Arbutus Laser Centre

I had a terrible experience with my tattoo removal appointment. Dr Eichorst did not use the numbing gel which caused undue pain and discomfort. He gave poor after care advice, and my recovery was not good.
The following week I made an appointment at a removal place on Kingsway, for a different tattoo. They were significantly less expensive, very professional and did everything by the book.
If you still feel compelled to use this business, please see Dr Mintz as his bedside manner and competency are of a higher standard.

I had an amazing experience from booking to through to treatment. The MOA staff was very helpful in scheduling and advice about procedures. My treatment Mimi was done with care and professionalism. I highly recommend Arbutus Vein and Laser.

A few weeks ago I had an amazing treatment with Mimi. She performed sclerotherapy. Mimi was extremely gentle and meticulous. She changed needles frequently through the treatment to minimize pain. Her years of experience and skill outshine all others! I had a chance to meet Dr. Nicolas Eichhorst. He was helpful and professional. Mimi is the best person for sclerotherapy In Vancouver. Thank you!

I’ve never experienced something like this or had such a depressing/anxiety-inducing experience with a clinic or felt so manipulated and mistreated. So one day I decided I want to finish all my laser hair removal and chose arbutus. There is several things they did that made this my personal worst experience with a company - even though I’ve been going since 16 and spent thousands there- but one thing I’ll highlight for now is I was told specific prices and then they changed it on me and were really inconsistent and would contradict themselves. I also wouldn’t recommend paying before your appointment/making a deposit because they ended up charging me 260 for one third of one thigh by keeping my deposit (And I left the appointment way early, so if I stayed they’re saying they would charge me 600 for 1/3 of each thigh?). When I wanted to speak with them about the experience, instead The owner left a message that frightened me with an angry tone of voice saying she flagged my file and to go elsewhere and I’m too expensive for them (uhhhh…) -I was obviously not interested in ever ever ever returning to this traumatizing and horrible experience. I had to take an Atavan and felt depressed after my interactions. I have never ever ever had such an experience with somewhere- ever.
I may include more of my experience but for my mental health I don’t want to get to into it right now. I have never ever ever in my life had such an experience with a business in my entire life in any country. The way they (mis) treated me, multiple times, is heartbreaking and I can’t believe I trusted them!
When you get laser you are literally naked, getting a difficult and painful procedure, and it’s a very difficult and personal and invasive experience. Feeling manipulated, mistreated, or taken advantage of in that state and giving you more anxiety that state is so messed up.
Even writing this is triggering for me so it’s hard for me to write.
-extremely rushed appointments compared to any laser I’ve had before
-inconsistencies in prices - I can give several specific examples- I was told 550 for the body parts I wanted to do, armpits free, etc.: then the owner said it’s time and pulses even though I was promised a price… but then said my thighs would be 300 ahead of time before an appointment (more than the agreed price) … but then later charged me that much for 1/3 a thigh for an appointment I left because it was during a heat wave and my skin had sun exposure…
-prices said not honoured in my situation
-they asked for 300 dollar deposit for a skin consultation for scars and I asked “what If I don’t use it on a skin treatment can it be used on laser hair removal” and they said no- other clinics I know ask for smaller deposits or none and let you use it on anything
-when I expressed my bad experience, they didn’t care, not only that, they responded with anger and deflected me
-I personally felt anxiety, depression after my interactions, never had that situation after any laser clinic. I had to take medication after things like the scary message left on my machine
-Like An example of this… one second say oh the 550 doesn’t apply anymore cause it’s time and pulses (but I was promised that price? ! I was literally told it would always cost that and we agreed on that for my hair removal journey) and then the next moment say they will charge me 300 for thighs ahead of time before the appointment… so what happened to pulses and time?
The experience was traumatic but it’s hard for me to discuss because it made me feel depressed and anxious and just scared they would treat someone like that, I’ve never been treated that way by any business. I sent an email asking for part of my deposit back or at least that amount of money in treatments so I could let go of this trauma at least feeling less wronged but that didn’t happen sadly

I had an amazing experience at Arbutus Laser. All the staff was very kind, professional, and organized. I saw Lita, who was lovely! She took the time to provide me with explanations of the laser hair removal procedure, and answered all my questions and concerns. She makes the atmosphere as comfortable as possible, and is so sweet and personable.

