Laser Clinic
Thinking of choosing a Laser Clinic in Toronto? Here are some things to consider!
Physicians:
Some “medi-spas” or “medical-cosmetic” clinics are not “medical” at all. A doctor may appear on the web-page, but may only be on-site once a week to do Botox injections, and may not interview laser candidates, treat them, or have any liability for their care.
Training:
Most U.S. States require that a physician either personally perform all skin laser treatments, or personally consult with each patient before delegating the procedure to a nurse. This is because laser is serious business. Medical conditions, certain medications and other factors can affect your treatment, and untrained, non-medical technicians are not able to diagnose medical conditions like Rosacea or Acne. Also certain lesions must NOT be lasered, and should be referred for biopsy. A physician should examine the skin before it is lasered.
Our Doctors have years of laser experience and have passed the examinations of the American Board of Laser Surgery. It is important to remember that a laser is simply a tool – like a scalpel – the skill and experience of the person using the laser is extremely important to your results and your safety.
Complications:
At the Baywood Clinic, we see many complications of laser treatments done at non-Medical clinics. Fortunately, the most common complaint is that the treatment simply did not work, but we do see scarring, severe, untreated pigment changes and so on.
Often patients tell us the “medi-spa” simply told them to “see their G.P or family doctor” if a complication arises. At the Baywood Clinic we are proud of our excellent record of patient care, and our extremely low rate of complications. And should a complication occur, as physicians, we are able to treat them as effectively as medically possible.
Lasers
Not all lasers are created equally. Some “lasers” are not lasers at all, like IPL (intense pulsed light or “photo-facials”). There are literally hundreds of manufacturers, and every year there is a new “breakthrough”. The latest trend is multi-platform lasers, ones with several “lasers-in-one” that are meant to do everything. Often, unfortunately they do no one thing very well.
At Baywood we use the same lasers as major teaching hospitals, each one designed for a specific use.
Cost
Often patients are tempted by “specials” or “packages” offered by certain medi-spas. It is important to remember that laser treatment should be regarded in the same light as other medical procedures. Patients want the best results, and this requires expert laser operators, using the best equipment, with the patient’s safety and well-being at the front of their minds. One would certainly be surprised if their Dentist, for example, offered a “package” that required pre-payment!
At the Baywood Clinic we do not employ “closers” to make sales, or try to up-sell our patients to more expensive, often unnecessary, treatments. We do not offer packages, because we do not need money upfront to pay for next month’s overhead. Sadly, we often see patients whose “specials” went sour, when the clinics where they pre-paid went bankrupt before the treatment packages were complete. We only expect fees for services we do.
