Pasadena Premier Dermatology

I’ll start by saying the doctors are fantastic, but today for the 4^th time I waited over an hour before being helped. Today I had to walk out and missed my appointment because over an hour had gone by and I couldn’t wait any longer because my father just got out of surgery. My appointment was at 930 am. How are you an hour behind at 930 in the morning? What’s the point of the appointment?!?
Bad karma for you all

I had an exceptional experience at this office and will continue to come here. Highly recommended.
I had been dealing with some troublesome acne flare ups the past few days and needed some cortisone injections to tone down what would have become a full-​fledged case of pizza-​face. And good lord, right before the weekend too. *sobbing face emoji* *pizza emoji* After pulling up Pasadena Premier Dermatology (PPD) as one of the many search results within my insurance network online, I immediately Unilocaled them and felt confident in my fellow Unilocaler’s positive reviews — and immediately called in to make an appointment.
Rebecca took down my information over the phone and was very sweet… like the type of person whom after getting of the phone with, really leaves you with a raging sweet tooth and odd wanting to invite her out to a platonic date over beer and onion rings (I’m gay). Becca was able to shoehorn me into their schedule two hours later. I must have been lucky. This sort of thing never happens to me. I usually get the «I’m sorry, we’re booked through next July» response. Elated, I got off the phone and immediately put on pants.
First timers here, I have to tell you: it’s tough to locate the office itself. It’s at the end of a long corridor on the second floor of a large medical business park off Green Street in Pasadena. The business park is actually separated into «east» and «west.» Do what I did. Park on the street and just phone them for step-​by-​step directions to get there. Unlike the previous dermatologist’s office I had visited (Lawrence Schall in Alhambra), PPD is bright and airy, with a facility that’s aesthetically up-​to-​date.
I had barely finished filling out the necessary new patient paperwork when they called my name. I’m accustomed to waiting 10 – 15 minutes past my appointment time before being called, which was a nice surprise.
Dr. Hu addressed my problematic flare ups, and did so with such a kind demeanor. She connected with me on a personal level and unlike most doctor’s offices I’ve been to, she made me feel very welcome. I was not made to feel like just another number here that they can quickly check-​in, write up with some prescription drug and shove out to bring in the next patient. Here, I felt like a person. Dr. Hu understands the need for that special patient-​doctor relationship that seems to evade so many facilities.

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Pai’s for almost a year and this review is long over due. If you are familiar with my reviews you know they follow a pattern so you can always rely on their consistency. For physicians they’re a bit different of course.
Expertise
Dr. Pai was educated at the Keck School of Medicine of USC with a specialty in Dermatology. He’s board certified in Dermatology. There is a literal endless list of procedures he performs and awards and recognitions that have been bestowed upon him. Apart from the awards you might be thinking, ‘yes, but, these are things I would expect from any Dermatologist I choose to see’. I would agree with you. So here’s the stuff that makes Dr Gabriel Pai so different. For one, he cares. No, I mean he really cares. He cares about the work he does. He cares about the procedure he is performing on you and how you are feeling at the beginning and every step of the way. He cares about the questions you have and he will answer them with every amount of detail you expect and then some. He is an intuitive practioner. What I mean by that is he knows what you need without much guidance or a lot of words from you and this is a
pretty unusual quality to find in a doctor. As a result of all this his results are always excellent. Of course I can’t speak for anyone’s results but mine and the family members, all living relatives and friends – effectively those I cherish most in the world – that I’ve referred to him up to this point because naturally they’re the people I want to have the best care possible.
Staff/​Operations
It was this category that actually finally inspired me to write this review. Why? Because while in my experience, the practice runs like a clock, I learned from a staff member that there is a spirit of continuous improvement through the Organization. Cheers! Example: they are currently undergoing cross training to anticipate the busy summer months. This will allow members to act double duty. So, Valerie, who I typically see because she is Dr Pai’s nurse, was running the front desk today and I had the pleasure to meet another staff member instead. When I arrived, the waiting room was packed and I wondered if my appointment time would be realised. Yes, it is true, sometimes I have had to wait in this office. Imagine that. Waiting for an appointment. I’m sure none of you have ever had to do that, However, interested to see how this would play out I watched as patient after patient came out and in and my appointment time drew closer. I couldn’t have been more than seven minutes late when they called my name which I considered to be great time. It seemed the spirit of continuous improvement was working! What makes them first class in this category in my view is hiring the right people. Valerie is a first rate nurse. As I shared with Dr Pai today, she is also multi talented, as she was able to step behind the front desk and manage that process successfully as well. I’ve observed her intelligently answering questions, being knowledgable about complex procedures, quieting down anxious patients (me, that is) and prepping for procedures in a completely informed and efficient manner. She is clearly a great asset to this practice. Sue, who works in the front office is another staff member I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with on a number of occasions. I would call her a receptionist but that wouldn’t be fair because she’s far more. Sue is often times your first impression of this office and they are lucky to have this congenial ‘problem solver’ as their representative. That is what she’s been to be on more than one occasion.
Location
Dr Pai is part the practice known as Pasadena Premier Dermatology which includes a number of well known dermatologists. The practice is conveniently located close to the 210 freeway off of Lake Avenue and straight down one way Green Street. A right on Catalina takes you to ample parking and the office is an elevator ride to the third floor. If you’re in immediate need of a prescription Michael’s Pharmacy is on the ground level.

