If you live around Jean-Talon or Jarry and you’ve been carrying a tattoo you no longer want, you have a serious laser tattoo removal clinic just a short ride south. Rico Clinic has been removing unwanted ink in Montréal since 2017 — that’s roughly 8 years and 546+ treatments of hands-on experience, backed by 135+ Google reviews and a 5.0 rating. Your treatments are performed by Vlad, our founder and SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist, who knows firsthand what it means to want a change in how you look. This guide walks you through how the process actually works, what a session feels like, how to heal, and what it costs — written plainly, the way we’d explain it to you across the consultation desk.
Last reviewed June 2025 by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist, Rico Clinic.
Why Jean-Talon and Jarry residents choose Rico Clinic
The stretch from Little Italy up through Jarry and Mile-Ex is one of the most alive parts of the city. You’ve got the buzz of Jean-Talon Market on a Saturday morning, the green sprawl of Parc Jarry, and a steady flow of young creative professionals moving into a neighbourhood that still carries its old Italian roots and its newer immigrant communities side by side. It’s a place where people are building careers, building families, and — often — quietly reconsidering a tattoo that no longer fits the chapter they’re in.
We hear the same handful of reasons from clients in this part of town. Some are deep into a career move and want client-facing ink gone before the next step. Some are navigating cultural or family considerations and want a clean slate. And plenty are prepping for a cover-up — fading an old piece so a new design can sit cleanly on top. Whatever the reason, you don’t have to justify it to us. Our job is to get you there safely.
Getting to the clinic from your area is genuinely easy. We’re at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, and the orange line runs you almost door to door — board at Jean-Talon or Jarry, ride south to Plamondon, and you’re a short walk away. That’s about 18 minutes on the metro. If you’d rather drive, you’re looking at roughly 13 minutes off-peak and around 22 minutes in rush hour, with street parking available on Côte-des-Neiges. For a quick errand-and-appointment combo, it’s an effortless trip. You can see our full range of treatments on our services overview.
What keeps people coming back, though, is the room itself. Rico Clinic was built for privacy — a dedicated consultation room and two separate treatment rooms — so you’re never on display. You sit with the same specialist who’ll do your work, get an honest read on your tattoo, and leave knowing exactly what to expect.
How laser tattoo removal actually works
Here’s the plain-English version. A tattoo is ink trapped in the deeper layer of your skin, in particles too large for your body to clear on its own. A removal laser fires extremely short, high-energy pulses of light that the ink absorbs. That energy shatters the large pigment particles into fragments small enough for your immune system to carry away over the following weeks. This isn’t a marketing claim — it’s the principle of selective photothermolysis, first described by dermatologists Anderson and Parrish in 1983, and it’s still the foundation of every reputable tattoo-removal protocol today.
Different ink colours absorb different wavelengths of light, which is why we don’t treat every tattoo the same way. We work with 1064 nm energy for darker inks like black and dark blue, and 532 nm for warmer colours such as red and orange. Black is the easiest to clear; bright greens and blues are the most stubborn and usually need more patience. We don’t name a specific machine here because the right tool is matched to your skin and your ink at the consultation — what matters is that the technology and the settings are chosen for you, not applied off a default.
That care matters even more on richly melanated skin. Higher melanin can absorb laser energy too, so the safe approach is lower energy, conservative first sessions, and a spot test before committing to a full pass. Pushing the intensity for faster results is exactly how people end up with burns or pigment changes — so we don’t do it, ever, no matter how much anyone asks.
What a session actually feels like
Most people are nervous about one thing: does it hurt? Let’s be honest with you. Laser tattoo removal is moderately uncomfortable — most clients compare it to the snap of an elastic band against the skin, or to getting the tattoo in the first place. It’s very manageable, and it’s quick.
A session starts with numbing cream applied to the area, left on for about 10 to 15 minutes to take effect. Once it’s working, your specialist cleans the area, hands you protective goggles for your eyes, and selects the wavelength and settings for your ink. Then the laser passes over the tattoo. For a small piece, the actual lasering can take just a couple of minutes; we take short breaks between passes so you can breathe. A cold-air blower can take a lot of the sting out, especially on tender spots.
Speaking of tender spots — placement matters. Tattoos near the head, neck, ankles, ribs, and hands tend to feel sharper, simply because there’s less padding over the bone. Areas like the outer arm, thigh, or back are usually the most comfortable. Tell your specialist what you’re feeling; we’d much rather slow down than push you through it.