I'm extremely pleased with my results. After only three sessions, all my hair has been removed. I have a low pain tolerance so I applied numbing cream before each session which made the treatment a lot more bearable.

I can't recommend Arbutus Laser enough! Thank you!

Amazing service, such incredible and informed people, I've been very happy with my experiences here. I love their approach of providing treatments that make you look and feel like yourself (and not like someone else!).

Leta does my laser hair removal treatments and she is phenomenal – she's extremely warm and supportive, and makes the atmosphere as comfortable as possible. She's also very skilled and I've been thrilled with my decision to get laser. Seriously if you're considering it, do it, it's so worth it.

Dr. Eichhorst has done Xeomin for me and I'm so happy with the results that I plan on going back indefinitely. I love that he doesn't push unrealistic beauty standards. I mentioned a blemish on my forehead and he was basically like "Yep you're a human, that's normal, that's great, I'm not here to judge the texture of skin! " I found that comforting because I think we often carry insecurities within beauty-focused spaces and expect the folks who treat us to look down upon us until we've achieved some sort of ideal (read: unrealistic/often eurocentric) standard, but I've found that's not the case here. He frames Xeomin/Botox as methods of looking how we FEEL, I. E.softening our frown lines if we often frown unintentionally and people ask "Are you okay? What's wrong? " when there's really nothing wrong. This framing resonates a lot with me!

I'm happy I found Arbutus Laser and definitely recommend them.

Service good and quite professional and wont harass you with phone calls which some of the chains will.

Wish I didn't have to see advertisements in the treatment rooms and bathroom, though. Every time I have to look at their Gwyneth Paltrow (of Goop infamy) xeomin ads I get sooo annoyed!

I have been coming to Arbutus Laser Centre now for a number of years to see Dr. Eichhorst with various skincare needs including neuromodulation, laser skin rejuvenation (Fraxel) to remove sun spots, and facial filler. The results are incredibly natural and satisfying. Dr. Eichhorst takes the time to discuss the best customized plan fo you. Unlike other places, there is no pressure to do any more than you wish to do, and he explains exactly what each procedure does and how it works on your face structurally so you can understand it how it might reach your goal aesthetic. The staff at the office are very helpful and professional also and are quick to respond to questions. If you are unsure what is right for you, I highly recommend contact Arbutus Laser Centre. I wasn't sure fillers were for me, but now I am 100% happy I made that decision.

I had the pleasure of working with Juli and Amy for a laser hair removal treatment. I could not have asked for a better team. Arbutus Laser is incredibly professional, on time, and efficient, and made this a fantastic experience for me. They take the time to understand what you're looking for, and are honest about what you can expect from each treatment. I would recommend going here in a heartbeat.

I’ve been going for laser hair removal treatments with Amy over the last year and it’s been amazing. She’s extremely good at what she does and the results show for that. She also makes you feel super comfortable during your appointment. I would highly recommend this clinic in general.

I had a treatment many many years ago. I went back to treat a few skin brown spots recently. Now I know exactly why I came back

I went to Arbutus Skin Laser Centre exactly one week ago, I had some dermatosis papaluso nigra which looks like teeny tiny moles but really not moles I had a few well lets just say I had about 30 of them on my neck I dont believe it its all gone scab formed and it fell off just a bit of redness Im assuming there will be some hyperpigmentation which I have a cream I will use to remove that.but so far none at the moment. Dr. Donald Mintz thank you so much for removing these for me with the C02 laser ill be back for some other things I would like to get done in a little bit great staff as well at front desk if you need to go here for anything this is the place

This is a fantastic and professional laser centre. I can’t recommend it enough. They don’t do packages because everyone requires a different number of treatments for laser hair removal and they don’t want people to spend more than they have to. There is an in-house doctor that you see prior to beginning your treatment and they will do a test patch for you as well. I went to Amy for my sessions and she is beyond friendly and professional and did such a great job. I have had friends go to other places and spend far more than I did with very mediocre results. I can basically get rid of my razor after going to Arbutus Laser. Five stars.

