Erma L Benitez MD

I honestly don’t know where to begin to say how thankful I am to be introduced to Dr. Benitez.
I moved to California from Kentucky around two years ago, and 6 months of being here my face reacted in the worst way.
All of a sudden I had acne and redness that I couldn’t get to go away. I tried every product, every natural remedy. Nothing worked.
Thankfully a friend referred me to Dr. Benitez and my skin has never felt so healthy.
Dr. Benitez was very straight forward and didn’t sugar coat any advice or suggestion she gave. She basically told me exactly what I needed to do and how it needed to be done and promised if I did those things, that my skin would improve.
Dr. Benitez immediately sets you up to succeed,
providing you with a ‘goody bag’ with different types of moisturizers, sunscreens and cleansers. Along with a couple free samples of the medicine she prescribes to you! Which is amazing!
My ultimate goal was to get my skin healthy enough so I didn’t have to put on foundation anymore. Well, here it is three months in and I went out for the first time without foundation last night and felt wonderful about it.
Dr. Benitez and her staff really go above and beyond to try to get you exactly what you need. Personally, I am a cash patient but they were able to give me suggestions on where is best to get my prescriptions filled so that it was more affordable
for me. Also the visit including the facial was just $ 85 (I believe after the new year it was raised to $ 99) which still a very reasonable price for the results you receive.
The facial that is provided is amazing. I look forward every month to go in and have everything extracted. My skin always feels so healthy afterwards.
I’m more confident and I no longer have to hide my face behind large sunglasses or pounds of
Makeup when I go out. If anything, I love showing my skin off. I get so many compliments. Also, being a model my skin was starting to affect the jobs I was being booked for.
Thank you Dr. Benitez and staff for saving my life and career! I’m truly thankful!

I’ll make this short and not so sweet. This place is so dirty!!! I was thinking about getting a mole removed here, but after seeing the office, NO WAY! The front desk women are rude. They don’t seem to want to do their job. The doctor is dismissive. Its like she only wants your money, so she rushes you out without explaining anything. If you value your health and good customer service, go elsewhere.

I was Dr. Erma L. Benitez’ patient for about two years and I feel extremely compelled to write a review about her services to prevent others from having the same negative and damaging experiences that my mom and I did.
In my case, I came into her office in the beginning stages of what I thought was a case of adult acne. First off, having a skin condition, especially as an adult, is tolling on your emotional health but Dr. Benitez is extremely insensitive to this. Instead, her approach was extremely patronizing and belittling and made me feel that my conditions was about 10X worse than I thought, with little hope left. Either way, (mainly because of other Unilocal reviews), I thought I should trust her and passively listened and agreed to everything she recommended because at this point I was desperate. A series of extremely painful facial extractions and meds with horrible side effects would soon follow. In between I felt like I was seeing SOME results, but never ever felt that I was getting at root causes and in my case the extractions have left me permanent scars (which I am now seeking laser treatment for). I knew I needed to part ways with this Dermatologist during my last visit when, again resorting to her belittling tone, answered reservations I had about a new treatment we would start with the biggest attitude and remark of, «See this is why I shouldn’t let patients choose and I should choose for them.» WOW. I’m so glad I kept my composure but was emotionally all over the place, and at that moment, her demeanor was worst to handle than what I had though was my «acne.» Anyway, now I recently found out that I actually DO NOT have acne, I have rosacea. To say I am upset I put as much trust on someone like Dr. Benitez is an understatement. I feel like I not only wasted a ton amount of money (every sessions was $ 80 plus oral or topical meds) but wasted valuable time of living with a healthy face.
Secondly, she scolded my mom (who also has rosacea) about why she would let her rosacea get so bad and that now she was looking into spending almost $ 500 of monthly medication. My mom left her office also feeling defeated but THANKFULLY my mom did not give up and received laser treatment that LITERALLY got rid of almost 100% of her rosacea.
All in all, I DO NOT recommend Dr. Benitez AT ALL and I actually hope she reads this so that she strengthens her expertise and changes her approach with her patients and instead makes more of a meaningful impact on the lives of people with her degree.

