The Menkes Clinic, A Golden State Dermatology Affiliate

My first visit at The Menkes Clinic was great. The building was easy to find and parking not a problem. I only waited @ 12 minutes for my appointment with Dr. Tan even tho it was late in the afternoon. Once the appointment began, Dr Tan and her assistant were very efficient and thorough, answered all my questions with competency and a nice attitude. The office was clean and the front desk assistance was great. I enjoyed my time at the Menkes clinic!!!

Never Going Back: Salesy Estheticians, No Extractions, and Non-Transparent Pricing. Not to mention *very* rude receptionists. I went earlier today for a facia with Shawna, and I can’t express how frustrating and disappointing the experience was. The session started with her trying to sell me other treatments during the first few minutes of the appointment. She didn’t even take the time to assess my skin properly before launching into a sales pitch about treatments I didn’t ask for or need. I hate when estheticians focus more on upselling than understanding how my skin behaves or addressing the concerns I came in for. After that, the facial began. But the facial was *not* a facial. It was a machine sucking my face. She said like to start with this machine. I thought, okay, maybe this is their process. I’ve had facials for over 17 years all around the world, and this was a new approach, but I was open to seeing where it went. In the middle of the session, I asked if extractions (the main reason I booked the appointment) would be done. The response was vague: “We’ll do whatever your skin needs.” By the time we got to the point where extractions should have happened, I was told they weren’t necessary and that doing them would “do more harm than good.” What is a facil for you? A machine? To make matters worse, when it came time to pay, they charged me $160, which was significantly higher than expected. I had booked a “teen facial” with extractions through the Golden Dermatology website: $75 at another Golden Dermatology location. When I pointed this out, the staff arrogantly dismissed it, saying, “It’s whatever she says it will be.” They refused to provide a clear explanation of the pricing and claimed their clinic had different rules despite being listed as part of the Golden Dermatology network. There was no transparency, no professionalism, and no proper service. What I experienced wasn’t even a facial—it was just someone using a machine on my skin for an hour and then charging an exorbitant fee with no justification. The staff was rude and dismissive, the pricing was deceptive, and the service was incomplete and poorly executed. I would strongly recommend avoiding this clinic if you value your time, money, and patience.

Dr. Tan was warm, respectful and skillful. She listened patiently to me on the history and symptoms of my skin conditions. After carefully examination, she explained why the procedure I was seeking didn’t work in my case and offered the other treatment option. With my consent she performed the treatment and my skin condition was quickly improved. Dr. Tan also called me a few days later to follow up and to update me with the biopsy results.

I have only received two consults from Dr Heitmiller but both were second opinions and both interactions were exceptional. I intend to defer to Dr Heitmiller as my primary medical expert for my skin care needs going forward. Excellent communication and excellent rapport builder. Highly recommend.

Everyone I've met here is very pleasant, and the doctors and other medical personnel are efficient and professional. Dr. Caroline Tan is really exceptional. She seems to be very knowledgeable and a pro, but also has quite an effusive personality. She's a real delight and just a ray of sunshine.