After a number of friends have recommended them, I decided to book a consult. Amy has been wonderful with my laser hair removal services. She's very attentive and very personable. The team at Arbutus Laser are very professional and helpful. I highly recommend! Make sure to book your apt soon, they fill up fast:)

To whom it may deter,
I'm writing this review out of shear impotent rage. My mother has recently made the 700km journey from our town to this clinic for the second time, seeking treatment on her hands. She suffers from a rare condition called HHT which causes her to have ruptured capillaries just under her skin, resulting in open wounds and bleeding sores on a daily basis. Its quite painful to her. She had been to this clinic on a prior occasion to have them cauterized as this is one of the only effective procedures to stop the bleeding sores and had experienced, by her account, an unbearable amount of pain. She was told by Dr. Mintz on this first appointment that they were not allowed to administer anesthesia because it was an "elective cosmetic procedure" even though she was more than willing to pay for a local anesthetic, but was denied. She had the worst of the sores treated, but said she could not stand the pain and had to stop. She came home a related the experience to her family doctor who was awestruck that Dr. Mintz wouldn't apply local freezing to her hands and advised her to try the treatment again and assured her he would write a strongly worded note in her file to ensure she would get anesthesia next time.
She relented and made an appointment, double checking with the clinic that, yes, they had seen the note her doctor had written in the file. I accompanied her under the impression she wouldn't be able to drive because of the pain it caused her last time only having the partial treatment. Upon arriving, she was brow-beaten by Dr. Mintz (my words, not hers) into not getting the anesthesia again under the auspice that "the numerous needles needed to freeze her hands was far more painful than the laser" and that "to effectively freeze the whole hand she would need to be put to sleep entirely". My mother is in her 60s and is quite trusting of medical professionals so she again relented and gripped ice in her off hand to numb it slightly while her other recently numbed hand was cauterized. She told me it was just as painful as the time prior and there was no way she would be able to endure having any but the most dire sores burned shut. This is all taking place in the middle of a pandemic and another tightening of the lockdown. This was not an insubstantial investment of time and money on our part and this Dr. Mintz was so lacking in empathy or compassion to administer a local anesthetic under the direction of her longtime family doctor and in the face of his PAYING CUSTOMER'S visible pain.twice.
The only possible logical reasons I can fathom for Dr. Mintz's actions are as follows:
1. Dr. M covets the time it would take to apply local anesthesia
2. Dr. M has a biased opinion of how much pain a patient "should" be in when receiving this treatment under these conditions.
3. Dr. M, or the anesthesiologist, lack the proper training or competency.
4. I myself am lacking some information and need to be edified
Again, this was the second trip we made to Vancouver specifically to see Dr. Mintz, this time armed with the catharsis that we had another doctor's instructions and due diligence of calling ahead beforehand to check if the clinic had received that note, to no avail.and again, I HOPE I am ignorant of some logical explanation that would mollify me. At present though, I can only muster a turgid optimism and seething personal admonishment for not accompanying my mother into the clinic to reinforce her wishes. I am livid thinking of how my mother broke down crying just outside the arbutus laser centre from the repeated insult of not having her pain acknowledged when a minor application of local numbing would have alleviated any pain and allowed for her to get the full treatment.twice!
In closing, I await the cliché, carbon copy platitudes and hollow sympathies offered up to the other negative reviewers of this establishment, but I still have a shred of optimism that I could just be wrong. At present, I feel like less of a dissatisfied customer and more a well cultivated enemy.good day, Dr. Mintz

