Torrey Pines Dermatology

In September 2015, I went in to see Dr. Richards. It was my first time there, and everything seemed to go well. I met with the receptionist, gave him my insurance information and was soon seen by Dr. Richards and given appropriate care. Soon after I received my office visit bill, which didn’t show my insurance being charged (no big, it happens). So, I contacted the office, and they said they didn’t have a copy of my card on file. Somewhat frustrated, I resubmitted it again. Then, I got a 2^nd notice. The invoice again not showing my insurance being billed, so I contacted both my insurance company and the office and had my insurance speak to them directly. We spoke over the phone and I sent several e-​mails throughout November and December. I was told it was going to get taken care of. Then today, I got my 3RD NOTICE! Can you guess? Yup, no insurance has been billed, and a note that reads, «3^rd statement, your account is past due. Please make payment to avoid further collections activity.» This is absolutely absurd. I can not believe how dimwitted and incompetent they must be over there. I will never go back.

I was not sure what to expect from a physician I had never met, and was pleasantly surprised with Dr. Richards. The office is clean and very well equipped. Dr. Richards’ examination was to-​the-​point, as was her diagnosis and treatment. There was no hesitation or uncertainty, and she does what needs to be done with confidence. I have the impression that she decided her career path as a little girl, started learning about medicine from an early age, and enjoys what she does — a real breath of fresh air.

Went there with an ugly black spot on my back. I told them my physician thought it was melanoma. I was told by T. P. Dermatology it was «nothing». Two and a half years later, the same doctor decides to biopsy it. I had melanoma all along and they hadn’t bothered to even biopsy. Also had squamous on my leg, a spot that had been there a long time. It was a real battle to get my records sent to a new dermatologist. I am fortunate the melanoma hadn’t gotten deeper than it had as there’s really nothing that can be done then. DO NOT go here for serious skin care – only if you’re interested in Botox treatments and expensive creams they push. I agree with «Gary V.» about the office manager. He’s awful and the office seems to be in chronic confusion – calls unreturned, instructions ignored… I could go on and on.
K. B.

A prescription was sent to their express pharmacy that they insisted on, which may not work with my insurance. 9 days and 3 phone calls, and several unreturned voicemails to the office of Kristen Richards later, it appears that the process of submitting my initial prescription has not occurred. So yes, you can absolutely get in to see the doctor, but if you come here you may will have to haggle with front desk receptionists who could care less and you will probably never get your medicine!

Couldn’t have gone any worse. I was in the office for 1:15 hours for what turned out to be a 10 – 15 minute appointment, while in the actual appointment I was rushed in and out and talked into a procedure that wasn’t explained to me very well. I never got any feeling that I was appreciated as a client or customer, just a lot of blank faces trying to answer questions with as little information as possible, which in the end cost me money because they told me one price without discussing the details of that price, turns out they billed my insurance for 3 times as much because I «didn’t pay with cash before leaving the office», convenient details that they left out even after I clarified that they would send me a bill. After talking with the manager on the phone I got more answers with little detail until I pressed, at which time he said «there’s nothing we can do».

Don’t speak to business manager Steve, he is very rude and has no respect on his own words. He promised you sth and change it every single time. Also, he Will never call you back.

i dont understand how this dermatolgy has 4 and half stars. they dont care for you once you stepped out of their office

Dr. Richards performed a skin exam with care to address my concerns on aging skin, skin tags and a skin irritation I was experiencing. I was so pleased with her detailed exam and our conversation about non-​surgical treatment to improve my skin, wrinkles and sagging neck. I had a procedure called UL therapy at a later date and the results are amazing. I know I look better so I’m very pleased. Also at another appointment I had botox and a filler administered; it was not painful nor did I bruise. Her office staff is friendly, knowledgeable about the procedures, accommodating and Todd, her physician assistant, is terrific. He is also kind, gentle and took the time to address any concerns or questions about procedures or results. I highly recommend Dr. Richards and her office for excellent care and amazing results.

I have been going to Torrey Pines Dermatology for years and have always received thoughtful care there. I have never had to wait more than 5 – 10 minutes at most. Dr. Richards recently performed some botox and filler injections on my face and I am thrilled with the results. I highly recommend Dr. Richards and the wonderful staff there.

Best all around skin care. Takes the time to listen and gives excellent preventative advice.

I wish I could say I had a better experience with this group but I didn’t, I came in for two simple skin tags that were under my cheek I was told they were going to be burnt off then the next thing I know the doctor is telling me that she’s cutting them off I was not given any warning that I might have scaring I also did not get any post-​op advice a year and some months later I have two HUGE holes in my face they are permanent. I went to another doctor they said they have never cut someones skin tags off their face because of this exact reason I went back to T.P.D. and the doctors tried to convince me that this was not a mistake and that the scars would go away… well they haven’t. I wish I had never gone to this doctor its a very pretty office but that’s about it and now my face is scared up for life.

