Do-it-yourself culture has led people to believe that they can save money and time by doing just about everything at home.

While there is nothing wrong with taking scissors to a pair of old jeans to transform them into the perfect pair of shorts, the same can’t be said for DIY procedures that should be done by a professional in a medical setting.

When it comes to treatments, it’s always worth spending the money and taking that extra time to schedule an appointment with a professional. This way, you get the results you want without putting your health at risk.

There are a lot of ways to have fun in the city this summer that don’t include at-home makeshift treatments. If you are looking to rejuvenate yourself for the warmer months or before your vacation, consult a professional clinic. After all, trying these treatments at home can be disastrous and detrimental to your health.

Baywood Clinic is a reputable laser skin clinic in Toronto that provides a wide array of professional treatments that range from medical to cosmetic. When you visit us, you can rest easy knowing that our registered physicians will personally perform all procedures.

These are the treatments that you’ll want to leave to the professionals:

Tattoo Removal

Did the Raptors players tattoos inspire you to get some spontaneous ink of your own? It may seem hard to believe now, but you may not want Kawhi Leonard’s name tattooed on your arm for the rest of your life — unless you do.

Laser is a safe, regulated and successful way to remove your tattoo, which is why we offer laser tattoo removal treatments in downtown Toronto at our clinic.  We always suggest laser over methods like salabrasion, dermabrasion, skin grafting, chemical peels and other much more invasive procedures. We offer laser tattoo removal in Toronto that is safe and performed by our certified professionals using our state of the art lasers.

That said, there’s a reason laser tattoo removal is so popular in comparison to other treatments. It poses much less risk and is significantly less painful than these other methods:

Tattoo Removal Creams: These claim to achieve results that are most commonly achieved by laser treatment. These creams contain strong acids that peel away the skin to get to the layers containing tattoo ink.

To put things into perspective, the properties used in tattoo removal creams are FDA approved for major skin conditions — but not for use in creams.

Salabrasion: This is when an abrasive surface coated in a salt water solution is used to rub away layers of your skin to get to the layer with the ink. The abrasive surface is used to rub the tattooed area until it becomes blood red which, as you could image, is incredibly painful.

Laser Hair Removal

The reality is that at-home laser hair removal devices are not always safe and effective. They are also a lot more time consuming than getting the job done by a professional.

When you do laser hair removal at home, you are self-inflicting pain. These bursts of pain prolong the discomfort and the actual time the process takes. There is something about showing up and letting the physician do their thing while you lie there and fantasize about tossing out your razors.

It’s also worth mentioning that these devices need to be used at least once a week for 7 weeks in a row — and no appointment or secretary is holding you to that commitment. Additionally, these at-home devices generally take a lot longer to achieve the results that you’d get at a professional clinic in half the time.

There is also some risk involved, as burning and skin irritation does occur from time to time with these at home devices. These effects are a lot less likely when you get professional treatment. These devices aren’t like the state-of-the-art lasers used in a clinic like ours.

Scar Removal

While creams and oils can help reduce your scars, these take a lot longer than laser scar removal, which will help you say goodbye to your scars a lot faster — and this is also a lot more permanent.

It’s also important to note that while these oils and creams may be able to treat minor scars. If you are dealing with scars from botched tattoo removal or severe acne breakouts, you are far better off seeing a professional.

Injections

Botox: Botox is safe when injected by a professional — but at home, alternatives come with serious risks. There is a reason why it’s illegal to buy Botox without a prescription.

Wired, for example, published an expose on Discountmedspa, a company that was selling Botox for at-home injections. The questionable company had video tutorials demonstrating “how to inject Botox.”

Of course, a measly “how-to” video isn’t sufficient, considering that injecting Botox is a technical process that involves understanding dosage, depth and the exact placement of muscles. As one would expect, this site was shut down shortly after the piece was published.

At the end of the day, homes aren’t equipped for medical emergencies and aren’t under the same insurance. This is why Botox is something that should only be administered in a professional setting. At Baywood clinic, we have licenced physicians on staff to perform Botox treatments.

Skin Fillers: Skin fillers, much like Botox, should never be injected at home. Fillers like Juvederm or Voluma should be administered by a professional.

There are a lot of sensitive structures in your face like nerves, vessels and eyes, which need to be taken into account when injecting a filler. According to Marie Clare, if a filler is administered by someone who’s not experienced, you risk damage and infection — not to mention occlusion of arteries that can result in scarring and tissue damage.

A professional will know exactly where to inject a filler to achieve the desired effect. It’s also important to note that if you inject too much filler, you can experience filler fatigue.

The Huffington Post describes “filler fatigue” as the process of fillers stretching and weighing down your skin. This results in the need for more filler, which stretches your skin that much more and speeds up the ageing process.

DIY tricks can be cost and time effective when you are modifying clothing or creating organization tools, but this is not an approach to take to medical or cosmetic treatments. It’s a lot more worth it to schedule an appointment and pay for safe professional services.