Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery

DR. ALSTER IS PHENOMENAL! If you are looking for a dermatologist look no further. Dr. Alster is a true genius. She is kind, compassionate and very intelligent. She spends time explaining each and every procedure and creates a tailored at home skin care régime that has revolutionized my skin. Dr. Alster is simply amazing and there is a reason she is recognized nationally as one of the best. There is no other dermatologist that can even come close to her!
One more thing-​Dr. Alster’s staff is also outstanding. They are kind, considerate and very accommodating. You never have to wait and each nurse ensures you are comfortable and cared for at all times. Dr. Alster’s office is immaculate and very well furnished. Trust me… you are treated like a queen when you walk in and leave looking like one!

I tried to make an appointment for a consultation through their online system. It registered and sent me an instant follow up email explaining that someone would be in touch shortly to confirm. Weeks went by, no follow up, so I emailed them. Then again a week later. No follow up still. The appointment dates I asked for were earlier this week, and to date I’ve not heard a peep out of them, after persistent follow up from my end.
So, I write them off. Not sure if there cosmetic services are any good, but if they match their customer service at the front end, I would stay away. Too bad.

Never EVER go to Dr. Tanzi!!! She did something months ago to my skin that soon after created a huge lump surrounding that area. It’s painful and it won’t go away. I’ve been to almost 10 doctors, including neurosurgeons, and no one can seem to figure it out what it is. I now have to have an MRI done. When I emailed her about it, she was abrupt, and not surprisingly, there was zero follow up. She has created an absolutely HORRIFIC situation for me. NEVER go to her!!!

I came here last year because of my acne and nothing had really worked until Dr. Alster put me on an antibiotic called Doxycycline. It helped my skin but I wasn’t commpletely clear. Fast forward to when I am nearing the end of my bottle and I wake up one morning with a burning sensation in my chest. I was told that Doxy was mild and that it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Ok…
Antibiotics are harsh and if anything they don’t address the root problem of having problem skin. I am SO fed up with dermatologists prescribing drugs instead of looking at the body as a whole. My problem was a gut issue but a derm office would never be able to diagnose that. After I pinpointed this I was able to get back on the road to recovery.
I’m not calling out this specific office because I’m fed up with all Derms it’s because if a doctor is going to prescribe me something as aggressive as Doxy, and if the directions say that you shouldn’t lay down after you take this specific med then PLEASE let me know this vital information when you prescribe it to me.
Yes, I could have probably read the directions better but this seems to be a prevalent experience among people who take Doxy and there are some serious repercussions.
Doxy has been known to cause acid reflux so my symptoms include not being able to eat because of the pain, constant burning sensations, even drinking water is tough…
I’m giving this place two stars because Dr. Alster was accommodating and seemed to really examine my skin. She performed laser treatments on me and they seemed to have helped but I’m not willing to risk my health and well-​being over my skin.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Tanzi for about 10 years and she’s amazing. Before Chevy Chase office opened, out of sheer laziness, I went to another derm for filler because I didn’t want to drive downtown. Other derm, upon finding out I normally see Tanzi, said «she’s the master» and openly acknowledged that she wasn’t nearly as good … which is pretty much unheard of. People are always shocked to discover that I get botox/​filler, and also shocked to discover I’m in my 40s. I’d attribute both of those things entirely to her skill. It’s always subtle — I can tell a difference but never have that awful overinflated cheek/​lip thing that’s a dead giveaway.

I see Dr. Tanzi, for botox injections. It always comes out great and I haven’t felt pushed to do anything else. My mother has been seeing Dr. Alster for years. She is 79, and looks amazing. Nobody ever guesses that she’s had «work done,» because she just looks like she was blessed with miracle genes.

I dont understand any of the negative reviews! I have been going to Dr Tanzi for over 10 years and I have referred several of my friends who feel the same way. Dr Tanzi never makes you look «done» even when you ask for more filler– Her eye is perfect– She never recommends unnecessary procedures– and – frankly they don’t need to play that game since the practice (and especially Dr Tanzi) is busy with enough clients. In addition, if I send an email with a question, I get an immediate response. Dr Tanzi dropped everything to make sure I did the right thing when I broke my nose. She is a truly delightful person and talented. I am thrilled that the new Chevy Chase Office is open.