Before making an appointment, read this and the other reviews addressing the same sort of issues. I am a long time patient of Dr. Ivy Lee. I was turned away when I checked in for my regular 6 mo visit today because they are not in my Blue Shield network. I had checked the Blue Shield website and they ARE listed as members. When I brought this up they said they couldn’t help what the website says. After speaking with the Office Mgr, it turns out they ARE IN FACT members, but they are simply not billing Blue Shield for new patients (I am an existing patient). It was an administrative decision to take some Blue Shield patients but not others. I took time off, paid for parking and now have to find a new dermatologist. This is a shoddy way to treat a patient who has referred many other patients to her. Beware of this unprofessional, inconsiderate operation.

I have a skin rash that wasn’t going away and was referred to Dr. Pai. Called the office and staff said he wasn’t available, but Dr. Garibyan could see me. Wanting to save time, I downloaded forms from their website, and faxed over ahead of appointment.
Arriving for the appointment, I was greeted with the same indifference of other recent reviewers. Was immediately told I would need to fill out forms, as the set I had sent in was old. I informed the staff I got from their website, to which I was met with icy stares after daring to suggest they should perhaps fix that.
Dr. Garibyan did a scraping of my rash, came back into the exam room and said couldn’t really specify what was going on. Prescribed me Alcortin and otc medication. My pharmacy called me immediately and said it was on backorder and in very limited supply.
I had just left the office minutes later, and called to inform/​ask for something else. It was 4pm, and I was told the doctor was unavailable, but her nurse would call me back. Never happened. So another night of itching, scratching, time taken off from work, and still not on the road to wellness.
I called their exchange, and still waiting for a call back almost two hours later. Oh, the office didn’t take my employer provided PPO. So I paid to waste my time, and not get any closer to feeling better for the cool price of $ 135.
Run, don’t walk away from this unprofessional sham of a medical practice.

I had an appointment with Dr. Pai who I previously went to and thought well of. However, today, after having booked an appointment several weeks ago to see him, I was told in a very snarky and cold manner at the front desk that they did not accept Blue Shield of California.
I felt I was treated in a very snarky, unpleasant, unconciliatory manner by their front desk «SUE,» who just shrugged off that they didn’t accept Blue Shield. When told that Dr. Pai was still on Blue Shield website of in network providers, she just shrugged off saying «We know.» Her attitude and behavior was not appropriate for the situation.
Honestly, coming here to be treated like this, I rushed off feeling extremely mistreated as well as unappreciated as a patient. Don’t waste the time of your patients. Make sure that the insurance your patients have is accepted by your offices. I will not ever make an appointment here again, based on my experienced this time around.

I saw Dr Garibyan a few weeks ago for some Botox. I’ve had it done before so it wasn’t my first time. I really noticed she took her time to explain things to me. I didn’t have to see a nurse or a nurse practitioner or some salesman to sell me injections. I saw the dr and she focused on my needs. The results are fabulous. She didn’t over sell or go crazy with putting unnecessary Botox. Definitely recommend her.

The DR are great. If you can see them. You need months of advance notice. Even if all you really need is a prescription to be refilled. The staff is just not very helpful :-(

I first went here for some laser burns I got from a laser center in Santa Monica, as well as some bumps on my legs. I met with Dr. Pai, who was nice and attentive. He prescribed me Triluma for the laser burns and Amlactin for the KP on my legs. Both helped significantly, but did not 100% solve the problems (these are hard problems to solve, so I wasn’t disappointed at all). I would give 5 stars based on my visit with Dr. Pai.
But then later I had some red spots develop on my lower arm, and I couldn’t get an appointment with Dr. Pai for several months, so I met with Dr. Denenholz. Dr. Denenholz was in and out very fast, and said he didn’t know what was wrong with my skin and said he’d never seen anything like it. That’s fine, but then I was mailed a bill for $ 70 for that meeting. I didn’t think that was fair because I got nothing out of it and was going to have to find another doctor to help with the skin issue. So a couple stars off.

