Advance Dermatology & Laser Medical Center

Ok, so after reviewing her Unilocal profile, I was a little nervous. Well maybe really nervous. But this office seems to be a no-​nonsense office. The staff at the front seemed a little serious, but one of them cracked a smile for a half second which was enough for me. The nurse that took me back was very pleasant and took very good care of me. My wait in the waiting room was about 15 minutes so no complaints there and after my 930 appointment the doctor came in at 10 o’clock and she seemed pretty nice, did smile. She gave me my diagnosis, treated my issue and told me to check in in about two weeks if needed. I asked about hair removal for my neck and she said that I probably wouldn’t be a good candidate and wouldn’t recommend it. Hmmmmm. I thought that was odd, but I shook it off & focused again on the reason I was there in the first place. So, overall good medical office, but for cosmetic stuff, I’ll go to who I know and trust.

Came in for a rush on the leg. Dr. Patel said it was allergy and gave prescription for «$ 0.00 cream» from Allure Pharmacy in Westwood. Free? –There is always a catch — I immediately asked for a regular prescription cream from CVS. Normal cost $ 15 but DR. Patel insisted it would be $ 0.00 for me from Allure and they would ship it with FedEx and I should call her if it’s not free .
I called Allure, they said it cost $ 225 ! Called Patel again who said I’ll get another cream for $ 35 that normally cost $$$$. WTF !!! Called back and forth …
I asked again for prescription at CVS and they again refused. I finally gave up and ordered that cream from ALLURE Pharmacy.
Next day — try to pay medical bills, guess what? — Payment refused, I was charged by ALLURE Pharmacy $ 1,375.00 for a tiny tube of anti itch cream. Allure finally refunded after my husband called and yelled. I wasted hours for a tiny tube of cream !!! (they said it was just a mistake :/​
Someone is getting kickback. I was forced to use that pharmacy.
I wont ever trust Dr. Patel or the pharmacy she insisted I use.
Remember — never take anything free because NOTHING ever is.

Went to see Dr. Patel for a second opinion for something another Dermatologist was making a big deal about and wanting to do a biopsy on. She took a look at it and gave me a honest no non-​sense diagnosis. She was polite and professional and I felt she has a good deal of experience under her belt and knows her stuff. All in all a good experience.

Dr. Patel is a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and has extensive experience in the field. So she absolutely knows what she is doing, and does it well. She’s friendly, efficient, and very efficacious with her work. Marlene and Allison at the front desk are both very sweet, and genuinely care about their patients. I don’t know what the other reviewers are talking about, but I’m always greeted with a smile by both of them, and they truly make what a boring doctor visit is supposed to be into something less tedious and more meaningful. Great staff, amazing doctor, definitely one of the top choices around.

I wish I could negatively mark her. Mostly I do not write reviews but I believe this one important especially for expecting mother if they are thinking about to going to this doctor. She almost KILLED my wife and my BABY with her negligence and ignorance to her lab works. This resulted in her having seizure during her pregnancy and the urgent care doctor had to go for a C section. On visiting her in this hospital as well she was unapologetic. She is pathetic and I would recommended none should go to her.

This woman is great. I was skeptical of coming because of all the negative reviews but she was so close to my house and was covered by my insurance.
First of all, if they charge you money it is a co-​pay… It’s not her office’s fault they have a co pay (mine was only 35).
Second, yes you have to pay for parking but that’s also not her fault and she’s definitely not a time waster so if you’re paying double digits then maybe hustle to your car a little faster?
I had an awful red, flakey rash on my face for a month and I tried everything. She gave me a bunch of samples of two different products so I didn’t have to buy any prescriptions and i was completely cleared up in a week. I went back 2 weeks after my first appointment and she gave me more samples and told me she wanted me to ween myself off of one of the products. She said it was hard to say what the rash was but that it was definitely responding to what I had been using and that we should keep going with what we were doing.
As for her staff… Okay her front desk staff isn’t incredibly friendly but they’re definitely not rude. Same with Nita. They get the job done fast and efficiently which is ideal especially when you’re paying for parking. I actually found her to be lovely. Her assistant is super sweet so I suppose in comparison to her they’re not the most chipper (maybe that’s why people said bad things?)
I’m going back in three weeks for another check up so if she’s all of a sudden awful ill change my review but based off these two I will tell you this office does it’s job very well.

