If you live in the Plateau, you are surrounded by some of the best tattoo work in the country — and that also means you are surrounded by people who eventually want some of it changed. Maybe you have an old piece you want faded so a local artist can lay a clean cover-up over it. Maybe you are moving out of hospitality or freelance work into something more client-facing, and a visible tattoo suddenly feels like it is making decisions for you. Whatever brought you here, you want to know it can be done safely, what it will cost, and who is holding the laser.
At Rico Clinic we have been performing laser tattoo removal since 2017 — that is roughly eight years of focused experience and 546+ treatments at one address in Côte-des-Neiges. Our founder, Vlad, came to this work through his own hair-loss journey and a background in trichology, and today the clinic carries a 5.0 rating across 135+ Google reviews. This guide walks you through everything a first-timer from the Plateau actually wants to know.
Last reviewed June 2025 by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist.
Why Plateau-Mont-Royal residents choose Rico Clinic
The Plateau has the densest concentration of tattoo studios and tattoo culture in Montreal, so the reasons people here seek removal are rarely “I regret having a tattoo at all.” More often it is specific and practical. A lot of our Plateau clients are preparing for a cover-up — they want an older or poorly-healed piece faded by 50 to 70 percent so their artist has a clean canvas to work over. Others are at a career pivot: the bartender becoming a sommelier, the freelance designer joining an agency, the line cook stepping into a front-of-house or corporate role. And some are simply clearing work from an earlier era of the local scene that no longer feels like them, or removing something tied to a past relationship.
Getting to us from the Plateau is easy. We are at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, about 4 to 5 km west of the Plateau. By metro you are on a single orange line ride — hop on at Mont-Royal or Laurier and ride seven or eight stops south to Plamondon, then it is a short walk; figure about 25 minutes door to door. Driving is roughly 12 minutes off-peak and 25 in rush hour, with street parking available on Côte-des-Neiges. For a lot of Plateau residents who already live car-free, the direct metro connection is what makes a multi-session plan realistic — you are not dreading the trip every six weeks.
The clinic itself is built for privacy: three rooms — one for consultation and two for treatment — so you are never doing this in a crowded open space. If you are coming from around Avenue du Mont-Royal, Rue Saint-Denis, Carré Saint-Louis, or Parc La Fontaine, you are well within our regular catchment, and plenty of our reviews come from your neighbours.
How laser tattoo removal actually works
Tattoo ink sits deeper in your skin than your body can clear on its own — that is the whole point of a tattoo. A removal laser fixes that by sending extremely short, high-energy pulses of light into the skin. The ink particles absorb that energy and shatter into fragments small enough for your immune system to carry away over the following weeks. This is the principle of selective photothermolysis, first described by Anderson and Parrish in 1983, and it is still the foundation of every modern removal device.
Different ink colours absorb different wavelengths of light, which is why a good clinic does not treat every tattoo the same way. Black and most dark inks respond best to a 1064 nm wavelength, while brighter colours like red are better targeted at 532 nm. The Plateau’s tattoo scene loves colour and fine detail, so if your piece is multicoloured we will plan around the specific pigments in it rather than promising a one-size-fits-all result.
Removal is always a series, not a single visit. Most tattoos need somewhere between 6 and 12 sessions, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart — that gap is not us being slow, it is the time your body needs to flush the broken-down ink and let the skin fully recover between treatments. How many you will need depends on the size, the colours, how deep and how old the ink is, your skin tone, and whether you want full removal or just enough fading for a cover-up. Cover-ups, happily, usually take fewer sessions because you are not chasing the very last trace of pigment.
What a session actually feels like
Here is the honest version, because the Plateau crowd tends to want the real answer. We start by applying a numbing cream and leaving it on for 10 to 15 minutes to take effect. Then we clean the area, get you into protective goggles, and dial in the right wavelength and settings for your tattoo’s colour and size.
Most people describe the sensation as moderate — often compared to the snap of an elastic band against the skin, or hot bacon grease. It is brief. Sensitive spots like the neck, ribs, hands, and feet tend to sting more than the arms or thighs, and we will take short breaks between passes so you can breathe. A cold-air blower helps a lot and we use it whenever it makes you more comfortable. The actual lasering is fast — a small tattoo can be over in a few minutes. What we will not do is crank the energy up to rush things, no matter how much you want it gone, because over-treating is how you end up with burns or scarring. Steady and safe beats fast every time.
