The old industrial Sud-Ouest is now a dense run of glass condos along the Lachine Canal and Bassin Peel, home to a young, ambitious crowd: finance and tech professionals, recent grads, founders, and people who take their image and their fitness seriously. It is a neighbourhood of people in motion, and that shows up in who walks through our door.
The most common reason we hear from Griffintown clients is career. As a role in tech, finance, or client-facing work gets more formal, a visible tattoo from a younger, looser chapter starts to feel out of step. We also see a lot of pre-wedding cleanup, this is a millennial and Gen-Z neighbourhood, and people want their hands, wrists, and forearms clear for the photos. And we see plenty of clients simply reconsidering a decision they made at 19 that no longer reflects who they are at 29.
Getting to us is straightforward. Griffintown sits about 6 to 7 kilometres northwest of the clinic. If you drive, it is roughly 15 minutes off-peak and closer to 30 in rush hour, with street parking available on Côte-des-Neiges. By metro, the cleanest route is to hop on at Bonaventure (orange) or Georges-Vanier (green), connect through Lionel-Groulx, and ride the orange line south to Plamondon, about 25 minutes door to door. A lot of our Griffintown clients who already commute by transit barely notice the trip. Whether you orient yourself by Notre-Dame Street West, the canal, or Bassin Peel, we are a short ride from all of it.
What keeps people coming back through the full course of treatment is the experience itself. We run a private, three-room clinic, not a busy assembly line. You see the same specialists every visit, we are candid about how many sessions your specific tattoo will realistically need, and we never push. For an image-conscious crowd that values discretion, that matters.
How laser tattoo removal works
Here is the science, kept simple. Laser tattoo removal is non-invasive. The laser delivers extremely short, high-energy pulses of light into the skin. Your tattoo ink absorbs that energy and shatters into microscopic particles, and your body’s own immune system then carries those particles away over the following weeks. This is the principle of selective photothermolysis, first described by dermatologists Anderson and Parrish in their landmark 1983 research, and it remains the foundation of every modern removal laser in use today.
Different ink colours respond to different wavelengths of light. Black and darker inks absorb a 1064 nm wavelength extremely well, which is why black tattoos are usually the most cooperative. Brighter colours such as red respond better to a 532 nm wavelength. Greens and blues can be the most stubborn. This is exactly why a flat, one-size quote online is meaningless, and why we insist on seeing your tattoo in person before estimating anything. The colours, the age, the depth of the ink, your skin tone, and even where the tattoo sits on your body all change the plan. You can read more about how we approach different cases on our blog, and see the full range of what we do on our services page.
What a session actually feels like
Most first-timers are nervous about the pain, so let me be straight with you. We start by applying a numbing cream and letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. You will wear protective goggles, and then the treatment itself is quick, often just a few minutes for a small-to-medium piece. Most people describe the sensation as a hot elastic band snapping against the skin. It is uncomfortable, not unbearable, and for sensitive spots we use a cold-air blower and take short breaks between passes so you can breathe.
Afterward the area will look a little red and raised, similar to a mild sunburn, and that settles down over the next few days. We apply a healing ointment before you leave and send you home knowing exactly what to do next.
Aftercare that protects your results
Good aftercare is half the result, and it is genuinely easy. Keep the area clean and dry, and apply the healing cream we recommend for about seven days. Do not pick at any scabs or blisters, let them resolve on their own, because picking is the main cause of scarring. Stay well hydrated, and most importantly keep the treated skin out of direct sun until it is fully healed; sun exposure on fresh treatment is the fastest way to cause pigment problems. For the Griffintown crowd, one practical note: skip the gym, the sauna, and hot yoga for a couple of days after each session. Heavy sweating and friction on a fresh treatment area slow healing.
How many sessions, and what it costs
Tattoo removal is a course, not a single appointment. Most tattoos need somewhere between 6 and 12 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart to give your skin time to recover and your immune system time to clear the shattered ink. Older, faded, black-ink tattoos tend to clear faster; large, dense, multi-colour pieces take longer. At our clinic, individual sessions range from $50 to $800 depending on size, colour, and complexity. We never increase the laser intensity beyond what is safe just to rush the timeline, because that is how burns and scarring happen. We offer multi-session packages that lower the per-session cost, and your free consultation always includes a personalized estimate so there are no surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to remove a small tattoo near Griffintown?
Small tattoos sit at the lower end of our $50 to $800 per-session range, and they usually need fewer sessions than large or colourful pieces. The honest answer is that we need to see it first, the ink colour and density matter as much as the size. Your free consultation includes a clear, personalized quote with no obligation.
How long is recovery after each laser tattoo removal session?
The visible recovery is short. Expect redness and slight swelling for a few days, much like a mild sunburn, with possible light scabbing or blistering that heals on its own within a week or two. You can return to most normal activities the same day; just keep the area protected from sun and friction while it heals.
Can I work out after laser tattoo removal?
We ask you to wait at least 48 hours before intense exercise. Heavy sweating, friction from gym equipment, and heat from saunas or hot yoga can irritate a freshly treated area and slow healing. After those first couple of days, you are clear to get back to your normal routine.
Does laser tattoo removal hurt?
Most people compare it to a hot elastic band snapping against the skin, more intense than getting the tattoo but over far quicker. We use numbing cream, a cold-air blower for sensitive areas, and breaks between passes. The vast majority of clients find it very manageable.
Will it leave a scar?
When the laser is used correctly and you follow aftercare, scarring is uncommon. We treat conservatively, never overpower your skin to speed things up, and walk you through aftercare precisely. The single biggest scarring risk is picking at scabs, so we ask you to let the skin heal naturally.
How many sessions will I need?
Most tattoos take 6 to 12 sessions spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. Black ink on lighter skin clears fastest; large, dense, or multi-colour work takes longer. We give you a realistic estimate at your free consultation rather than an empty promise.
What our clients say
Our reputation is built one result at a time. Across roughly eight years in Montreal, Rico Clinic has earned 135+ Google reviews and a 5.0 rating. Griffintown professionals tell us the same things again and again: the welcome is warm and judgment-free, the pricing is upfront, and the results actually show. Many mention how good it felt to finally deal with something they had been putting off for years, and how easy the trip from the canal turned out to be.
Book your free consultation
If you are ready to start, the first step is a free, no-pressure consultation. We will look at your tattoo, talk through a realistic plan and timeline, and give you a clear quote, with zero obligation to book anything that day. Book your free consultation online, or call us at (514) 346-8044. We are at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal, open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Your clear-skin chapter is closer than you think.
Reviewed by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist, Rico Clinic. Last reviewed June 14, 2025.