I’ve had severe acne since I was 16 years old and Dr. Benitez has been the only one that has figured out how to clear my skin up. She’s very straight forward and will try to help you with whatever you need. Her staff is also awesome they make you feel every comfortable and make sure you leave their office with a smile on your face.

Not impressed. I was told by her that I needed at least 7 moles removed, when only ONE of them concerned me at all (I have had 5 suspicious-​looking moles removed in the past by other dermatologists since the age of 12; I am now 30. this is not my first rodeo, and they have all been benign in the past), at up to $ 500 a pop, and with a full excision, no shave biopsy as an option… I decided to get a second opinion. 7 MOLES?!? I have been through this before, and NONE of the other 6 she pointed out had ever concerned me in the slightest.
I really was hoping she could remove the ONE that worried me, and I would get a second opinion for the other 6 moles later. But as I was asking her questions about scheduling the excision of that ONE suspicious mole, she shooed me out the door. I was still asking her questions about that ONE suspicious mole, and when I could schedule the removal, as she walked me down the hallway dismissing any of my questions! Unreal! I have never felt more unwelcome.
Thanks to her lack of ANY concern, I DID get a second opinion. The dermatologist laughed when I showed him the moles Erma had said needed to come out with a full excision. He told me that NONE of my moles concerned him, but that he was happy to remove the one that I was initially concerned about, no problem, as well as one huge mole that was just plain unsightly but did not concern myself or him. He removed both of them then and there in his office, with a shave biopsy.
BOTH moles came back BENIGN after lab tests at Cedars Sinai. So glad I got a second opinion and did not waste $ 3500 getting unnecessary moles removed by Erma. And so glad I went to another doctor who made me feel comfortable the ENTIRE time and took the time to listen to my concerns, not shush me!!!
I am sure Erma is plenty knowledgable, but her bedside manner literally ran me out the door. I would never go back.

The staff is rude and the rates are ridiculously overpriced, I would of expected a better experience. I DO NOT recommend this place.

I love this place! The whole staff is very friendly, the doctor was informative, professional, and very sweet. I went in to get a mole removed and she did it right then and there at what I think is a reasonable price! This is a great place for mole removals definitely recommend it.

Do you have an ethnic skin issue? I do. I am an African American man suffering from reoccurring hair bumps and scaring of the scalp. The condition comes and goes. Over the years, I’ve seen many dermatologists with some degree of temporary success, but it was a guessing game and sometimes they prescribed medication that made the condition worse. So, I searched online to find a dermatologist with knowledge of skin issues that are more prevalent in people of color. My search lead me to information regarding my condition posted by Dr. Benitez. I contacted the office and scheduled an appointment. Mind you, I’m in San Diego and she is in L.A. Well, she was a God send! She allowed me to give her the history of what I had been experiencing with my scalp. She then validated what I told her and further explained what was occurring from a medical standpoint. Please note: if you’ve tried medication in the past that was not effective, you should tell her. Also, if you want to aggressively address your condition, please tell her. I told her I wanted to aggressively get the issue under control, so she created an aggressive plan. I kid you not. I saw significant improvement in 3 days! I have COMPLETE confidence in her knowledge and ability to address my skin care needs. Also, my insurance did not cover the medicine prescribed, so I contacted the office and her staff worked with the pharmacy and provided manufacturer discounts that saved me hundreds of dollars:)) When it was all said and done, I got the medication for regular copay and one for free!

Based on the pos reviews which out weighed the neg I made an appt for mole removal. I have an HMO derm but didn’t want to wait for appt later in the month, The procedure I requested was easily done. Dr Benitez manner is direct. Her fees are reasonable. She seems knowledgeable about what I presented. However she didn’t provide any aftercare instructions nor cover the area with a bandaid or ointment. My impatience, to wait for my Dr, didn’t work out as well as I had hoped.

