Howard Liu, MD

Dr. Liu is an exceptional dermatologist. I’ve been his patient for several years and am impressed by his attentiveness and attention to detail. I’ve had IPL, Voluma injections, and removal of cysts. He is an expert in his field and is thoughtful and considerate of balancing cost with need. I highly recommend him.

I have been to see Doctor Lui many times for the same wart, he would burn it just enough so it would come back. I kept hoping that every time would be the last time. With him there was never a last time. It is easy money, run in with the can of spray… spray a couple of seconds, run out again, me doubled over with pain, he makes over $ 400 dollars. They give you a sample of vaseline and two bandages thats all. He has other options to get rid of the wart, but I am the only one who wants it to go.

I originally had an appointment on a Wednesday, but received a call that Dr. Liu wasn’t going to be in the office, so my appointment was rescheduled for Friday, which was fine.
I arrived at the hospital at 10:50am for my 11am appointment. I waited past 12pm, but the doctor never showed up, so I decided to leave. While I appreciate that sometimes things run late, I wish Dr. Liu would have respected my time and schedule.

I went to see Dr. Liu in July 2014. It has actually taken me awhile to get this review together as I have been debating what to write and if I even should bother. I went to see him initially for a full body scan. I was called into the exam room and put on a robe and waited… and waited… and waited. I waited in the exam room for 40 minutes. I understand it can sometimes be typical to wait to see a doctor but sitting there in an open back gown for 40 minutes is ridiculous. I had to peek my head out of the door and ask if I was forgotten. Dr Liu came in and asked why I was there and I said I wanted to get a full body scan for any suspicious moles or anything else that looked worth checking out. I explained to him that I had basal cell carcinoma removed from my chest the summer before and wanted to make sure nothing looked worrisome. He asked me to stand up and spin around. He hardly examined my skin at all! He just glanced at me and said everything looks ok. He didn’t use a light to look closely he didn’t have me lay down, he simply asked me to spin around once. He didn’t even look at my front side. I showed him some moles that I wanted removed around my neck and hairline, there were 5 total. He didn’t take any notes of areas to observe for the future. That bothered me as well, no notes? I was looking for him to have a chart of the human body; front and back, and have him write notes of areas of concern. Nope nothing. Right before he was going to remove the 5 moles I pointed out a spot on my chest that looked different from the surrounding skin. He said «oh yea let’s remove that too.» Ummmm… «let’s remove that too??» Wait so I had to point something out to my Dr that looked funny? That really concerned me that I was the one to find it and he wasn’t going to remove it if I didn’t point it out. I had asked for a FULL BODY SCAN! He removed all 6 areas. I thought their labeling method was interesting as the moles were removed and placed into the viles. There were quite a few moles in the same general area and the descriptors he was using with his technician were so vague. They were not labeled on the jars they were on little sticky post I notes that could have come off with a light breeze. I didn’t question it though as I’m not the expert. I got a call from him about a week later when he admitted to me that they mislabeled the moles and one of them came back as basal cell carcinoma he said «I can’t be 100% sure which one it was but I’m pretty sure it’s the one that you pointed out to me at the end.» I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing. HE MISLABELED MY MOLES?!? So I had basal cell carcinoma on an area of my body but he couldn’t tell me for sure which area. So I would have to go in and get a big chunk of my skin removed but it may or may not be the correct chunk. That’s comforting. I was upset (to put it mildly). I went back in to have the area removed that he «thought» was the basal cell carcinoma. He did a good job on the tight skin near my clavicle; the scarring has been minimal a year later. He’s good at the surgical part I will admit that. A month or so later I got an astronomical bill from his office. I have excellent insurance and it just seemed ridiculous. I called his office to see why it was so high and could I get some help lowering the bill, I received no help. I paid it and never went back to him again. I am going to a new dermatologist now, which actually is the reason I am prompted to write this review. My new dermatologist does a full body scan every 3 months. She lays me on a table under the lights and takes notes on all areas of my body that she would like to observe. She places marks on a diagram of the human body so she knows to look again that area next time I come. She also informed me that insurance will only cover 2 mole removals at a time so if I have more than 2 I have to come back two weeks later to get the remaining removed. It would have been great if Dr Liu explained that to me and showed me that courtesy so I didn’t get stuck with that bill. Lastly, my new dermatologist found a mole on my upper left thigh upon my first visit with her that she thought looked dark and was concerned about. She removed it and found that the cells growing around it were, in fact, abnormal and although not melanoma, the early stages of becoming melanoma. SHAME ON DR LIU FOR NOT SEEING THIS A YEAR AGO! I don’t feel that Dr. Liu is a good doctor at all. He does not take time with his patients. Skin cancer is very serious and I did not feel I was taken seriously by him. He might be good at removing basal cell carcinoma from tight skin or but there is so much more to being a good doctor than the cosmetic side. It’s been an entire year since all of this and I was considering letting this go but the big chunk of skin missing from my thigh has reminded me of the poor care I received from Dr. Liu. I want to make sure others are aware of my experience when selecting a dermatologist.