I finally have to give up on Dr. Richards. The last two appointments I had for Botox she was over an hour late each time. She also caused severe bruising each time that lasted for a week. I have seen several other people for Botox in the past and Dr. Richards is the only one that has caused bruising. The over all result of the Botox once the bruising went away was acceptable. The nail in the coffin was that they erroneously charged me and were unwilling to correct the problem. The prices are already more expensive here because it is a dermatologist office. Unless you have unlimited cash and time to wait around, you are better off going somewhere else.

Dr Richards is great– very caring for her patients. I have been going to Torrey Pines Derm since 2006 and I am glad that they are always a trusted resource. I even buy some of their products as I still cannot find replacements that work as well as their lotions!
Thanks!

I was referred to Doctor Richards by my primary care physician. This was a horrible experience and I would not return. I was excited about my appointment as i have been looking for a good dermatologist. My appointment was at 2:40 PM today.
1-​On arrival the greeting was nice. I was asked to complete a new patient questioner. I commented that they had emailed me the forms which i had completed a week earlier and sent back. They did not have it so i completed another one. No big deal.
2-​After waiting over a 40 minutes past my scheduled appointment time I went to the front counter and asked if there as some type of issue. They seemed a bit perplexed and said the doctor was running late due to a couple of emergency’s. Hummm. OK. No apology and never came to inform me that there would be a delay.
3-​I waited another 10 – 15 minutes after which time I was escorted to an examining room. The room had not been cleaned and the last patients robe was sitting on the uncleaned examining table. The nurse that escorted me in then asked why I had come in. I told her that i had made an appointment for a complete body scan and exam and also had some specific issues I wanted to discuss with Dr. Richards. The nurse proceeded to interview me asking me the same questions that I had just completed on the 4 page form in the waiting room. At this point I wanted to walk out and should have.
4-​I waited another 12 minutes and Dr. Kristen Richards came back in. She greeted me and asked what I was there for. Wow. Really? I told her I was a first time patient and frankly was a bit underwhelmed with my first impressions. i told her about the appointment starting an hour late, the dirty examining room etc. Frankly, she did not seem to care at all. No apology nothing. Shocked. I also tld her my primary care physician had referred me.
5-​So my exam started. Dr. Richards had zero bedside manner, was rushed and did the most least thorough body scan I have ever had.
6-​I had told her before we got started that i wanted a thorough body scan and also had a short list of specific things I wanted her to look at. After finishing the very quick scan she started to wrap up the appointment when asked if perhaps we could review the specific list of items I wanted her to check. She seemed put out and very rushed.
She did not listed well as i explained an issue I was having and her response was totally disconnected from what i had explained. She proceeded to tell me I needed a bunch of products which of course she could sell me.
In conclusion, I would never go back to this physician and would not recommend anyone go there. This was one of the worst experiences i had had a professional medical care office. I am guessing I won’t get the $ 5 Starbucks gift card she offered if I gave her a good Unilocal review.
My search continues for a good Dermatologist.

The Staff is very good, my wife had got lot of skin irritation once and we were not able to get a appointment at any dermatologist for immediate, when i requested a torrey pines staff she fixed a appointment immediately. Thanks to her.
The Doctor is also good he listens to us patiently and later prescribes the medicines.

Hands down this place has a great vibe, great people… Front office always greets me by first name and I feel like a regular. I feel at home every time I come here. The esthetician Janee is gorgeous and I keep coming back to get my skin like hers lol! If I keep it up I’ll get there one day

The staff here is very friendly and the office has a great and relaxing environment. My visits are always quick and efficient, and I feel that the staff and Dr. Richards really are empathic to my needs as a patient.

I love this place! I initially came here because of Unilocal but have been coming back for the past two years because of the personnel and the way that I’m treated. At every stage of the process, I’m treated with professionalism and kindness. Such a welcoming office that makes you feel good whatever you’re there for. Dr. Richards is at the top of her profession. She thoroughly explains procedures and always follows up afterwards. Janee, their esthetician, is amazing! What a wonderful personality and her work is superb! I love the hour or so that I get to spend with her.
My medical insurance doesn’t cover any of the medical procedures (I’ve had cancerous cell removal, benign mole removals, etc.) but I still choose to go here. It is worth it. Do yourself a favor and book an appointment!

