Last reviewed June 2025 by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist at Rico Clinic.
If you live in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and you’ve been quietly wondering whether that tattoo can actually come off, the short answer is yes — and you don’t have to travel far to start. Rico Clinic has been removing tattoos and doing scalp micropigmentation in Côte-des-Neiges since 2017. That’s roughly eight years in one location, more than 546 treatments performed, and a 5.0 rating across 135+ Google reviews. We’re a few minutes from NDG, in the same borough you already call home. This guide walks you through how laser tattoo removal really works, what a session feels like, how your skin heals, how many sessions you’ll likely need, and what it costs — in plain language, the way we’d explain it to you across the consultation desk.
Why Notre-Dame-de-Grâce residents choose Rico Clinic
NDG and Côte-des-Neiges share a borough, so for most of our NDG clients this is genuinely the clinic next door. From the heart of NDG you’re about 3 to 6 kilometres east of our door at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges. By car it’s roughly 10 minutes off-peak and 18 in rush hour. On the metro, hop on the orange line at Vendôme or Villa-Maria, ride two stops south to Plamondon, and it’s a six-minute walk from there — about 12 minutes door to door. If you’re near the eastern edge of NDG, some clients even walk the whole way in around 35 minutes on a nice day. Parking is street parking along Côte-des-Neiges.
NDG is one of Montreal’s most lived-in neighbourhoods — families along the Sherbrooke West corridor, Concordia students near the Loyola campus, young professionals in the duplexes around Monkland Village, and long-established immigrant communities throughout. The reasons our NDG clients come in tend to follow those life stages. A lot of people want to remove an older or amateur tattoo from a different chapter of life. Parents tell us they’d like a cleaner look now that their kids are teenagers and noticing everything. And we see plenty of career transitions — folks moving out of service work into more client-facing or family-oriented roles where visible ink feels like a liability.
Whatever your reason, you won’t be judged here. The clinic is built around privacy: three rooms — one for consultations, two for treatment — so you’re never on display. Vlad, who founded Rico Clinic, went through his own hair-loss journey before getting into this work, so the whole place is wired toward treating people the way he wanted to be treated: honestly, without pressure, and with a real plan. You can see the full range of what we do on our services overview, and you can read more first-timer guides on the blog.
How laser tattoo removal actually works
Tattoo ink sits in a layer of your skin called the dermis, where your immune system can’t easily reach it — that’s exactly why tattoos are permanent. Laser tattoo removal solves that by delivering extremely short, high-energy pulses of light that the ink absorbs. The light shatters those large ink particles into fragments small enough for your body’s own immune cells to carry away over the following weeks. The science behind this is called selective photothermolysis, first described by dermatologists Anderson and Parrish in 1983, and it’s still the principle every modern removal laser is built on.
Different ink colours absorb different wavelengths of light, which is why a quality laser offers more than one. We use a 1064 nm wavelength, which is well suited to dark inks like black and navy, and a 532 nm wavelength for warmer colours such as red and orange. Black is the easiest colour to clear; greens, bright blues, and some yellows are the stubborn ones and can take more sessions. The laser is designed to target ink while leaving the surrounding skin intact, which is what makes the procedure non-invasive — there’s no cutting and no stitches.
Removal is always a series of sessions, never a single zap. Most tattoos need somewhere between 6 and 12 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. That spacing isn’t us being slow — it’s deliberate. Your immune system needs those weeks to flush the shattered ink, and your skin needs time to fully recover before the next pass. Anyone who promises to remove your tattoo faster by cranking up the intensity is risking burns and scarring. We won’t do that, because protecting your skin is the entire point.
What a session actually feels like
Here’s how a typical appointment goes. We start by applying a numbing cream to the area and leaving it on for about 10 to 15 minutes so it can take effect. Then we clean the skin, hand you protective goggles for your eyes, and set the laser’s wavelength and intensity based on your tattoo’s colour, size, and your skin type.
When the laser is active, most people describe the sensation as moderately uncomfortable — often compared to the snap of an elastic band against the skin, or hot bacon grease for a brief moment. How much you feel depends a lot on where the tattoo is. Sensitive spots like the head, neck, ankles, and ribs tend to sting more than fleshier areas like the forearm, thigh, or calf. The good news is that each pass is quick, and we take short breaks so you can breathe. A small tattoo might be done in a few minutes; a large back piece takes longer. We can also use a cold-air blower to take the edge off, which makes a real difference on tender areas.
Healing and aftercare, step by step
Right after a session, the treated skin will look pink and slightly raised, a bit like a mild sunburn, and you may see tiny white “frosting” spots that fade within an hour. We apply a healing ointment before you leave and recommend you keep applying it at home for about seven days.
