Isis Skin & Body

I would like to just report that I am still so happy with the services at ISIS with esthetician Valerie. I am always very please with my Brazilian wax, leg wax and eyebrows. The professionalism and above all the cleanliness of this establishment has always stood out. Before I updated my review I noticed negative reviews in the year of ²⁰¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₁ which I can’t say are a reflection any of my visits or experiences at ISIS spa. I would like to just reassure everyone that this place has come a long ways if the past reviews are accurate for the time they were written. Thank you Valerie for doing what u do so well!

I went here a couple of years ago and was impressed at first. I had some Lazer treatment done to get rid of broken blood vessels on my face. The doctor herself treated me. She seemed like she knew her stuff when she answered my questions. Unfortunately she burned me and I still have 2 scars to prove it. I asked for a refund due to the damage to my skin. I didn’t feel I should pay for her mistakes. I really thought she would have the integrity to not charge me for a procedure that caused a scar. She refused. The oath First do no harm, is obviously not in this so called doctors repertoire of values. I may still sue if I get around to it. Very disappointing since I usually have a good instinct for people. I do believe in karma and I have no doubt that her lack of basic ethics will cause her problems. Some of the staff are nice but i will never go there again and I definitely do not recommend this place.

I had 4 appointments here (1 consultation and 3 treatments). All four times I was kept waiting 15 – 20 minutes while gobs of bored staff were standing around with seemingly nothing to do. Of the two technicians that saw me, I liked one a lot and absolutely hated the other. They performed the treatments (which should have been identical each time) vastly differently.
Being my first time doing anything like this, I had a lot of questions. The technician (the one I didn’t like) seemed annoyed with my questions and barely mustered a response. I felt like I was being sold snake oil and saw no improvements afterward.

I’ve been going to Isis for over a year for 4 laser hair removal areas. That means I go in a lot and I’ve called them a lot. From the beginning, Laura, Jazmine and Noha have been friendly, helpful, courteous, professional and downright nice. From my first phone through various rescheduled appointments, they’ve been accommodating and welcoming.
Jazmine has listened patiently when I’ve called/​come in bedraggled, disorganized or overwhelmed. She’s helped me figure out the details of when to shave, when to wax, when to come in, all adjusted to my own hair growth cycle. And she’s been a superstar helping me reschedule when my days have gotten so full I had trouble finding a time to get in. She’s always found a way to make it work, including once offering to watch over my little one drawing while I had a short appointment when I couldn’t find childcare. We didn’t do it in the end, but I’ve never forgotten how much I appreciated the possibility.
Laura — sigh. God bless her. RN and hair zapper extraordinaire. She’s meticulous and thorough, amazingly capable of running a little laser head over large body areas without missing anything. Icing each area before lasering has been just fine, even on EXTREMELY sensitive areas like the ankles and shins. I get a full run-​down on what to expect, how much hair will grown back and when, and what it will take to get rid of hair in each area we’re working on. Laura’s been spot-​on every time. And she’s nice. Really, really nice.
Noha. Here’s the thing. Noha, the MD behind Isis, founded and runs a free clinic for folks in East Oakland who could otherwise fall through the cracks. 501©3, culturally sensitive, medically competent, state-​of-​the-​art services delivered to patients’ homes and to organizations where patients are housed or cared for. Noha briefly had a sign in my treatment room talking about Roots, her East Oakland clinic. We talked throughout my appointment about what she’s doing, why she’s doing it and how it all fits together. Frankly, it makes me happy to pay my fees at Isis knowing some of those funds help Roots. I like doing business with people who are out in world working for change. It’s not the norm.
Good service. Good results. Nice, helpful people. Associated with a terrific non-​profit doing important work. I like Isis. A lot.

Toe fungus. Yep, I had it. Not anymore. One Isis treatment, both feet, problem solved.