I have been seeing Dr. Tanzi off and on for over a decade and I cannot recommend her/​WIDLS enough. I have had a myriad of services and have been exceptionally satisfied, both with my results, as well as the level of service I have received. This is fee for service medicine — you are not going to get hours of gossip time with the doctors (pay a therapist if you want to chit-​chat). This said, after my young son passed away, Dr. Tanzi spent a solid hour talking to me and showed exceptional sympathy and kindness. Further, Dr. Tanzi is incredibly thoughtful, knowledgeable and, most importantly, she exercises restraint– I have asked for services and been told I don’t need them.

WIDLS and Dr. MacGregor are awesome! My daughter was born with a very prominent port wine stain on her face. Being first time parents, my husband and I were devastated when we received the news that a PWS would be permanent. However, it was a huge relief to find Dr. MacGregor who informed us that we could have an excellent outcome with laser treatments. So when she was only 6 weeks old we started her treatments. She is now 2 and the PWS is completely gone. It was successfully treated by the time she was around 10 months old.
We could have waited months to be seen at a hospital where they would have taken our insurance but we wanted the best. The best is definitely WIDLS. It wasn’t cheap but for the outcome we had and excellent care we received it was beyond worth it.
I’m writing this review for other parents out there who are struggling with the decision to get their child’s vascular birthmark treated. While the treatment itself can be a tad painful (my daughter cried about the same that she did when she received her vaccinations), I feel it is way worse — both psychologically and physically — to not get your child treated. Unfortunately, kids can be very cruel and looks do matter. I have absolutely no regrets about my decision. I only wish that I’d knew someone who had gone through the same thing to tell me that I wasn’t being vain or shallow. I am a mom who refused to let my daughter suffer from a deformity that could be easily treated with lasers. So thank you Dr. MacGregor and WIDLS! I highly recommend WIDLS to any parent going through the same thing.

I was referred to Dr Alster by my dermatologist for the deep lines in my forehead. I could not get an appointment with Dr Alster but could get in, right away (should have been a red flag), to see Dr Peters.
Dr Peters gave me Botox and fillers (which I did not ask for) into my forehead. Later that afternoon, I got a huge lump above my left eye. I called repeatedly and the Dr said it had nothing to do with treatment. It lasted for days and resulted in a permanent mark on above my eye. Dr Peters and Dr Keaney denied it had anything to do with the treatment. I never went back to Dr Peters because I completely lost trust in her but it was interesting that Dr Keaney agreed that fillers should never have been used as well.
I later saw 2 other doctors who told me this can happen with fillers and under no circumstance should I ever allow anyone to put fillers into my forehead. My experience with this office is that Dr Peters is very junior and gets the patients that can’t get in to see the more senior and experienced doctors. She made a grave error on my treatment, refused to acknowledge the problem, and tried to pass it off as coincidence. I got pulled in by the high style office and name brand doctors — but they may not be the ones treating you and the junior doctors don’t have the skill or expertise you would expect or want to touch your face/​body. And they still charge a fortune — for bad service.

This place is so overrated. The waiting area is nice and almost lounge like but you as the client are paying for all that fanciness. I saw Dr. Tanzi to have my keloid scars reduced by laser and was pretty disappointed. She was nice and professional but the procedure turned out to be useless not to mention very expensive at almost $ 300 per session (at the time). I did not see any results. The laser felt like somebody was hitting you with rubber bands– I could’ve done that myself! They tell you that you need to come back several times but the price tag makes you feel like you’re paying for broken promises and scars that will never go away at any price. They get all the publicity but I wonder how many people are really happy with the services.

Dr. Alster is wonderful! She is very knowledgeable and welcoming, listens to her patients and takes her time with them. She guided me through every step of my treatment and it was painless and quick and the results were great. She sat down with me afterwards and wrote down a skincare regimen which I have stuck to and can really tell a difference with. The office is beautiful, the medical assistants are very friendly (and gorgeous), and the products they sell are the best. Her associates are excellent as well.