First time at a dermatologist! I had a small red spot that had been on my face for about 6 months. Several of my child hood friends had been finding pre cancer spots lately so I decided to play it safe and get it checked out. It was super early stages /​non cancer and able to be frozen off right there in the office at the same time. Not scary at all and glad i went early! He assured me not even a spot would be left since it is so early and light.
Couldnt be happier!

What a scam. Liu charges $ 100 for a consultation fee but won’t tell you how much he charges per unit or cc for botox. What if he charges $ 500 per unit? Then you just lost $ 100. This is just a poor business model.

I’ve been going around and paying deductibles just to have my facial moles looked at (cosmetic removal). Been getting quotes from ~$ 350 — $ 1000 for two moles so far. Perhaps this isn’t a fault of Dr. Liu, nor am I passing judgement on the actual facility or staff. But Dr. Liu is by far the most expensive, and a statistical outlier (even among NY/​SF pricing standards after research) @ ~$ 3,000 for the cosmetic removal of two moles/​Nevi.
Needless to say, I went somewhere else to have the procedure done.

I have been a patient of Dr. Liu’s since 2007, and have referred many people to him. Coming from a medical family I am really particular about choosing providers, and have to say I’ve always been impressed by Dr. Liu’s professional and caring personality. He is consistently in a great mood at appointments and genuinely makes his patients feel as though he cares. He is very thorough and helpful, explaining all areas of concern by answering questions and making sure to provide necessary information. In addition to his care, the administrative office staff is also very helpful in scheduling and accommodating patients, which seems to be a rarity in many doctors offices!

I only write bad reviews when absolutely necessary. I don’t like doing it but also can’t stay silent when an experience has been especially poor. Like today.
I’ve been to Dr. Liu a few times and have always waited about 20 — 25 mins after my appointment. Pretty standard. I made my appointment today about two weeks in advance for a 2 minute skin check. Here’s how it went:
2:10pm: arrive for 2:15pm appt. Specifically ask if Dr. is on time. Yes, I’m told.
2:15pm: check in and seated in waiting room
2:20pm: lead into exam room
2:40pm: Calmly walk out and ask what’s going on. Told it would just be two mins.
2:50pm: Oops! Out of time. Have to leave –get dressed. No one is around to tell that I’m leaving. Nurse finally runs down the hall blaming the doctor for the disorganization of whatever is going on in this office.
Number of times a nurse came to check on me with an update during my wait time: 0
Number of apologies for the inconvenience: 0
Number of times I’ll be going back: 0
Good Dr. but VERY disorganized office staff. Not worth my time anymore.