I had previous pigment damage to my face years ago from a doctor and his nurse who «forgot» to give me antibiotics after a 35% TCA peel became infected and it went 65% deep.
I was told I needed 3 Total FX sessions, and each would improve my acne scars and help reduce my pigment damage. One session would improve my scarring by 15%, so I had no unrealistic expectations in that regard.
Dr. Richards recommended I do my face, neck and chest, so they would all «match» and look great. There was no mention anything would go wrong, and I let her know what happened with my procedure years ago. She said I was a great candidate and was realistic about the outcome.
The procedure was $ 7,000, and I paid 50% up front during last week of November. I went back about 10 days later and had the procedure on December 6^th, where I had to pay the other 50%. They were charging other patients $ 1,500 LESS because they had a December Special. The assistant wouldn’t provide me with Dr. Richards’ email address and wouldn’t respond to me when I asked for the overcharge to be refunded. I had to wait until I came back in and ask Dr. Richards for the overcharge to be refunded.
The procedure was extremely painful, to the point of unbearable. But I got through it and was excited about the results. I had the procedure on a Thursday, and I knew by the weekend something was very, very wrong. I was given Dicloxacillin 250mg anitibiotic, and my face and neck were all right as far as the healing process goes, but my chest was on fire. I didn’t sleep for four days and nights and couldn’t move due to the pain. My chest «beet red» and it had little pustules coming up everywhere.
I was going to the emergency room but decided to page Torrey Pines emergency pager first. The physician’s assistant, I believe his name was Tom, called back and I explained the severity of my chest. He said, «It’s normal; you will look beautiful.» I offered to send him a picture via cell phone, and he saw it close up and said, «That’s normal, you are getting the exact results you should have.» I was quite shocked, as I knew it was infected. I asked if I should go to urgent care and get some other antibiotics because it was infected, and he said it was not. So I trusted his professional opinion and did not go. I went to my appointment in the late afternoon down in San Diego instead.
He walked in and a friend was with me and he immediately saw my chest and said, «It looks fantastic. You are going to look amazing.» We were both looking at each other, and I couldn’t move, and we said this is not right. Thankfully, I was there on a day Dr. Richards was there and she then walked in and within a few seconds she said, «You have a skin infection.»
How did this physician’s assistant who has many years of experience not know what a skin infection looked like at a dermatology office? Dr. Richards gave me a new prescription for Ciproflaxin and I got it filled on the way home. Within 24 hours, I could tell the infection was beginning to turn around. But the permanent damage to my chest was already done.
Fast forward to today… due to the infection, I have permanent vascular damage and fraxel laser marks on my chest one year later. Dr. Richards promised me, and I mean she said she literally promised me, that it would not take one year for my skin to go back to normal. I was crying in her office, even after she provided me with a few vascular treatments, because it wasn’t improving very quickly. She stated that only «time» would heal this, and there wasn’t much else she could do.
I was made to feel like «it wasn’t bad at all» and recently saw someone I hadn’t seen in a couple years and the first thing he said was, «What happened to your chest, it looks like it got burned!» My chest didn’t have any damage prior to the procedure, and I have plenty of before and after pictures.
I talked with South Coast Med spa who does the Total FX laser treatments after this happened to get a second opinion, and they said they never recommend doing your chest or even neck. They even show hundreds of actual live procedures and after videos of patients’ results. Their prices are two-​thirds less than Torrey Pines Dermatology as well.
This entire experience did absolutely nothing for the pigment damage to my face and none of my wrinkles went away at all. Now I have permanent vascular damage, deep white scars in the middle of my chest and burn marks on my whole chest after one year that no treatment will help. I would not recommend anyone going to this facility unless you want to pay their exorbitant overhead prices. There was no comfort or compassion here whatsoever by Dr. Richards.
Update: I never had any treatments to my chest before going to Dr. Richards. The pictures of my chest are solely based on the only treatment I had received when Dr. Richards treated me herself. My review is 100% factual

Comfy… Un-​Doctery relaxing atmosphere. I really like the rustic craftsmanesq décor & I actually enjoyed the soft music in the office… BUT, my long time doctor moved and I was never told. And when I called to make an appointment with her I was told «oh she doesn’t work here anymore» and «anything else I can help you with?, K, bye!»
I wasn’t offered a new doctor or person to see so I assumed they didn’t want my business anymore. I hung up with a feeling of WTF WAS THAT! Too bad.
I have money to spend as I’m a pay as you go patient. I understand she doesn’t work there but can’t you at least have some professional forethought and offer me a different doctor? And also don’t you want to keep the patients you have that are loyal to your office? Felt pretty bad.
Still looking for a dermatologist. Someone who cares…
Also from the earlier reviews Dr. Kaplan has also been gone from there forever too.
(Not like he’s any better… In fact his office staff = awful. Just an FYI)
Good luck, I thought we really had something!
Sorry Torrey Pines Dermatology. Great interior design. Bad interior ethics.