Isis Skin & Body Salon! I will never step foot into that establishment ever again unless I get an apology! Upon their initial opening I thought it was going 2 be a real spa, w/​jacuzzi, hot tubs, the whole nine yards. So after I went inside, I was shocked to find out that it was a place that (men & women) go 2 get treated for their skin!!! Generally, when I go to get treated for things such as extensive as this, I really prefer that men be no where around! No doubt the clinic was built to seem as if services were to be rendered top — notch. Meaning that the facility is flawless. However, my experience was none-​the-​less the opposite! First off, the person that I was supposed to work with when I walked in on my appointment, was not there! I could absorb the uncomfortableness after that. Previous to this appointment. I had scheduled an appointment, but had 2 cancel. I don’t think that had a reflection upon this appointment! But, did not cancel my appointment because I am a professional.
The purpose of visiting this clinic was because it was in the area and I had a special situation with special circumstances. None the less. The prices are obnoxiously outrageously out of this world. Who could ever afford these prices N the economic crunch that we are facing at the current moment! Sooo, obviously this place only caters to a specific breed of people!!! Before treatment I was a little uncomfortable so I had 2 inquire and do my own investigation privately about their services! This tactic of education seemed 2 spark some interest among the staff. Just what I was afraid of they did not understand my personal requests & weren’t able to accommodate me. I tried 2 explain to the best of my ability why I was conducting this type of investigation. I decided 2 receive treatments there anyways only because they had what I needed.
I was able to meet the owners of this clinic on this day. I think they were very insensitive to my needs as so called doctors of the medical profession! I don’t know how U got thus far! The guy was very rude, loud and for no reason other than he was the owner! I mean the purpose of people that come to ur clinic r for all sorts of reasons that could be personal, private or whatever!!! You should be ashamed 2 call yourselves doctors! Your doctor skills are horrible and I would never recommend a clinic like this 2 any of my colleagues or relatives and I hope that people that r looking 4 a treatment center read my comment, find out what kind of clinic U really are! Not just mine. But, does anyone see that over 90% of their reviews are negative. That must tell you somethings up!!! These people must be new to the business. Even if this was only going 2 be an inexpensive visit. You never know I could of came to your clinic and spent thousands.
Of course I refused payment 4 this service. I walked out of this place unhappy and upset. Serves them right! I will never go back N there. It makes me wonder why people like this are in a business. I’ve read so many bad reviews about this place! They had a question about me asking about ethnicity of their estheticans. Its not even that. These doctors are a poor representation for the African American community! I say this because the lady that I spoke with said that she was black. She doesn’t look black. She’s also a horrible spokesperson for white people too. She might be qualified 4 the position. But, her attitude sucks! She wouldn’t even listen!
The purpose for my review is basically because its the principal behind the fact that u cannot treat people that way and think that u are going to get paid for it! Definitely this is not a money making place. Secretly they are probably discriminists! People like to spend their money at places where they feel they are going to be the happiest! This doesn’t seem like a place where you would get any positive results from either. This is definitely not a place that is trying 2 solve the problems of this community or breaking down barriers to environmental issues that affect the skin!
Also, I think that it is highly unprofessional 2 be eating at the front counter in front of the clients. It shows a lack of respect 2 the customer and it is unsanitary! Whether if U are a clean person or not! I don’t want 2 see you eating food before you work on me. U could have bacteria under your nails and so forth! Even if the esthetican washed her hands before. Get a break room for that!
*** I will say that the black esthetican woman that worked on me, well she knew what she was doing. She also tried 2 embarrass me by walking in on me while I was undressing; after I asked her to wait! Luckily I had on my undergarments. I don’t know what her sexual orientation is, but I’m not into lesbianism shit. That was just inappropriate and unprofessional. Not my style of doctor treatments! Next time. I’ll just lock the door and won’t trust any employees! Finale answer NO!

I visited Isis Skin & Body for the first time and had a VI Peel. I bought a living social deal for $ 139. I have had the peel before and paid between $ 195-​$ 250.
When you buy a «deal» you would think the business is trying to get you in and give you an amazing experience so you would want to come back. I was not sold. It was a very quick in and out and I didn’t feel my after care instructions were completed properly. After other peels I’ve had, you get retinol wipes, VI sunscreen and a VI moisturizer to use while you are peeling. I asked about the sunscreen and her answer was «you don’t get it with the living social deal». I did get the wipes with a Post Peel instruction card that had everything crossed off other than the «apply the wipes to cleansed skin day 2 & 3».
So, I am pretty much on my own when it comes to the moisturizer and sunscreen — fine I can handle that, but the service and my visit did not give me any reason to want to go back.