Healing and aftercare, step by step
Right after your session the area will look pink, slightly raised, and a bit like a mild sunburn — sometimes with tiny white “frosting” that fades within minutes. We apply a healing cream before you leave and ask you to keep applying one for about seven days. Here is what the next stretch looks like:
Days 1–3: Expect redness, mild swelling, and tenderness. Keep the area clean and moisturised, and do not pick at any blistering if it forms — let it settle on its own.
Days 4–14: Some scabbing or flaking is normal as the skin repairs. Leave it alone; picking is the main thing that causes scarring. Skip the sauna, hot yoga, swimming, and anything that soaks or overheats the area.
Ongoing: Stay hydrated, and keep the treated skin out of direct sun until it has fully healed — sun exposure on healing skin is the biggest avoidable risk for pigment changes. A high-SPF sunscreen once healed protects your results between sessions. Living near Parc La Fontaine makes summer sun easy to forget about, so this one matters.
How many sessions you’ll need — and what it costs
At Rico Clinic, individual sessions range from $50 to $800, and the price for your tattoo depends on its size, colours, and how many sessions your plan calls for. A small, single-colour piece sits at the low end; a large, multicoloured back or sleeve sits higher. Because most tattoos need 6 to 12 sessions, we offer multi-session packages that bring the per-session cost down versus paying visit by visit.
The most useful thing you can do is book a free consultation. We will look at your actual tattoo, factor in your skin and your goal — full removal or fade-for-cover-up — and give you a clear, personalised quote and session estimate with no surprises. You can also browse our other guides on the blog if you want to read more before coming in.
Frequently Asked Questions
I want to fade my tattoo for a cover-up, not remove it. Can you do that?
Absolutely — this is one of the most common requests we get from the Plateau. For a cover-up you usually only need the existing ink lightened by 50 to 70 percent so your artist has room to work. That typically takes fewer sessions than full removal, which means lower overall cost. Bring your cover-up idea (or your artist’s input) to the consultation and we will plan the fade around it.
How many sessions will it take to fade a tattoo rather than fully remove it?
For fading toward a cover-up, many clients see enough lightening in 3 to 6 sessions, versus the 6 to 12 a full removal can take. It still depends on the ink colours, age, and depth, but the goal of “clean canvas” is reached sooner than “no trace.” We will give you a realistic number at your consultation.
How much does tattoo removal cost in Montreal?
At Rico Clinic, sessions run from $50 to $800 depending on the tattoo’s size, colours, and the number of sessions needed. Small pieces are at the low end; large multicoloured work is higher. We offer multi-session packages to reduce the per-session cost, and every quote starts with a free consultation so the price is clear before you commit.
Which lasers are used for laser tattoo removal?
Modern removal relies on lasers that fire ultra-short, high-energy pulses to shatter ink, using different wavelengths for different colours — 1064 nm for black and dark inks, 532 nm for brighter colours like red. This is the selective photothermolysis principle described by Anderson and Parrish back in 1983. We match the wavelength and settings to your specific tattoo rather than treating everything the same way.
Does it hurt, and will it scar?
Most people find it moderately uncomfortable — like an elastic band snap — and we use numbing cream and a cold-air blower to keep it manageable. Scarring is uncommon when the treatment is done correctly and you follow aftercare; the main risk factor is picking at scabs. We deliberately keep energy at safe levels rather than rushing, which protects your skin.
What our clients say
We did not earn a 5.0 rating across 135+ Google reviews by overpromising. Clients from across Montreal — including many from the Plateau and the central neighbourhoods around us — consistently call out the professionalism, the warm and unhurried service, and the visible results they see session over session. Whether it is a first visit to fade a piece for a cover-up or a final session to clear something completely, the feedback we hear most is that the experience felt safe, private, and genuinely supportive.
Book your free consultation
If you are ready to start, the best first step is a free consultation — we will assess your tattoo in person and give you a clear plan and price. Book your free consultation online in a couple of minutes, or call us at (514) 346-8044. We are at 4934 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM — a direct orange-line ride from the Plateau.
Reviewed by Vlad, Founder & SMP / Laser Tattoo Removal Specialist. Last reviewed June 2025.