I rarely do this and when I do it is typically for positive reviews. However, this has been the worst doctors/​front office experience I have had in my life. When I signed on to Unilocal write this… I saw the other negative reviews and I would have to say they seem to hold true from my visit.
I hate having to find a doctor on my own. So, after two referrals from two of my co-​workers I finally broke down to make an appointment for a cancer skin check. I called two weeks prior to my appointment… So, not to bad of a wait time. When I made my appointment it was all about my insurance and if i was in the system. No personal conversation or tact. Which of course I was in the system… I have lived in Los Angeles for 20 years.
Monday at 11am was time I could get in… So, I take a half day off of work to be seen… pay for parking… show up 10 min’s before only to be told by the front desk that there wasn’t an appointment made. (I don’t know about you but, I just don’t randomly show up at doctor’s offices for fun mind you). I am then instructed to go behind the door to another desk and talk to another person. With no greeting from the other person, I am then asked for my phone number. After a brief pause was asked if I preferred morning appointments… My reply was «does this mean I don’t have an appointment»? I was then instructed to «look over there». «Those are his charts and if you wait it will be over an hour». I was like rude… I don’t know what I am looking at and how dare you talk to me like that. I was so taking back all I could say was «no thank you… I will just find another doctor». I was calm and had no energy to make a scene… and trust me I normally have no problem letting someone know what I think of them. I am shocked they didn’t even try to save me as a patient. All I got was a sarcastic «thank you». Not once was I apologized to. Which is just poor customer service. That was my experience.
In my opinion it’s a cattle call of an office run by an unorganized group of uncaring individuals. It’s about how many people can be seen (or not seen in my case) all for the numbers. Now, Dr. Liu could be the best doctor for all I know. However, for me the front office is a reflection of the doctor (s) and if his front office staff acts in such away… then that is not the place for me. I work hard to pay for my PPO so, I can choose what doctors I see and allow to work with me on my health. Not as privilege to be seen by them.
On a side note that front office work area seemed very dirty with used tissues on the desk, cluster everywhere extra pair of shoes under the desk, random drinking containers. It’s no wonder my appointment was lost. Seems like this office needs a bit of TLC, a good cleaning, a class on organization, and staff with better people skills.

Like with other reviewers, I have to agree that Dr. Liu seems to always have one foot out the door when it comes to appointments. I feel like I blink, and my appointment is over. I don’t know… it’s not my thing. He was kind and professional but I just couldn’t help but feel like my appointments weren’t thorough enough for MY liking. I think he is a knowledgable physician but I just can’t help but feel like he isn’t the one for me.
It’s funny… I have asked other dermatologists about starting botox and they would all tell me that I am way too young and do not need to modify my face in any way. When I asked Dr. Liu what he thought, it was a kind of «Yeah, you’re a great candidate. We can do this many units here…» I mean, to each their own. It’s his own opinion but I really felt like — seriously? He took the opportunity to push services because I opened that window. Meh. I won’t return.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Liu for a couple of years now and am on a quarterly screening schedule as he has removed two instances of basal cells, one from my arm and one from my forehead. Dr. Liu seems very relaxed and comfortable, and that makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. I have not had a long wait in his office as some others have described. Usually, he sees me within 10 – 15 minutes of my appointment time. I have been pleased with his services to date and would definitely recommend Dr. Liu to anyone with a skin concern.

1 – 2 week prior to appointment: gave my insurance, personal info and medical history info.
10:10AM: I entered the office and registered.
10:15AM: appointment time
11:00AM: MA led me into the room.
11:20AM: I went out to let them know I have been waiting. One MA said 5 more minutes.
11:30AM: when out to talk to the receptionist but she was on the phone and completely ignored me.
11:33AM: MA came and told me that Dr. Liu is waiting for me.
11:35AM: finished consultation.

I’ve been going to Dr. Liu for years and have always had a wonderful experience. He is amazing, knows his stuff and is a really good guy. His staff is fantastic and super kind! The whole office is top notch and I really appreciate the care that they all gave me.

I went in today to get an IPL and Laser treatment and was a bit nervous because I’ve never done anything like this before. The staff was so easy going and nurturing that my fears were gone after 5 minutes of being there. Dr Liu did the treatments himself, did a great job of letting me know what he was doing and how it would feel which totally alleviated all of my worries. As I’m writing this, I’m not in any pain at all and can’t wait to see the results once I’m healed.
People talk about Groupon specials or going elsewhere to save a little money but I would NEVER trust my face to anyone who wasn’t a Dr. and certainly will never go to anyone except Dr. Liu. I can’t rave enough about him and his staff, they are as good as it gets and have me as a patient for life!

COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL OFFICE STAFF. If I barely write reviews and I only do so in extreme circumstances. If I could give zero stars, I would.
I first saw Dr. Liu in 2012. There were no issues with the first office visit and I had an overall positive experience. I found Dr. Liu to be knowledgeable about the options I had for keeping my skin clear.
A few months later, I had a followup visit with him. I waited over an hour to see Dr. Liu– even though his office staff repeatedly assured me that it would only be another five minutes before Dr. Liu could see me. Dr. Liu did not bother to apologize when he finally saw me over an hour after my original appointment. Although I found this very irritating, I decided to overlook this and give his office another try.
I scheduled a third visit for today. I received a courtesy call on Friday confirming today’s appointment. I arrived on time for a 2pm appointment and was told that Dr. Liu had a family emergency today and was not in the office. I was floored. No one from his office called me to let me know that Dr. Liu would be unavailable. I then asked if I could see any of the dermatologists for two minutes (I only need a prescription refill). I was told that none of the dermatologists had any availability today. I then asked what Dr. Liu’s availability was to reschedule today’s appointment. I was told that Courtney, the person who managed his calendar, was out to lunch. I left shaking my head because I was so astonished by the lack of professionalism.
I understand that unforeseeable events occur and I hope all is well with Dr. Liu’s family. However, I find it extremely disrespectful and rude that no one called his scheduled patients for the day to tell them to not come to the office and/​or to reschedule the original appointment. As such, I will not be returning to Dr. Liu and I will be finding a new dermatologist– one that respects other people’s time.

Dr. Liu knows a thing or two about dermatology, that is for sure. I went to him just about a week ago, and one of my eczema rashes that I’ve had for what feels like forever (probably over 10 years), is subsided.
After countless doctors, dozens of prescriptions, and getting a bunch of allergy panels at other places (like a darn lab rat), Dr. Liu took one look and recommended a regimen for me to try for 2 wks. I’m only about a week in and there is no sign of past woes at allf The problem areas that have always had outbursts have subsided.
I came here on the recommendation of my fiancé, and I am glad I made the trek (I usually hate driving to west hollywood), but would do it again in a heart beat to stop from suffering.
He is really busy but he is attentive and you will get in and out which is especially good for my busy schedule. Parking is street, and its free for 2 hours (read the signs).

I unfortunately haven’t had time to write an update, but here goes:
1) Dr. Liu told me during my visit that certain procedures were covered by my insurance… they weren’t.
2) Dr. Liu really pushed this cream (Refissa) on me — in the end, I required a full 7 day dose of Prednisone (steroids) to take down the massive swelling/​hives/​blistering on my face. I emailed him to let him know about my reaction when it first started, his advice: try it again, maybe you used to much. How about advising that I stay away from it forever, and recommending a solution?
Dr. Liu is a friendly doctor, but I don’t think I’m visiting him again… like, ever.

Dr. Liu is a very smart doctor. I read his bio before going into his office for a consultation. I had this tiny bump on my neck and Dr. Liu recommended surgery. He said there’s no way to remove it unless we have a surgery.
The entire visit lasted for about 10 min and I waited for about 45min with appointment. hahah yep! long wait but iI’m sure it’s worth the wait if you have serious skin issues.
In my case, I took care of that bump myself– just squeezed the sh*t out of it and the cyst was gone. kids, don’t do it at home!

Dr. Liu is a great doctor! I had my lip piercing scar removed by him. He did it for me on the same day as the consultation, which saved me a trip, and he did a great job. He is really nice and pleasant too.
I am planning on going back for other procedures on my face now because I trust him and I feel like he really knows what he’s doing.

Dr. Liu is the man. I went in today for a consultation to get 2 moles removed. He ended up being able to take them off on the spot so I didn’t have to come back. I arrived at 3:10 and was out the door at 3:55… never had such a fast doctor’s visit in my life (and I even had to fill out forms and such and still got out of there in 45 min).
Dr. Liu himself is so awesome. He’s very personable, easy-​going, intelligent, and best of all makes you feel comfortable.
Highly recommend!