Had a great appointment here having the very glamorous «toe fungus removal» treatment. Laura, the nurse who did the treatment explained everything clearly, including risks and follow up treatment. She was really kind and made me feel at ease.
I won’t know for 4 – 6 months ’till my nails grow out how well it worked, but based on this experience, I would definitely go back.

There is no reason I can think of for underarm hair. Sure, perhaps at some point, it could have been appealing to the opposite sex to get a good whiff of those sexy pheromones that collect in it. Perhaps it prevents friction when one swings her arms, but then so do sleeves.
So I came to Isis to eliminate what I do not believe will ever come into fashion – pit hair. After five treatments, I am about 85% axillary hair-​free. What does remain is fine and slow-​growing. While most other medical spas consider the completion of a treatment area after six laser procedures, this place sells their package «deals» in sets of five.
I purchased a additional set of two extra treatments during one of their email promotions just to get rid of the remaining 15%. Although the total price of these two treatments was $ 158, and I could have found a groupon for an entire six treatment for less, I wanted to finish off with the facility I began with.
But one day, on my way in from Sacramento (where I live while in school), I couldn’t make my appointment in time. I could hear the annoyance in the voice of the lady «dealing» with me. I would have to pay an additional late fee of $ 50 during my next appointment. I declined to reschedule. Being the procrastinator I am, I waited four months before addressing this issue. I decided to call to see if I would be able to get a refund instead of the treatments, particularly since I live in Sacramento, and the odds of me being late again are high. I also think it’s a big FAT rip off to pay $ 158 plus a free $ 50 when I can easily get six treatments for $ 99 — $ 125 out the door on groupon or some other social buying site.
The lady I spoke with tried to convince me to get the treatments, but never acknowledged my predicament. It was almost as though she didn’t understand why I would rather skip this «deal» and get a refund. She told me she would speak with the doctor and call me back. That call never came.
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I was actually considering adding a star or two to this review after receiving a private email from this business basically saying the same thing below, minus the hints of sarcasm. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back in front of the computer fast enough before they tried to fix it themselves. So I will let it stand.
I drafted this review just after my fifth and final laser treatment and was pretty neutral about the experience (three stars). I assumed that I would have no hair left after my package of five treatments was complete. Again, there is some hair left, not a lot, but enough to require grooming.
What dragged the rating down was:
— The agitation in the voice on the phone when I was running late as well as the threat of the $ 50 cancellation fee (not that I was even canceling by choice).
— The fact that I never got a call back (or the email they claim to have sent)
— The haggling over $ 50 with a customer (btw, I’m getting another area treated at another medical spa, and they have no such policy).
When I wrote this review (before I knew I had any other options), I felt like I was being held hostage; I either pay the ransom to get my $ 158 worth, or lose it altogether. As an average consumer, I don’t like to feel like a business is holding something over my head. This entire situation left a bad taste in my mouth and that was why my initial three stars turned into one.
The service is alright, and the results are average, just watch your step if you’re running behind, you’ll pay for it… literally.

I really liked my aestheticians and services here. I have had two VI Peel facial treatments to help with hyperpigmentation. It is definitely making an improvement in my appearance. (Be advised: peel results are noticeable after one treatment, but peeling takes place over 5 – 10 days and looks a bit scary!)
The aestheticians also recommended combining laser Genesis skin rejuvenation with the VI peel treatment. There’s no downtime associated with this procedure at all and it has definitely made my skin look better.
I also used them for laser hair removal on full legs. I’ve completed two sessions, so far. When I found out that they only use ice packs instead of numbing cream, I was skeptical. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised because the ice does a fine job of numbing, plus the laser definitely seems gentler than at two other places I’ve been.
Luckily, I’ve enjoyed discounts through Groupon or Isis specials to avoid full price. I’m not sure I could afford full price; but they’ve let me know about their specials to help me keep costs down. I’ve definitely been treated wonderfully by all the astheticians (Nicole, Desiree) and nurse (Laura) that I’ve seen!