Infuriating to deal with. Twice I made attempts to make a reservation, first time I made the reservation which was to happen within a few days. Then I get a call back saying I need to cancel as I need a referral from a GP as its related to scaring. Thats ok, gotta wait two weeks to get a referral, ok, then I call again to book a spot, she says ok and pins me for a date in Feb without asking me any questions about a referral. I then remind her that I needed a referral the last time which I can send to her. She says that now she cannot keep the spot for me after all until they get the referral, literally 20 seconds after securing me spot.
Twice I had a date and time, twice cancelled. She literally cant keep the spot for me until tomorrow morning when I fax it over. Had I said nothing I would have a spot. Now I have to miss that and wait for another slot

Ill go somewhere else where they have common sense

I recently have been going here for laser genesis on my skin for redness, acne and even scaring. I’ve done 3 treatments with Anna and Mimi and they’re just amazing. So kind and welcoming, the entire staff was as well. I’ve noticed so many positive results that I didn’t think I would get this fast. The redness has gone down significantly and my acne and scarring is barely visible now. Even the oil reduction has gone down and overall texture of my skin is so much smoother. I highly recommend!

I have had great results with the laser treatments. Amy was professional and punctual.thanks so much!

I’ve been seeing Linh for almost a year for all my laser sessions, and I can’t say enough good things about arbutus! Out of all laser hair removal I’ve done in the past, this is the most effective place ever! Highly knowledgeable and trained staff.

I have been a client of AMY KOUNALAKIS for 5 years, she has helped me with a variety of aesthetic concerns.my expectations have been surpassed.i no longer have the insecurities that came along with my initial concerns. Her professional, compassionate and technical skill set has kept me coming back, although at this point my visits are few and far between. There are several people who do what she does, but i choose to come back because of how fantastic she is.i can not thank her enough, she gets 10/10 and all my respect and appreciation.i would absolutely (and have to many) recommend her.she is just the best!

I have been going to Arbutus Laser Center for 10 years now and the staff are always so friendly and professional. I recently received a botox treatment from Mimi and she is so good with explaining everything with no discomfort through the process. I plan on seeing her soon for a clear and brilliant treatment.

Amy is fabulous! Her attention to detail and ensuring you get the right results is refreshing and very much appreciated. Very professional and personable. I have recommended her to friends thinking of doing laser.

Amazing! I been going to Arbutus for years for cool sculpting and laser hair removal. All of the staff are super friendly and professional. I recently received Botox treatment from Mimi. She was fantastic! I trust her with my face completely! Great service, highly recommend:)

On the 7th day God created laser hair removal. If you are looking for a medi spa with water features this is not the place. Arbutus laser center is a clinic and they perform clinic level treatments with no extra fuss and a medical doctor present. I was looking for results, not anything else. After having a consult with at least 3 different laser hair removal places Arbutus was the obvious choice. Even to the point or other clinics recommending me to go there instead. They were the only ones prepared to handle the commitment and time to deal with my very stubborn hair. The employees at ALC were ultimately the deciding factor as to why I chose to start treatments there. The techs keep it 100 real which made my experience as comfortable, predictable and direct as possible. They have great business ethics and I did not like the bizarre LA attitudes at other clinics. Also bonus it's a female owned business. If you want to start laser hair removal, do it now. You wont regret it! I've only tried the hair removal services so I cant speak to other treatments.

Five stars for the professional staff at Arbutus Laser Centre. I've been helped by Amy Kounalakis, who is fast, efficient, experienced, humorous, and excellent with pain management, education and planning. I always feel like I've received good value for the cost.

I'm rating 5 stars for this amazing clinic. The front staff are very easy to deal with and Amy is who I see for my laser appointments. Amy always provides the best service. She is very professional, easy to talk to and always makes sure that you are comfortable at each appointment.

People have been remarking on my beautiful complexion for years. Dr. Boey deserves some of the credit! He's been treating my rosacea with laser for over 20 years - I was one of his first patients. I also go to him for Botox whenever I'm in town. Dr. Mintz is another top notch provider. Thanks for all your care over the years and reasonable prices.

Hi friends, I’m writing a 5-star review for Arbutus Laser Centre from the perspective of a 3rd-party service provider (video production, website design, digital marketing etc) who has worked with the team in-person and over many email exchanges since Spring 2019.