I’ve been a fan of Dr. Benitez for almost 15 years. I first started seeing her as a college student and I still go to her office whenever there’s an issue. Like she says, she handles «Skin, hair and nails.» When I moved to LA, I started having skin issues and an housemate introduced me to her because he was an actor and couldn’t afford the Beverly Hills doctors down the street. She’s always able to diagnose in an instant and prescribe a path of treatment– usually a med because people expect a cure in a tube. Her prices are not expensive and I’ve never felt like I was being «handled». I’ve always gotten the sense that if she recommends something, it’s because she likes it and her patients have seen good results. She treats ALL types of skin which comes in ALL shades and scar differently.
In my opinion, her prices are inexpensive to moderate depending on what’s being done. If Dr. Benitez wanted to, she could easily charge more for her services, but she doesn’t. Just saw her again this month after going to my regular doctor who was covered under my insurance. She was able to properly diagnose that I had a number of skin issues going on at the same time. As always, she does prescribe meds for treatment which may or may not work well depending on the patient and condition. I’ve personally found it best to try something like pure shea butter for my skin, but when that doesn’t work, I take her prescription to the pharmacist.
I read that someone complained that Dr. Benitez wrote them a prescription for a name-​brand drug instead of a generic and they were appalled at the price. When has a name-​brand drug NOT been expensive? It’s always up to the patient to ask the pharmacy if they have a generic available when they pay at the counter. That’s common sense, right? Why would it be the doctor’s obligation to tell the patient– «Be sure to ask for a generic»? It’s also the patient’s responsibility to figure out what caused his/​her skin to go haywire. As soon as she told me I had eczema caused by petrochemicals, it was obvious some chemicals in my home were killing my skin… and probably me as well. It turned to be my laundry detergent and I also stopped using hand sanitizer.
I won’t go into detail, but she’s saved my skin over and over and I’ll keep going to see her. I’ve recommended her office to several friends and family for everything from mole removal to Botox, and no, I’ve never been given anything or been paid for saying nice things. It’s easy to say something nice when you’re been given the runaround by high-​priced doctors and finally take your bad skin and scars to see her and she finds a way to make it all… go… away. Beverly Hills results at Mid town prices.
Thnx Dr. Benitez!

We are giving Erma two stars, because she was very nice in our appointment, but we will never go back to her office.
The trouble started when we took her prescription to the pharmacy.
She had prescribed a brand-​name medication, for which the pharmacy charged $ 860 out of pocket, despite the fact that we have very good and very expensive insurance.
We called the doctor and asked her why she had prescribed a brand name, when a generic was available, and she simply had no good reason — she blamed the issue on the pharmacy, claiming that it was the pharmacy’s job to offer us a generic.
I think this is wrong. Unless she had a reason, this doctor should have had our best interest in mind, not the best interest of the pharmaceutical companies.
There is simply no good reason for this doctor to be prescribing brand name medication when generics are available. In the end this sort of behavior is costing everyone a lot of money.
We are filing a complaint against this doctor with the California Medical Board.

I called about a mole removal and was answered by a woman receptionist. The particular mole I wanted removed is a problem mole and I’ve had issues with it before. I felt like the receptionist was trying to sell to me instead of give me genuine answers. After speaking with her– I felt a little disappointed and offended at how she spoke to me. She interrupted me and talked over me through the whole phone call and overall just was sort of rude. I work in a Customer service setting and I would never be able to speak to a customer like that. Anyway– I ended up setting up an appointment with a doctor who actually came to the phone and answered my questions and addressed my concerns. The doctor I chose is double the price but customer service goes a long way. I hope this doctor gets a new receptionist because she is probably ruining her business!

Dr. Erma was a refreshing change from the normal Dr. experience. She was quick and on time. When she saw me she was straight forward with both the diagnosis and the way she explained my treatment options. What I appreciated the most was the way she talked to me about the pricing, up front and simple to understand. Great experience!