My first impression was skeptical… Came in for a consultation and it wasn’t quite what I expected. I thought they would have taken a look at the area and told me what kind of results I should expect. I also expected to have some before pictures taken given that I had purchased 6 treatments.
I scheduled all 6 treatments that same day. So I show up for my first appointment a week or two after, and after waiting for about 35−45min, I was told I wasn’t on the schedule and had me wait to see if there was anything they could do. I ended up waking up early, spending an hour or more in traffic, to find out (an hour after I sat there and waited) that someone had canceled my appointment and never notified me. The front desk lady was really sorry and tried to accommodate me as much as she could. I left that day pretty disappointed.
The only reason I am giving this place 4 stars is because of my lovely esthetician Darlene. She was always on time, very professional, and friendly.
Unfortunately, since I was only in CA for a few months, I was unable to complete my 6 treatments b/​c of the scheduling hiccup I had at the beginning. Darlene was nice enough to offer me a Sunscreen free of charge since I could not complete my 6^th treatment.
I honestly saw little to no results after my 5^th velashape treatment and I am glad I didn’t spend more than the Groupon price on my treatments.
If my permanent residence was in CA, I would have completed my treatment and probably never returned again.
Overall, I give the place 1 star and my esthetician 4 stars.

First let me start off by saying I did not have any work done there. And I am very glad that I didn’t, reading all the other negative reviews. My review is based on the consultation I had with them. I was planning on having a treatment done there that really should be done by at a dermatologist’s office. But I was lured to Isis because of the «cheaper than other places» price tag. Well, the woman who met me (who I have been told is a trained staff member) and was ready to have me seen and dealt with without looking at my skin and just making the decision herself of what I needed to have done. She didn’t mention the risks, the procedure or anything except when to schedule me and the sooner the better. I walked out of there feeling not so confident about their service. And to clarify, the person never mentioned anything about seeing the doctor before a consultation. She was very clear that I would be having the procedure at the next appointment. And if this wasn’t the actual consultation, why did you waste my time having a «consultation» before the actual consultation? So yes, I was led to believe I had a «consultation». The doctor was never present so she can not speak for the staff that helped me.
I would have preferred to have been seen by the doctor than by the staff member but that wasn’t possible or ever mentioned. If she had been more thorough about the consultation, I might have done the treatment here. But I didn’t feel comfortable to do so. I am glad I stayed away.

Read the negative reviews and run out as fast as you came through the door!
I bought a deal through Groupon for Velashape and hair laser removal. It was a good deal. But as my mom says, if it’s too good to be true, well then…
The first time I came here, I was already upset since they did not offer numbing cream. WTF? The receptionist said they could ice and numb it. Everywhere else offers it, but the doctor here doesn’t believe in it. I even asked for a prescription so I could fill it myself. Nope. She wouldn’t even sign off on it.
I kept coming back and requesting for one esthetician since the first one burned me badly. When I found out that she had left because of horrible management, I was not shocked at all.
The employees here are overworked and constantly complains about their work environment. Their staff has very high turn over.
I’m coming in early and have always been seen 20 — 30 minutes later than my appointment. Waiting any where from 45 minutes to an hour and a half!!! So much for being considerate of other people’s time. This place does not have any organization, work ethics and does not appreciate the customer at all.