The first 48 to 72 hours are the most important. Keep the area clean and dry, don’t pick at any scabs or blisters that form, and let your skin do its job. Light blistering is normal and not a cause for alarm. For the first few days, skip the gym, hot tubs, saunas, and long hot showers — anything that brings a lot of heat or friction to the area. Stay hydrated, because your body is literally flushing the ink through your system.
The single most important rule is sun protection. Keep the treated area out of direct sunlight until it’s fully healed, and once it is, use sunscreen on it religiously between sessions. Sun exposure on freshly treated skin is the most common cause of pigment changes, and it can also force us to delay your next session. Follow the aftercare and most people heal cleanly with no lasting marks.
How many sessions you’ll need — and what it costs
Every tattoo is different, so we never quote a flat number sight unseen. As a realistic range, plan for 6 to 12 sessions, 6 to 8 weeks apart. Several things move you within that range: the colours used (black clears fastest), the age of the tattoo (older, faded work often goes quicker), how deeply and densely the ink was applied, its size and location on your body, and your own skin type and immune response. If you only want to fade a tattoo for a cover-up rather than erase it completely, you’ll usually need fewer sessions — that’s a common request and one we’re happy to plan around.
On cost, individual sessions at our Montreal clinic range from $50 to $800, depending mostly on the size and complexity of the tattoo. A tiny piece sits at the low end; a large, dense, multi-colour design at the high end. We offer multi-session packages that bring the per-session cost down, which makes sense given that removal is a series. Everything starts with a free consultation, where we look at your tattoo in person and give you a clear, honest quote and a session estimate — no surprises, no pressure. You can learn more about the treatment on our laser tattoo removal service page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get the best laser tattoo removal in NDG?
Rico Clinic is just east of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in the same borough, at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges — about 10 minutes by car or a short orange-line ride from Vendôme or Villa-Maria to Plamondon. We’ve been removing tattoos here since 2017, with 546+ treatments performed and a 5.0 rating across 135+ Google reviews. Most NDG clients find us to be the closest experienced removal clinic to home, which makes keeping a schedule of sessions easy.
Is laser tattoo removal safe for sensitive skin?
Yes. Laser removal is non-invasive and targets the ink rather than your surrounding skin. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, we start conservatively, often with a small test spot, and assess how your skin responds before treating the full tattoo. We also adjust the laser’s intensity to your skin type rather than pushing for speed. Following the aftercare — especially sun protection and keeping the area moisturized — goes a long way toward a smooth, irritation-free recovery.
How many sessions does a coloured tattoo need?
Coloured tattoos generally need more sessions than all-black ones because each colour responds to a specific wavelength of light. Black and dark blue clear the fastest; greens, bright blues, and some yellows are the most stubborn and can require additional sessions. Most people land in the 6-to-12-session range overall, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart. At your free consultation we’ll look at your specific colours and give you a realistic estimate for your tattoo.
Are there payment plans for tattoo removal?
Yes. Because removal is a multi-session process, we offer multi-session packages that lower your per-session cost, and we can talk through flexible payment options at your consultation so finances don’t hold you back. Individual sessions range from $50 to $800 depending on size and complexity, and your free consultation includes a clear, written estimate so you know exactly what your full plan will cost before you commit.
Does laser tattoo removal leave a scar?
When it’s done properly, laser removal does not leave a scar — the laser breaks up ink without cutting the skin. The main scarring risk comes from over-aggressive settings or poor aftercare, like picking at blisters or scabs. We deliberately keep intensity safe and never rush the process, and we coach you through aftercare. Interestingly, if your original tattoo left scar tissue from the tattooing itself, that may remain, but the removal process is designed to protect your skin.
What our clients say
We’re proud that our reputation in Montreal is built on real results. Rico Clinic holds a 5.0 rating across more than 135 Google reviews, and clients consistently mention three things: how professional and clean the clinic is, how warm and unhurried the service feels, and the visible fading they see session over session. People often tell us they felt nervous walking in for their first appointment and relieved by how straightforward and judgment-free the experience turned out to be. Whether it’s your first session or your last, we want you to leave feeling looked after.
Book your free consultation
If you’re in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and ready to take the first step, the easiest thing to do is come in for a free consultation. We’ll look at your tattoo, answer your questions, and give you an honest session estimate and quote — no obligation. Book your free consultation online in a couple of minutes, or call us at (514) 346-8044. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges — just minutes from NDG.
Reviewed by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist at Rico Clinic. Last reviewed June 2025.