I saw Dr. Tanzi five times in 2008 for Fraxel treatments for acne scars. I found her to be very nice and instantly just liked her. However, my scars looked the same after the fifth treatment and months afterward. It was such a waste of money. Nothing was really said and it was so disappointing. I don’t understand how they can endorse such technology that doesn’t seem to work for most people.

Last time I going to there. I had a filler injection several days ago. The filler was injected without difficulty but afterwards the filler was bunched in areas, very hard, and very swollen. After 7 years of using restylane, I have never had a bad reaction, large hard bumps, or such discomfort afterwards. I always have had swelling which would generally take a few days to resolve but this is different with hard swollen areas where it doesn’t actually make much sense to be and very painful.
Dr. Tanzi did the injections.
If a doctor is top notch, I don’t care all that much about the office ambience but there is something rather cold about this practice and its employees that bothers me. I could ignore all that for quality medical care but based upon my experience of the procedure, I will not go back again.

If you have a keen interest and appreciation for:
— fancy bathrooms, all white interiors reminiscent of hospital rooms, very stiff mannered staff, showing off your latest designer clothing, wasting money and being seen by a ‘celebrity’ doctor, then this place is for you!
However, if you happen to be one of those «strange people» who go to a doctor’s office expecting treatment and even daring to aspire to results, then please, don’t waste your time.
I do not mind paying the extra bucks if I get results and feel I had a good visit. But when after a year or so the doctor tells you’ well, you know, some people have acne and you might be one of them” then you know it is time to move on.
P. S. I am acne free now with very nice, better than ever skin (for my age which is… middle-​age)

I have been to 2 other doctors to treat my keloid scar on my chest before I came to Dr. Alster. It took me a while to get an appointment with her because (1) I knew they don’t take insurance and I needed to save money (2) I was pretty much given up on this scar after the second doctor totally messed it up (3) I didn’t think she would take me in since she is the top doc in this field. It took me almost a year but I called and get an appointment. And she was soooooo nice! I was nervous about what she would say about my scar, but the first thing she said to me was «I can fix this» with such a confidence I have never seen from any other doctors. It was so refreshing and I knew at that moment I could trust her. And she kept her word. I love and respect her so much for her confidence, professionalism, positive attitude, and patience. She is super busy but she always tells me that I can email her if my scar starts acting up before the next appointment and need to come in sooner. She is really funny, and very compassionate. I’m so lucky to be able to get an appointment with her, and I have to thank my friend for pushing me into this :)

I recently saw Dr. MacGregor in this office and was very impresed by the entire experience — Dr., staff, office, and post-​visit follow-​up. While, they do not accept insurance for the visit itself, Dr. MacGregor and her staff went above and beyond working with my insurance company to help me get the prescribed medication covered. Her staff called my insurance company multiple times and even wrote a letter, while keeping me abreast of the developments the entire time.
I was also very happy with the simply regimen Dr. MacGregor presribed fro me. Many of the products she «prescribed» are actually available at CVS for less than $ 15. I thought that she was going to suggest some fancy and expensive creams and potions, but instead she gave me an easy to manage regimen and I have already begun to see the results.
Definitey an experience worth the out of pocket cost of the visit.

Great space, professional staff, caring doctors– what’s not to love? Dr. Alster recommends treatments that work in a beautiful, modern space. The staff members are attentive to patients needs. Dr. Alster is funny and warm — her talent and experience are reflected by her long list of loyal patients nationwide. Recommended.

I’ve been coming here for years and will be a loyal client for years to come. Dr. Tanzi is the best! She has been on lots of TV shows (Dr. Oz, Oprah Winfrey Show). She is very knowledgeable and is super friendly. The place is very chic and ultra trendy. They have the most up to date treatments. I come here for Botox and laser treatments. Book early since they have a long wait list!