«NOT impressed! Very impersonal, stayed about 3 feet back & looked… She makes staff give injections & she just puts notes in her computer. I switched to a different Doctor … he found melamonma on me… thank goodness I switched because there is no telling where I would be now
… RUN away from Dr. Patel»

Overall didn’t like the service. Had to pay $ 50 up front when no doctor asks me to pay with my insurance, if I had to pay something I get later a bill but I have never paid more than $ 35.
Went in for 2 reasons and none of them were solved, changed twice a cream they prescribed. Don’t take me wrong they were all polite and nice but I wouldn’t go back for their services.

Dr. Patel did nothing for my skin. In my late 30s I began to get persistent acne and sought out a dermatologist that was close and convenient to my home and accepted my insurance.
Dr. Patel started off prescribing me 5 or 6 different topicals and oral antibiotics. In fact, my skin got far worse with all the antibiotics and horrible drying ultra-​expensive topicals she kept on prescribing.
At the end of my wits I begged, pleaded, and cried for her to prescribe Isotretinoin /​Accutane. Dr. Patel told me Accutane would do absolutely nothing for my skin as my acne was hormonal. I began to develop horrible deep cystic acne from the repeated courses of antibiotics that Dr. Patel prescribed. I never had anything like that until I saw her. For years I just had persistent and problematic acne but no cysts.
Long story short. All those courses of low dose antibiotics did more damage than the Accutane to my health. I ended up in the hospital with antibiotic resistant pneumonia.
I made the best decision of my life and after found another dermatologist who prescribed Accutane. I’m on my fifth month and my skin is not perfect but 1000 x better. The side effects were minimal other than dry lips. I can now see my former self again and my skin has that glow back.
I have confidence again and can go out with no makeup.
I think I should send a picture of my face a year ago and one today and ask her if she still stands that Accutane would do nothing for hormonal acne. I’m proof she was dead wrong.

It is true that you will probably have to wait at least 30 minutes and pay $ 2-​$ 6 for parking, however the positive things far out weigh the negatives.
I’ve had eczema since I was little and I’ve been to at least 6 other different dermatologists trying to contain the flares. They have told me not to shower less, avoid pools, avoid cold and avoid spring allergens, which is all nearly impossible. One visit to Dr. Patel and my flares have been completely controlled. I’ve been seeing her for the last 7 years now, she’s very knowledgeable and you can ask her anything.
I highly recommend a visit.

I’ve been looking for a local dermatologist for a year and putting it off because of all the negative reviews. I finally bit the bullet and went to see Nita Patel today. And I have no idea what you Unilocalers are talking about. Did you expect them to throw you a party when you walked in?
The staff was friendly, the nurse was GREAT (wish I remembered her name), and the doctor was friendly and patient. She asked a lot of questions and gave me time to answer. I did have a bit of a wait, but was out within an hour. I feel like a dork for putting off an appointment for that long because of the reviews here.

I don’t usually write reviews, but this doctor was so terrible that I just had to say something to warn people from seeing her. First of all, she was extremely cold towards me and my situation, which is I guess fine for a doctor, but not really! You want your doctor to be nice and caring, or at least I do. Then… here comes the worst part… SHE MISDIAGNOSED ME!!! I could just feel in my gut that I should get a second opinion, as she did not seem knowledgeable about what she was talking about, and so I did, and she was completely wrong!!! I mean completely. Thankfully I went to another doctor! So basically I paid my $ 40.00 co-​pay to get freaked out by a wrong diagnosis! Worst doctor’s experience I’ve ever had by far.