Yesterday was my 2nd opportunity to capture more video footage of some of the staff. This time was different as I was capturing the feedback of 3 clients/patients too.

As such, I’m not writing as a client but from a perspective of listening to what clients say about their experience with this clinic and also being privy to what goes on in the clinic, and interactions between staff and with me in-person and over email.

All 3 clients showed such grace in their courage to be on camera, share authentically about their challenges and problems before working with Arbutus Laser Centre (ALC) and the joy, peace of mind and confidence after receiving amazing results from ALC treatments.

All of them were consistent in their gushing of their doctors, technicians, and front desk personnel. All of them shared about how welcoming front desk staff is even after seasons of being a client, acknowledging their coming and going, how brilliantly caring and patient their doctors/technicians are, and how they confidently refer friends and family to ALC, largely due to the amazing results and customer service they’ve received.

These 3 clients fit in 3 different generations (one in the Boomer generation, one is Gen X, and one is Gen Y/Z) with 3 different treatment types + 1 consistent type of feedback = Rare Air!

Plus I had so much fun with capturing 3 of their staff on camera - I love it when work doesn’t become work because it’s so life-giving & fun!

Dr Boey and Juli have hand-selected and cultivated an amazing team of superstars who have hearts of gold, who serve others so they are known, connected with and cared for. A brilliant show of humanity & service! And the humour and banter.oh my, so precious!

I have to say that their business model works beautifully. A departure from the typical industry commission model (that all other Vancouver clinics operate from) is working so well for ALC where the pressure is off staff to meet quota, or up-sell/cross-sell/over-sell. As a result, their clients experience the benefits and share how they don’t feel pressured and only get what they want/ask for. One of the clients I captured expressed that if she was looking at an additional service, ALC would definitely have her business.

My interactions with staff & leadership over email, on phone calls and in-person have been consistently professional, gracious, caring and accommodating, and all this since Spring 2019, so that’s approximately 6 months of weekly interactions.

They are the real deal in Vancouver. They pride themselves on being a medical facility (not a medi-spa), keeping it real, service & clients first and doing what’s right by their clients for exactly what their clients came to them for, not selling additional services not requested by clients. I’m blown away by how forward-thinking they embrace technology and that’s why they’re the ground-breaking original practitioners of laser technology and mastering the laser equipment in Vancouver for over 20 years for laser tattoo removal, laser hair removal, laser skin treatments and more. They know their stuff and are skilled at it, thus delivering excellence in results for their clients.

After privately speaking with 3 different clients of all ages and treatment types with amazing results to show for it, and privately and publicly interacting with staff and leadership, and seeing firsthand how things really operate behind-the-scenes, I’d unequivocally shout a resounding “H*LL YES! ” to anyone looking at Arbutus Laser Centre to help them achieve their desired outcomes from laser treatments. ️

I finally went to this excellent clinic after going to another clinic on west broadway in error! I had the pleasure of being treated by Karen Thomson, who is one of the most compassionate and empathetic women i have ever encountered. Karen was absolutely honest about what I could expect from my treatments and she did not disappoint. I may return for one more treatment as she suggested. Karen's level of professionalism and efficiency is something to be admired. If you are hesitant about making an appointment with this clinic, don't be, as you will not be disappointed on any level.

I’ve been doing Fraxel with Mimi (a charming & educated technician) since the beginning of 2019 it’s only halfway through the year and I’m seeing incredible results, the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Arbutus laser centre has a great reputation for a reason. Worth every penny.

Just finished my laser hair removal treatments with Julie. She is amazing, professional and knowledgeable. She took the time to explain the whole process and answered all my questions. I am super happy with my results!

Dr. MINTZ will make you look like a troll with his Botox skills. A nightmare I had to endure for four months until the Botox wore off, 700 dollars later. Don't waste your time. See another doctor.

Amazing results. I've have 5 treatments so far for 3 different things and all effective results. Staff is always courteous and helpful.