Healing and aftercare, step by step
What you do after a session matters as much as the session itself. Right afterward, we apply a healing cream and cover the area. You’ll likely see redness, mild swelling, and sometimes small blisters or pinpoint scabbing over the next few days — that’s normal, and it’s your body starting to clear the broken-down ink.
Here’s the simple routine that gives you the cleanest result:
- Days 1–7: Keep applying the healing cream we recommend. Keep the area clean and dry, and don’t pick at any scabs or blisters — let them resolve on their own.
- Stay hydrated. Your body literally flushes the fragmented ink, so drinking water genuinely helps the process along.
- Avoid the sun. Keep the treated area out of direct sunlight until it’s fully healed, and use sunscreen on it afterward. Sun on healing skin is the most common cause of pigment problems.
- Ease off the gym and pools. Skip heavy workouts, swimming, saunas, and hot tubs for about a week — sweat and bacteria are the enemy of clean healing.
If you ever see signs that go beyond normal healing — spreading redness, significant swelling, or anything that worries you — reach out, and seek medical care if needed. That caution is part of doing this responsibly.
How many sessions you’ll need — and what it costs
No reputable clinic can erase a tattoo in one visit, and you should be wary of anyone who promises it. Realistically, most tattoos need 6 to 12 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. That spacing isn’t us stalling — your immune system needs those weeks to clear the shattered ink between sessions, and rushing it only raises the risk to your skin.
The number you’ll personally need depends on a few things: how old the tattoo is, how deep and dense the ink was applied, the colours involved, where it sits on your body, and your skin type. An old, faded amateur tattoo in black might clear in fewer sessions; a fresh, saturated, multi-colour professional piece takes more patience.
On cost: sessions at Rico Clinic range from $50 to $800, driven mainly by the size and complexity of your tattoo. Small tattoos sit at the low end; large, colourful pieces at the high end. We offer multi-session packages that bring the per-session cost down, and everything starts with a free consultation where we look at your tattoo and give you a real, personalized quote — no surprises. For more reading on the process, browse our blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there good laser tattoo removal near Jean-Talon Market?
Yes. Rico Clinic is a short orange-line ride south of the Jean-Talon and Jarry stations — about 18 minutes by metro to Plamondon, or roughly 13 minutes by car off-peak. Many clients from the Little Italy and Mile-Ex area pair an appointment with a market run. You’ll get a private treatment room and the same specialist from consultation through your final session.
How much does laser tattoo removal cost in Montréal?
At Rico Clinic, sessions range from $50 to $800, depending mainly on the size, colour, and complexity of your tattoo. Small pieces are at the low end; large, multi-colour work at the high end. We offer packages for multi-session plans to lower the per-session price, and your free consultation includes a personalized quote so you know the cost before you commit.
How many sessions will I need to remove my tattoo?
Most tattoos take 6 to 12 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. The exact number depends on the tattoo’s age, ink depth and density, colours, location on your body, and your skin type. Black ink clears fastest; greens and bright blues take the most patience. We’ll give you a realistic range at your consultation rather than an empty promise.
Does laser tattoo removal hurt?
It’s moderately uncomfortable — most people compare it to an elastic band snapping against the skin, similar to getting tattooed. We apply numbing cream beforehand and can use a cold-air blower to reduce the sting, and we take breaks between passes. Spots over bone, like the ankles, ribs, neck, or hands, feel sharper than fleshier areas like the arm or thigh.
Will laser tattoo removal leave a scar?
When it’s done correctly and you follow aftercare, scarring is uncommon. The biggest risks come from over-aggressive settings or from picking at scabs and blisters during healing. We use conservative, skin-matched settings, never push intensity for speed, and treat melanin-rich skin with extra caution and a spot test first.
What our clients say
We don’t have to sell ourselves too hard — our clients do it for us. Rico Clinic holds a 5.0 rating across 135+ Google reviews, and the themes repeat: professional, clean, genuinely warm service, and visible results. People tell us they felt comfortable from the first consultation, that the process was explained honestly, and that they saw their tattoos fading session after session. Whether it’s your first visit or your last, our aim is the same — make the whole experience calm, supportive, and effective.
Book your free consultation
If you’re ready to start, the first step costs you nothing. Book your free consultation online and we’ll assess your tattoo, answer every question, and map out a realistic plan with a personalized quote. Prefer to talk it through first? Call us at (514) 346-8044. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM, at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges in Montréal — an easy trip down the orange line from Jean-Talon and Jarry.
Reviewed by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist at Rico Clinic. Last reviewed June 2025.