Dr. Patel is an extremely knowledgeable, efficient clinician. You will get an accurate, lightning fast diagnosis and if she orders a prescription, she has some cool software on her laptop apparently that will allow her to order it to your pharmacy instantly.
On the down side, no one in the office cares if you live or die, basically, except perhaps the nurse (whose name I’ve now forgotten). The front desk staff is brusque, Dr Patel is deficient in warmth.
BUT I will certainly continue to use their services because she REALLY knows her stuff (and at the end of the day, I’m not there to be treated nicely, just treated

Part II — A-​OK. Not what I was expecting to write today, but I think Dr. Patel is great and her staff was really nice. The receptionist wasn’t overly friendly but she was professional and they clearly stated their finance policy with a posting on the front desk as well as in the paperwork upon signing in. Dr. Patel’s assistant was super friendly and let me and my fiancé have our appointment together. Dr. Patel thoroughly examined both of us and listened to our concerns and gave us a couple of options for our medical issues as well as a handful of samples to take home. I will return and I’m grateful for the time she spent with us today.

Doctor Nita Patel is a professional doctor and she knows what she is talking about. However, the front desk is a different story. Her receptionist is so serious and would not smile to save her life. She answers my questions with attitude and she is not friendly at all.

Dr. Patel saw me on time; gave me a thorough exam; and proposed a reasonable regimen for a cure. I wasn’t upsold on anything. Not sure what others are complaining about: sure, an assistant saw me for a moment before the doctor did, but I think we’re all used to that by now. Sure, she was curt, but she was also thorough. That’s healthcare today, and she worked to fix my issues.

This was a last minute choice because I remember seeing Dr Patel a few years back. I didn’t want to search for a new doctor due to the urgency of the matter.
My appts was at 930am. I was at the office 10min before appt time. I was still waiting around 10am. No explanation as to why they’re behind. The girls at the front desk were so unfriendly, no smiles.
Finally I was called in. The assistant had me sit in a chair and asked me some questions as to why I came for the visit. I answered her and was asked to wait a bit more and the doctor will be in. I guess I waited another 5−10min?
Dr. Patel came in with her laptop and actually seemed friendly. The visit with her was actually good. I was able to ask her questions about my problematic areas and I thought she answered them directly. The visit with her was less than 15min.
I don’t think I will be going back to Dr. Patel even though she seemed to be good but the overall office visit wasn’t pleasant… plus I didn’t like that I had to pay for my office visit up front. Front desk girl told me that Dr. Patel changed the policy about a year ago.

This is about Dr. Dana Kang. She is so professional, personable, knowledgeble and all around great doctor. Now, the staff… cold, distant, arrogant, and just didnt want to be there or help. Not one smile amongst them.
If you can overlook the staff, Dr. Kang is well worth it!

I found Nita very professional, courteous and very knowledgeable. The office staff was very efficient, the wait time was minimal and the office and treatment room were very clean and orderly.
would highly recommend her services. I am a sailor spend many hours in the sun and thus have visited many dermatologist.
None have been as professional and knowledgeable as Dr. Patel and her office staff.
to add to the experience, for my skin issue, the she gave me free samples and enough to take me through three months of treatment… thus i did not have to fill the prescription!!! very thoughtful and rare in this money grabbing world!

I did not have a good visit. The girls at the front seemed overworked and stressed. After I saw the doctor, I could tell why.
She was very impersonable, moved hastily, and did not smile once. She asked me to disrobe and put on one of those hospital gurneys for a full body checkup. She rushed through the full body check up. After she was finished doing a body check, which was sped through for about 2 – 3 minutes, I asked her to check out a couple more freckles to see if they were ok or no. This lady shot me this look that I was wasting her time, and how dare I ask! (hahaha seriously!)
The privacy factor. While I am in the backless robe, the door swings wide open (and stays open), as two front desk workers enter and leave repeatedly, all while i am butt naked under that little gurney. Shit. I feel bad for the women that have gone to see her. Door is wide open while im getting my exam with people going in and out now. No «excuse me», no «this will just take a minute,» nothing. The doctor leaves without even saying good bye, thank you, etc. As I put on my clothes shyly, around the other two people working on random crap in the room, I’m thinking wtf, how unprofessional?!
I leave and a week later, I get the bill for $ 120 dollars for «full body exam»
I will not recommend this place at all.