5 stars. Erma is thorough and has a great bed side manner. She is a sweet lady. Makes me feel comfortable and answers all my questions clearly and methodically. I feel confident that I have a specialist to defer to if any questions arise to any skin conditions I may incur. Her rates are competitive. I would recommend anyone to see Erma. Thank you Erma!
p. s. I was originally inspired to see Erma from her great Unilocal reviews. ;)

Erma! Wow that’s what I love LA not every place will nickel and dime you. I have no insurance but I work and her office fee was something I could do. She is a blessing. And on top of that I wasn’t in the office long it wasn’t overly crowed where you had to wait and wait and wait. I do recommend her for any skin issues.

Wow, I cannot believe dr Benitez is still active and going strong! She is my hero!!! I love her to death! I haven’t needed to see her for awhile now… almost ten years!?? I was always suffering from mild acne but when there was some serious trauma/​drama in my life, I needed real help. I tried everything before and nothing worked. With dr B’s help I finally got rid of all my acne problems and haven’t had to deal w major ones since! Also, I remember when I had a nasty 2^nd degree burn; she got me the perfect medicine and I have no scarring whatsoever!!! She is blunt and absolutely awesome and wonderful. I think I see a visit in the near future cuz now I need her help with my wrinkles and age/​sun spots. Gosh, I’m feeling so old now!!!
I hope she still has the same awesome receptionists! I’m pretty sure she does and I don’t understand what all this complaining is about~!
Also, it’s better to park farther away and walk instead of worrying about the parking lot dude or the metered parking. That’s what I always did :)

Dr. Benitez addressed my chronic eczema I’ve suffered since I was a child as well as my freckles, age spots and sun damage. She recommended eczema products that no M.D. has ever suggested. I’ve been to the top dermatologists in B.H. They prescribed mostly steroids. I like that there were secondary treatments after the steroids. The doctor gave me samples to try and turned me on to a sunscreen I had never heard of.
Dr. Benitez also has a warmer, less pretentious office, which was something I had to get comfortable with, but by the end of my appointment, I was sold on her and her medical staff. Most of the front office staff I have dealt with in these offices before did not have the demeanor or sensitivity that I experienced this morning. Oh, the 99 cent store is a few doors down. I parked there and did a little shopping afterwards.

Found Dr Benitez on Unilocal and chose to make an appointment due to her close proximity to my home. She and her staff are professional and very pleasant. She listened to my concerns and adjusted treatment accordingly. It is nice to be heard! I will definitely return for treatment of any other skin issues that may arise.
Loads of street parking, but there is also a lot with validated parking, which is a perk on this side of town.

This is the best dermatologist I’ve been to for acne. I’m 24 now. I started having acne since I was 17, have been buying and trying all kinds of facial product since then. I’ve gone to several dermatologist in NYC. None of them were able to help me! All they were saying was that I have oily skin but I don’t! My skin is always dry and I even get eczema dry patches sometimes.
Back on topic. I guess it’s just luck I came across Dr. Benitez on Unilocal and decided to go see her. I’ve been there 2 times and my face is clear. It’s been 3 months now. I’m still using the product from her prescription. They are not cheap if your insurance don’t cover them. The office visit itself is a good value. She gives you a bunch of samples and medication that will last you a month/​3 weeks. Medication is only given out at the first visit. Also, the parking is $ 8 but there are a few meters on Wilshire. So bring your quarters!
Have a clear skin day!

I went to dr benitez over a year ago for a treatment on my chest. The doctor burned me.badly. I calle dthe office when i got home and told them there were blisters allover my chest. She prescribed me a cream over the phone that contained sulfa a medication my chart clearly says im deathly allergic to.
Now over a year later, they never followed up with me, my chest is badly scarred and looks terrible. so instead of helping my appearance she has made it that i cannot ever wear a low cut shirt again. I am upset daily looking in the mirror. Terrible terrible, and no one seems to care.