Dermatology and Laser Centre

Front desk staff communication has made this a frustrating experience so far. I booked a consultation after confirming there was no fee - waited a month and a half for the appointment and was asked to pay $255 today at the front desk. They let me know the person who scheduled me was new and no longer works there… I asked if the cost of consultation could apply to the treatment and was told no by the first person at the front desk (which I ended up finding out was not true). All the consultation was for was to get pricing for a treatment. I asked if there was just a pricing sheet and the person helping me basically refused to help and said “well the sheet wouldn’t help because you would still need a consultation”. She was so dismissive and rude that the other person (on the exit side of the desk) stepped in and passed me a pricing sheet - with a range for the service cost highlighted . She also told me I COULD apply the cost of the consultation to the service, it just has to be booked that way from the beginning so there is enough time to perform the service in the same appointment. (She also let me know the fee would still apply even if the doctor didn’t recommend the service, and I appreciate the heads up.) She was the only reason I would consider coming back here. It sucks that the first person greeting people is so dismissive and unwilling to communicate the options available. I can only think of how many people wasted $300 because the staff is purposely not telling them that consultations can be applied to service costs. Their pricing seems fair otherwise and other reviews are great. It was so easy to see the price range for my treatment without a consultation (PDL laser - $250-$750 depending on area size, mine would be $750.) But even if I had paid for a consultation, there would still be a range (probably 5-8 sessions) - that they couldn’t know for certain upfront. Because of that, charging $300 for a consultation just feels like a shady business practice. The quote still would be a range even after paying that. Anyway, being able to compare pricing per session is all I wanted to do from the beginning - which could’ve happened over the phone - but now, 1.5 months later, I’m back to square 1. At least now I know to ask schedule the treatment with consultation at the same time, but I don’t think I would go back here. As much as I still want to do this treatment I’m very put off by the experience so far - not the kind of service you want when spending $1000s out of pocket, being treated this way by front desk staff, and wasting so much of your time in the process. Update: Comprehensive Dermatology in Pasadena is incredible. Their consultations are FREE, services are still competitively priced ($100 more per session for PDL, but they also offer bulk discounts). Their front desk staff and dermatologists are great, and scheduling with them didn’t require waiting over a month. Hope this is helpful for someone!

I have never experienced an MD push a patient to get on a drug until I met Dr. Kramer. On our first visit, she suggested Cosentyx. I said I would do my research. I had more flare ups so I went to her again to treat them. This time as soon as she walked in asked about Consentyx. I said I was still thinking about it and was hesistant. She went on a rant trying to gaslight me into taking the drug. Asking me what is different this time since she knows my life would be better…first of all, no one knows how my body will react unless I take it. It was about almost 10 minutes of her questioning my decision. It was intimidating to have a MD question me in that manner. I honesty wish I could record our conversation becaue it was wild. Back to back questions from her. I told her I am concerned about weight gain and she lied and told me most patients see weight loss with Cosentyx…. Google that fact yourself… most patients see the opposite. I shared with her my experience with accutane, paxil, and being put on a cocktail of 3 antibiotics for 3 months and all she said was “this is nothing like that”. She was annoyed that when she finally injected me with the steroids on my flare ups she stated this doesn’t treat them it just puts a bandaid on it… and didn’t count to 1-2-3 like she did last time… she just wanted to rush through it. It was awkward, intimidating, and first time I experienced an MD try to coerce, gaslight, and try to trick me into taking a drug. Cosentyx is an immunosuppressant. It should not be taken lightly. She never asked about my sleep, current lab work or past medical history. From the 1st visit to the second and last was exactly 2 weeks… I am convinced she is a drug dealer with à lab coat on. She should be investigated because her behavior was illegal. I remember her stating that my HS was in stage 3, but I went to another dermatologist today and she stated my HS looks good and well taken care of. I went over my skincare routine and she asked me great informative questions and was very happy to see that my method is working. I did tell her that I know with age the probability of me needing help via medication goes up but I just wanted to hold off until I needed them. She agreed and gave me advice to stop for 2 weeks and proceed for 6 weeks and stop for 2 weeks again to make sure my skin doesn’t start to resist the products I use already. She also went over all the medication she would suggest and I asked my questions and that was it. No push, no coercion, no gaslighting.

I have been a patient of Dermatology and laser center for about 12 years or maybe more and I continue to return as their treatments have always been excellent.

I booked a tattoo removal consultation based on their website showing $98 per treatment, free consultation, and “no tricks.” At my appointment, I was quoted nearly double for a very small tattoo and told the website pricing was outdated. When I called to schedule, no one mentioned that. The “consultation” lasted about 15 minutes, with half the time spent waiting. When I decided not to proceed, I was told I would be charged $150 for the consultation and was not allowed to leave until another staff member stepped in and confirmed consultations are actually free. Overall, the experience did not match what was advertised online. If you have a small tattoo, I would not recommend this place. You are better off checking Groupon deals like Doctor Tattoo Off in Beverly Hills, where I found 3 sessions for $70. They really need to update their website. Ridiculous!

I’ve been to many dermatologists because of moves but this one is special. I’m always greeted sweetly by the front desks; I don’t wait without being told why and the attention to detail by doctors and staff is remarkable. I use Jessica and I can honestly say Shes the best. I highly recommend this practice!

Great office—I’ve been going here for years. I saw Eric, and as always, he’s the best. Highly recommend.