Made an appointment 3 weeks in advance for this guy to do absolutely nothing and just say its a minor case of shingles and theres nothing he could do. waste of $ 40 co pay.

Waited a month for my appt with Dr. Pai. So worth it! He listened to all my concerns and explained my options patiently. He’s very knowledgable yet not arrogant at all. I felt he genuinely cares about his patients, not just making money off them. He is everything opposite of my previous doctor. Wish I came to him earlier.

I have been seeing Dr. Pai for a couple years now. He is truly an amazing Dr. He is caring, he remembers your needs, and listens to what you have to say. He lays out all the treatment options very well and gives his recommendations. Valerie the Nurse is also AMAZING. She is literally the cutest thing in the world and so helpful and knowledgeable. I really like the staff. they are very well organized especially for dealing with so many Dr. s in this one office.
Most people come to Dr Pai. for Acne and eczema. So if you are suffering from these issues, I HIGHLY recommend his services.
Parking, is off of Catalina behind the building. there is no Validation.

Made an appointment to see Dr Hu at 4pm. I got there at 3:48pm, checked in and sat down. This is my second visit. What is the point of making an appointment if they are going to make you wait this long? I won’t be coming back. Dr. Hu is nice but not worth that kind of wait. The staff never once said anything to me after I sat down. I would think if it is more than a 15 – 20 min wait they would at least say something to me about it. Not the friendliest group of ladies. Definitely don’t recommend this place, unless you have all the time in the world to spend sitting in a waiting room. The nurse came out at 4:38pm. I asked if it was busy today and she just smiled and said yes.

I went in for three things… I met with Dr. Pai…
1) I had a random mole appear on my finger. Freaked out because OMG BRO WHAT IS THAT THING?! He froze it off in ten seconds, after explaining what it is and that it probably won’t come back.
2) Had little white bumps appear next to my precious, delicate eyes. He ripped them out like nothing. Said insurance doesn’t normally cover those, but he’d just do it for free.
3) I had discoloration of skin on my lower back. Had had it for over a decade, and two dermatologists couldn’t figure it out. He said he’s pretty sure the other dermatologists simply didn’t know what they were talking about because the condition is so rare. Told me a certain general antibiotic should do the trick (oddly enough, because it’s actually not a bacterial condition, the medicine just happens to have a beneficial side effect of randomly fixing this particular skin problem). At first, I went through my prescription and only saw marginal improvement. But over the next three months, the discoloration just vanished completely. Excellent.
Quick, informative, friendly. Kind of a pain getting an appointment (and geez, was the lady on the phone unnecessarily rude about it), but all was well during the actual visit.

The one thing I’ve learned over the years when dealing with doctors, you have to be able to tell them what you want done or expect from treatment. This office is a high traffic place with many different doctors working at different times. Over the past 25 years, I’ve seen almost all of them for various skin issues.
Doctors have good and bad days like normal people. I’ve been seen by a doctor who spends 5 min with me some days and 20 others. I think it all comes down to what they think is necessary, (like i said earlier) how you explain your problem and expectations for treatment. All of the doctors here have great bedside manners and have helped diagnose a few tricky skin conditions for me.
I do agree with some of the other reviews in regard to their office staff. Talking with their receptionist can be a pain sometimes. Shes been working there for a long time and I’m pretty sure she just doesn’t care. Overall, I keep going back because they have been the only practice that has consistently been able to diagnose and treat my skin conditions. I would recommend this place.

If I can give 0 star, I will give it.
I don’t have a chance to even go in as I was scared off by the customer service over the phone. I called to ask questions about the consulting fee and the estimate cost at about 4:30 pm last Friday. A lady who picked up had a very impatient and cold tone. I let it go as I just wanted to get information I needed. I asked her how much the cost would be, she said you needed to talk to the doctor. And she didn’t even offer an appointment. Then I asked again how about the estimated cost for laser operation. She raised her voice and said ‘I don’t know, you need to come in to see the doctor’. I tried to ask the range of the cost for past customers. Her voice was louder and louder, and she threw her attitude on me, «I’ve told you, you need to see the doctor». I was really disappointed with her service and told her that «I’m calling to get info, not to bear her bad attitude and her poor customer service. I told her she was not supposed to treat a customer like this and I would like to talk to her manager. And she HUNG UP on me! I called back twice and she picked up, and she hung up on me when she heard my voice. I called again and she asked me in a very disrespectful way ‘what do you need’. I told her I needed her name and needed to talk to her manager. She said her manager was not there. I asked her for the name and she refused to provide. I asked to talked to someone else, she told me no one was available! She never apologized to me but hung up a customer’s phone call? I still remember her voice for her typical bad service. How can I trust such a clinic with this type of rude and disrespectful customer service even just over the phone?