So, this is an update about six months after I went in for my initial consultation for acne scar treatment. I have pitted acne scars, due to a short but severe acne breakout that happened to me about one year ago. I no longer have issues with severe breakouts, but the scarring bothers me for some reason. It is all over my face and very noticeable. I don’t like that it bothers me so much, I am a feminist and don’t want to care about how I look, but I’m a work in progress and it does still bother me. My husband is a teacher and when his kids met me they asked «what happened to her face?»… anyway…
During that initial consultation, the esthetician gave me hope. She recommended that I have three procedures done, two chemical peels and one laser genesis treatment. She spent a long time with me, and I felt really comfortable with her. She said she really thought that would take care of all my acne scarring… that she had scars like mine and that it would DEFINITELY be possible to reverse this damage. She told me three treatments was all I would need. I brought up that my dermatologist had said that only (very expensive) Fraxel laser treatments would take care of my scarring, and she told me that Fraxel was a terrible way to go and not to worry… my skin would be beautiful! I was ecstatic. I never thought I’d have normal skin again, and she says I can have it back in just a few months!
Of course, all of this cost a lot of money. I got a discount on the three treatments because I had originally bought a groupon, but it was still hundreds of dollars. That is a lot for me and my husband, we are a young couple and sometimes have to pay rent on credit cards in this economy. But, we decided to do it. After all, I had been saving up tips from my job (as a massage therapist) for the Fraxel treatment which would have cost thousands of dollars, and this was hundreds. So I went ahead with it.
The treatments were all quite painful (in the end I had the VI peel, the Deep Sea peel, and the genesis). Also, with the peels, I was unable to work for several days because of the peeling. And I couldn’t go out in the sun at all, even with sunscreen. The whole time though I just kept thinking that afterward, it would all be worth it.
Well, it has been several months since the final treatment, and my scars are not improved. I took before pictures and neither my husband, nor I, nor my mother can see a difference. Not at all. I am very disappointed. The time, the money, the pain, the disappointment, and the lies at the initial consultation. Isis should not be telling people that their skin will be beautiful and their scars improved unless it is true. I guess I shouldn’t be so trusting… but that esthetician seemed so honest.
To make matters worse, at my final visit for the laser genesis treatment (given by the MD owner of the spa), she tried to sell me even more treatments. Telling me just how many more treatments I would need to have perfectly smooth skin again. I told her I’d be in touch, as I wanted to see how the genesis treatment worked out… and well, it didn’t do anything at all.
So, be careful about Isis. If you are just going for a facial, its probably fine. But if you have real skin issues, well, just be careful about getting your hopes up like I did. I am left feeling taken advantage of and lied to, and very disappointed that I am still left with all of these scars. Time to meditate on acceptance :)

The service here is good and the staff is friendly, but the prices are pretty expensive. Parking sucks cause they don’t even have their own parking lot, so it’s street parking (that isn’t even free). You can get the same results at other spas (for a better price) or just wait till you catch one of their good deals. If I had lots of money to just spend like nobody’s business I would definitely come back here. Alice was AWESOME, but she no longer works here…

I just had a Medi-​facial with Desiree at the new facility, and I must say it is one of the best facials I have had in a long time! I usually hate going in for a facial expecting a lot of extraction work done, only to have a little done and not feeling like I get what I pay for. But Desiree did great work and the experience was relaxing!
I also have had the full 5 treatments of the underarm laser done at Isis as well, and have received awesome results! I had several different employees do the treatments and each time it was a good, consistent experience. I was a little frightened after reading some of the reviews, but from my experience, everything was great.
I have been to a number of spas for facials and laser treatments, and personally from my experience here, I feel like Isis is a great place that has provided great results for me.

Oh, Isis! I wanted to like you, really I did. But I cannot.
Short version of the story:
I was very unhappy with my experience at Isis. They did not seem to care about me as an individual. If I am dropping some serious coin on unnecessary luxury items, I want to be treated appropriately. I was hoping that I could get some sort of partial refund since I paid for half of a full 5 session package, and only got one treatment. Nope. They don’t give refunds… be aware of that if you are pre-​paying. I learned an expensive lesson here.
Longer version of the story:
I spend a lot of my single-​girl, hard-​earned dollars on beauty treatments. A LOT! Most of the things I do are painful. I’ve accepted the fact that if it hurts and/​or costs a lot, then it will probably work!
So, I went in for my first Velashape and could not stand the pain. I had to tell the nice lady to stop torturing me. I didn’t receive a treatment that day because the pain was so great. No one told me during my consultation that I would even be experiencing mild pain. I did some additional research online and didn’t find anything about pain in relation to this procedure.
So, was it me? Or was it the esthetician? Since I know me… I was thinking it might be her! I called to talk to the doctor in charge and we figured out that the pain may have been due to the fact that I was near my period. But who knows for sure? I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and come back. But with a different esthetician in case it was, in fact, her methodology.
Second visit was much better. It wasn’t relaxing by any stretch, but it was do-​able. OK, so this is the gal I need to go to and I will make sure to schedule my appointments to avoid my «lady time».
I spent quite a lot of time with the receptionist to make sure I could schedule with the second esthetician. I even had to take a mid-​day appointment (that means I’d have to take time off of work) to make sure I could be seen with the lady that did not inflict great pain on me.
I show up for my second appointment… I’m not scheduled with the esthetician I took such care and time to see each week! Really? You couldn’t call me to tell me that you switched my appointment because she wasn’t available? You knew that I had previous issues and you still didn’t think to call me? I took vacation time so that I could come to this f*%&king appointment!!! Thanks.
OK, that’s it! I’ve been to this office (by the way… don’t expect medspa clean and fresh) 4 times and I’ve only received one treatment??? This isn’t cutting it, ladies. As another reviewer said «the staff is nice, but not very professional». Agreed.
And no refund, as previously stated. They don’t do that. OK, Isis. So noted. I will still drop serious coin on beauty treatments, but not at your establishment.