This place is very swanky. It would be like the equivalent of an Apple store for a doctor’s office. Most doctor’s offices are very conservative, if not dowdy and dark. They had the sense to hire an architect and made the space really welcoming but modern/​contemporary (Barcelona chairs! Fancy restrooms! White interior!)
Okay, enough geeking out over Eames furniture.
Here are some basic facts.
— they don’t take insurance
— they don’t accept personal checks
— it’s close to the Metro
— they have a nice selection of sunblock and other beauty products
— the initial consultation appointment is kind of hard to get (I think the earliest first appointment they had was in 3 – 4 weeks) but subsequent treatment appointments are easier to make
— I think the first appointment is $ 395 but I can’t remember, and the laser treatment is based on the size the area you want treated
–the nurses/​assistants are very nice and make you feel comfortable about your skin problem and try to make you as comfortable as they can for the laser treatment
— if you’re a new patient, Dr. Tina Alster won’t be able to see you (although I suspect she makes exceptions for famous people/​dignitaries)
Anyway, I see Dr. Tanzi and she’s great (I hear good things about Dr. MacGregor, too!) It took a while to get an appointment to see her, but she’s absolutely worth the wait. Anyway, the initial consultation appointment is very thorough and they offer a full body scan exam as well (to check for skin cancer). You can opt out of this if you’re feeling shy. She discusses your skin issues, the treatment course, and gives you realistic expectations of your treatments.
She is very professional and knowledgeable, but also has excellent bedside manners. In a practice where a) the treatments are basically legalized torture, and b) skin is a sensitive subject for a lady, this is really important. Ever have a mean dermatologist yell at you for not coming in sooner for your teenage acne and comment on how horrible your skin is? Mine did and I never returned for the Retin-​A prescription refill.
Also, not to be superficial or anything, but I can’t help but comment on her beautiful skin! I find that very reassuring (in the same way you don’t want an out of shape personal trainer). I’m in my early 20s, and darn if I didn’t already have a useless liberal arts degree, she might have inspired me to become a dermatologist myself.
For the actual treatment, the nurses put on the numbing cream and you wait for a while. Then, Dr. Tanzi starts out with one zap to let you know or rather, help you get prepared for how the rest of the treatment will feel. You will have on silly looking goggles over your eyes. There will be other nurses/​assistants there in the room with you. Sometimes, if Dr. Tanzi predicts it will be unusually painful, someone will be holding a cooling pipe (?) mechanism to help (I really don’t think it did anything). She will continue for ¹⁄₃ or ¼ intervals and let you know how far she’s done. Be prepared for the scent of burnt skin.
I feel safe going to Dr. Tanzi/​WIDLS because they’re all leading researchers/​practitioners of the latest laser techniques and equipment. They also teach at nearby prestigious medical hospitals (Hopkins and Georgetown) and are frequent guests on television shows like the Dr. Oz show, the Today Show, local nightly news segments). Plus, they are regularly interviewed by beauty magazines, so it’s really cool when you can say «Hey! That’s my dermatologist!»
The one thing I can recommend to anyone getting a laser treatment is to come an hour or even earlier before your scheduled appointment so that they can put the numbing cream on you. With my first appointment, I actually had it on several times over the stretch of several hours because I wasn’t sure about getting the treatment the same day. Eventually, by the time of the actual treatment, it was so numb that the treatment was basically pain free, save for a couple of spots. For the second appointment, I was late and didn’t get a chance to have the crème sit for a while, and I wanted to scream «TORTURE» during the entire procedure. However, Dr. Tanzi stops at ¹⁄₃ or ¼ intervals and lets you know how much she’s done. If it’s too much, let her know and she’ll take a break.
They send you home with an ice pack (or three), and a gentle cleanser and some Aquaphor. If you don’t want to be seen on the Metro with an icepack, I would have someone drive you (there are parking garages nearby). I was expecting some serious blistering to occur, but honestly it’s not that bad or even noticeable until the second day.
If you are getting multiple treatments, they tell you to wait at least 8 weeks and treatments will not be performed if your skin is tanned so be prepared for the life of a vampire.
Anyway, despite the pain and the cost, I know when I am in my thirties and need botox, I will be coming to Dr. Tanzi.