Dr Gabriel Pai is wonderfully professional and kind, i have been to see him twice now and each time he has been very attentive leaving me feeling comfortable to ask him a plethora of skincare questions sans judgement.
Thank you Pasadena premier Dermatology!

Had Dr. Harp a couple of months ago– I was disappointed that she didn’t really try to work with my problems and just wrote a prescription for my mild acne. I don’t like slathering on medical grade products just for the sake of it– I was she had done more analysis and given me a better diagnosis.
Also, I thought my co-​pay was $ 25 but apparently my insurance, even though in-​network, doesn’t cover the whole cost but just discounts the office visit. I wish the staff had informed me of that as I had to pay $ 70 for 15 minutes of face time.
The staff was pretty friendly though.

I have never been to a dermatologist before but needed to schedule an appointment because I had some concerns about areas that could possibly be skin cancer. I am so happy that I found them during my online search. I called them and told them my concerns and they got me in the very next morning.
Dr. David Denenholz and his assistant, Karen, were both so nice, attentive and reassuring. Dr. Denenholz has a very personable demeanor and did a great job reassuring me on the areas where there’s no need to be concerned. He took samples for a biopsy and although that can be a tad alarming to us common folk, I am not the least bit worried because the Dr. left me feeling ok about it all. I am awaiting my test results and shall see what happens. Worst case, if it is something to be concerned about then I trust that I am in very good hands.
The dr. not only checked out the areas I went in for but he also did a full body check to make sure I didn’t have any moles hiding on my scalp or toes etc. We chatted about sunscreen and I mentioned that I haven’t found any brands of sunscreen that I can wear on my face because it’s so sensitive. He made sure that Karen sent me home with several samples of sunscreen. i tried one today and YAYY it hasn’t hurt my face at all. I highly recommend Dr. Denenholz!
Someone in a previous comment mentioned having to pay for parking. The streets around there are only 1 hour parking so for a doctor appointment I wouldn’t do that. Pasadena Parking Enforcement is on top of writing tickets!!! Besides, although I love a good deal and saving a buck, I would rather pay for parking at a GOOD DOCTOR’s office than have free parking to see a bad doctor.

If you need to see a dermatologist this is a great place to go.
WEBSITE:
ADDRESS:
960 East Green Street
Suite 330
Pasadena, CA 91 106
(626) 449‑4207
Corner of Mentor and Green Streets
PARKING:
In back of building. It is .75 cents every 15 minutes.
ATMOSPHERE:
It is a beautiful building and immaculate office. When I go to the doctor I am a little obsessive about cleanliness. I don’t need to worry about getting a flesh eating virus or something else. The office is on the third floor of a neat brick building that looks like it belongs in New Orleans. The elevator is slower than a snail though. Just find the stairs because it takes 15 minutes just to get that slug of an elevator down to the first floor.
SUMMARY OF MY TWO VISITS TO THE OFFICE:
In the last two weeks I had to cut my ties to my previous dermatologist due to seriously crappy service after 19 years. There’s plenty of other dermatologist fish in the sea, so I decided I would check Unilocal and find another one. I found out about this group of dermatologists from Unilocal and my neighbor who is a doctor. He sees Dr. Gabriel Pai and highly recommended him.
I called Dr. Pai’s office and spoke to Marlene on a Wednesday and she got my son an appointment to see him the very next day. Dr. Pai had a great way with kids and his nurse was great too. She tried to take my son’s mind of the mole removal procedure that was taking place and she really did it with her conversation with him.
While I was there with my son I decided to make an appointment for myself to get a head to toe skin cancer check up since it had been a couple years. I felt a little weird about getting the head to toe exam from Dr. Pai since he’s a guy, so I went to his partner Dr. Michelle Lee yesterday. I really liked her and she was thorough, but for other issues that pop up I think I would like to make an appointment with Dr. Pai.
If you check in with Unilocal you can get a free sample of one of the products they sell. I was given a sample of Kinerase Advanced Repair Serum and the Ultra Rich Eye Repair Cream. I tried them out and I love them. I am sure they are expensive. If you check in with Unilocal I would recommend that you try out those samples.