Isis has done such a great job of getting rid of my unwanted hairs that I still use them even after I moved to New York three years ago. I, of course, can’t go as often as I like, but when I am in town I usually stop in for a facial or a deep sea peel. They are not your average skin and body place. They use amazing products AND are MD operated.
I started using them to get rid of unwanted chin hairs. I only had a few, not even ten, but they were so annoying, so dark, I was constantly plucking them, finding them cropping up without warning. With five treatments they got rid of them for me. I did in fact have to do all five treatments to get them to go away for good but I did and they are gone!
The staff is really warm, the place centrally located, parking is easy. I am just comfortable doing what I need to do there.

Isis is a medical spa, so if you want to seriously improve your skin, this is the place to go. If you just want to superficially smooth or cleanse the skin, you’re better off going to a regular spa. (I’d recommend Supple Integrative Skin Care, but that’s for another review.)
My esthetician was Heather, and she was very friendly and helpful in talking me through the procedure and answering my questions. I had 3 Deep Sea peels, 2 on my upper arms (about 1 month apart) and 1 on the front of my thighs, to treat a skin condition I have called keratosis pilaris. In plain language, my skin tends to grow over the hair follicle, which forms bumps on my skin. It’s not itchy or anything bad, but it doesn’t look great, so I thought I’d try a chemical peel after years of creams (Retin A, benzoyl peroxide, and ammonium lactate) had only helped a little. These peels completely smoothed out my skin, and they dramatically reduced the scarring (I had a bad habit of picking at the bumps in an attempt to release the trapped hair) as well as evened out the pigmentation. I was really amazed at the results.
However, there are some caveats:
1. It hurts a lot. I couldn’t touch the treated skin for 2 days (showers were pure agony at this time). After 2 days, I could cover those area with clothes again, and the peeling that followed took about a week.
2. It was pricey. Each peel was $ 275. There’s a coupon on Google for 20% off one treatment or a package of treatments for new customers.
3. It was not a cure, but a cosmetic improvement. Heather was very clear about that, and she suggested getting laser hair removal to permanently solve the problem of keratosis, but that was outside of my price range.
4. One treatment will likely not do the job. If your serious about changing the condition of your skin, you’ll need to get a series of treatments, and sometimes within a certain time frame. This can be a hefty financial investment, but Isis does offer payment plans.
Overall, was it worth it? Absolutely! The appearance of my skin has improved so much, and I’m very grateful to Heather for all her help and expertise.

This was a total waste of $ 300 in laser hair removal. I have been getting treatments at another location and seen great results and when I went for a follow-​up here I was very, very disapointed. I feel like they lowered the jules on the laser just so I would need additional treatments — even after expaining the settings my previous Dr. used in another area of the country. Also, the office is small and the staff, though friendly, is not very professional.
Update in reply to response: This is not a baseless negative review, and I am not afraid of patient confidentiality. The results were so dramatically inferior to my previous treatments in the series (yes, I know it is a series) at Reflections in Bridgewater, NJ (obviously, not a competitor due to the location) that I felt it was necessary to warn potential patrons. I have relocated back to the east coast and continued treatments in the Philly area with excellent results.