As tattoo removal technology continues to advance, more and more people are making a move to remove their unwanted tattoos. There are various ways you can remove your tattoo, but the leading method continues to be laser removal.

Laser tattoo removal is the process of using lasers to emit light directly into your skin to break down the ink particles of a tattoo. This method is minimally invasive and safe, especially when you choose a reputable medical clinic to perform the procedure for you.

Baywood Clinic offers professional and effective laser tattoo removal in Toronto that’s performed by our board-certified physicians using state-of-the-art lasers. If you are interested in our services, be sure to get more information about how our process works and what to expect.

If you want to learn more about laser tattoo removal and how it works, get your questions answered when you book a free consultation with us. We want you to go into your treatment feeling safe and confident.

With that said, the alternatives to laser tattoo removal tend to be more invasive and come with much higher risks. For a wide variety of reasons, laser treatment is your best option for tattoo removal:

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion uses a rotating instrument (a medical grinding tool) to remove your skin’s outer layers to get to your tattoo’s ink. This technique is often used to clear skin, reduce acne scars and treat fine lines.

Why Avoid it?

It’s Painful: Considering that dermabrasion removes layers of your skin, it can be a painful process.

Recovery Time: According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, dermabrasion results in open wounds that take 10-14 days longer to heal than wounds from laser removal.

Surgical Excision:

Surgical excision is the process of physically cutting out your tattoo. After the tattoo is removed, your skin is then closed back together. This method is typically used to remove very small tattoos but is still less practical — and a lot more invasive — than laser removal.

Why Avoid it?

Scarring: Since this is a surgical procedure (unlike laser removal), it results in a medical scar.

It’s Invasive: This procedure actually requires incisions unlike laser treatment, which releases pulses of light. Excision is a surgery that comes with significant recovery time and precautions.

Long recovery: Excision recovery requires bandages and wound care. 

Tattoo Removal Cream

It’s hard to believe that something permanently embedded in your skin can be removed by applying a cream. Tattoo removal creams claim to bleach or peel the top layer of your skin to reduce the appearance of a tattoo.

Why Avoid it?

Minimal results: At most, these creams will fade your tattoo — and tattoos fade with age anyway.

Not Regulated: These creams contain the peeling agent trichloroacetic acid, which is FDA approved for various skin conditions — but not approved for cream tattoo removal.

Side Effects: Since the properties in these creams bleach and/or peel your skin, they can leave your skin exposed to infection and can cause burning, irritation and scarring

It’s Unsupervised: When you are dealing with an acid that is typically used to treat serious conditions, you should probably be supervised. That said, these creams suggest an at-home solution to tattoo removal, which encourages people to use this strong chemical at home without guidance from a professional.

Chemical Peels 

Some people use acid to remove their tattoos — needless to say, this is not a good idea. Acid has dangerous chemicals, and this method comes with some pretty dire risks.

Chemical-based tattoo removal methods include TCA peels to peel off the skin, glycolic acid peels to inflame the skin to release tattoo ink, and acid injections to flush out ink and bring it to the surface. Dermatologists typically won’t recommend any of these methods.

Why Avoid it?

The Side Effects: Acid-based tattoo removal tactics tend to come with drastic side effects like burning, pigmentation alteration, hypertrophic scars and infection.

Recovery Time: Wounds from chemical peels typically take between 5 to 7 days to heal.

Scarring: Considering the fact that chemicals are used to peel off one’s skin, you can imagine the scarring that can result from this method.

Pain: Peeling of the skin can be incredibly painful, and anesthetic typically isn’t used for this treatment like it is for laser tattoo removal.

Laser Tattoo Removal at a Medical Clinic

Laser tattoo removal numbs your tattoo area and then uses lasers to emit beams of light that break down the ink particles in your skin.

This tattoo removal treatment is a medical procedure available at our laser skin clinic in Toronto. Our staff is equipped with the tools, resources and skills necessary to remove your tattoo carefully and comfortably.

Especially compared to your more invasive, higher risk options, here’s why laser removal is the best way to get rid of your tattoo:

Certified Professionals: When you choose a medical clinic like ours for laser tattoo removal, you can rest easy knowing that board-certified physicians will perform your procedure. This is a lot safer than other options that are not performed by professionals.

State of the Art Systems: At Baywood Clinic, we use state-of-the-art lasers for our procedures. This ensures quality and safety.

Laser Technology: Laser technology has advanced substantially, providing us with quality, safe, powerful lasers. At Baywood Clinic, we use three lasers: The Q-Switched, Alexandrite and ND-Yag lasers. These lasers are used together at varying wavelengths to target different shades of ink, which allows us to get rid of the most stubborn of tattoos.

Access to Anesthetics: Due to the fact that we are a medical clinic, can use numbing agents and anesthetic to ensure the comfort of our clients.

Minimal Pain: Compared to the other options that will peel and burn your skin, laser treatment is the most comfortable way to get rid of your tattoo. Our patients have compared the feeling of our lasers to “little sparks” or “snapping an elastic band.”

It’s Non-Surgical: While chemical peels and dermabrasion physically remove layers of your skin and excision cuts into your skin, laser tattoo removal is the least invasive of your options.

About Baywood Clinic

Our laser clinic’s quality services and reputation have gotten us featured in the Toronto Star and National Post, and have contributed to our stellar word of mouth referrals, including from doctors and tattoo artists.

When you choose Baywood Clinic for your laser tattoo removal, you can rest easy knowing that we have the experience. Laser treatment is safe, especially when you work with a medical clinic like ours that’s done over 30,000 treatments.

Be sure to get in touch with us for your free consultation, and to get all of your tattoo removal questions answered! We’ll assess the size, quality and location of your tattoo to give you a realistic outline of what your price will be, and how long your process will take.