Serenity MedSpa

I actually tried out Serenity Medspa/​Tattoo Be Gone back when they were still on Maiden Lane and took a break from treatments for about 2 years. Well I loved James back then and I love him more now.
I was able to get an appointment fairly fast for 3 «smaller» tattoos that I really just cant stand looking at anymore. James was able to do all 3 tattoos in less than 30 minutes! James is super down to earth which makes an uncomfortable situation more comfortable and he is very informative so you know exactly what to expect before, after, and during treatment.
For the quality of service you get and the price there really is no place comparable.
Thank you James!

The best medical spa in San Francisco. This review is based on my first hand experience and my knowledge of amazing physicians, support staff and a beautiful efficient facility.
(Please note: the comments in parenthesis, (), are the «all about me» comments, and really don’t pertain to Serenity)
This review is long over due, as I’ve been a (very impressed) patient/​guest at Serenity MedSpa for more than 5 years years.
I’ve been hesiitant about writing, as most feel that procedures should remain a private matter, yet, after being in the beauty industry for 30 years, and only sharing secrets with my clients, I feel that I should do this publicly.
Dr. Lisa Kang and Dr. David Kang are incredibly talented board certified surgeons, yet they are true artists with their ability with the face and the body with aesthetic procedures.
Dr. Lisa is a true master with a needle. She is a talented injector, whether it be a neuro modulator (botox/​dysport) or an HA (hyaluronic acid) filler, she is beyond the best. She has taken care of my face for many years and has made sure that I have expression, smoothness and structure.
(As a man, i’m happy with my looks, yet Dr. Lisa has maintained them perfectly! I will be 51 this year, 2016)
(I’m re reading my post and as you should know this review is being written by a licensed cosmetologist and certified medical esthetician, so please forgive some of the technical terms)
Dr. David Kang is a master as well.
(Here goes, this is the most difficult to do publicly, Smart Lipo! Love handles/​flanks gone in an hour)
Dr. David is talented with the face as well… smart lipo on my jawline, 30 minutes and a chin strap for a weekend, Dr. Lisa with skin tightening, I can’t say enough about this brother/​sister duo and the team they work with, from follow through, to support and caring assistance, I honestly can not say enough about the quality, caring and most of all the artistic eye that has been pointed (along with a few needles) toward me.
Happy 10^th Anniversary to the best MedSpa… SERENITY!
Thank you Dr. David and Dr. Lisa

My friend has been telling for months about Dr. Lisa and how awesome she is. Today I had the pleasure of meeting her and she was super knowledgeable and friendly. She really listened to what I wanted and made getting botox easy and painless. Dr. Lisa and all the staff at Serenity Medspa made my visit comfortable and stress free. I left feeling confident that I will see the results that I am looking for. I look forward to my next visit here.

Several years ago, I made the mistake of getting not 1, not 2 but 5 regrettable tattoos in my friend’s garage. In 2013, I started looking into laser tattoo removal. While I was nervous to start the process, I began scheduling consultations at different places hoping to find the right individual to help me get rid of these tattoos (such an eye sore).
I discovered Serenity MedSpa on Unilocal,and have been coming here ever since. While this place is quite the drive from my house, it’s worth the drive, as all the staff are very skilled and professional. I’ve been a client of James’ for a few years now. He is a very kind, knowledgeable nurse, with a great sense of humor.
Tips:
— Use the numbing cream they offer before every session, it helps ease the pain.
— During each session, he repeatedly ask me if I need any breaks. Take a break if you need one.
— The stress balls help as well (I naturally have a lot of anxiety so they really help).
— I’ve noticed during my sessions, while James is zapping me, small talk with him reduces the pain since I’m a little distracted.
— After your session, if you have time, stay and ice your tattoo for a few minutes before heading out.
— Think twice before getting another tattoo!

I’m very happy today.
Sophie is fabulous!
If she is not there, probably I didn’t go back to there.
I’m very satisfied with result today!
I will definitely go back to there :)

I will start off by saying I did not have a treatment done. I went in for a consultation prior to maybe getting Botox. I wanted a consultation first because I have never had anything done and had a lot of questions and of course a bit apprehensive and scared. I was recommended to see Sophie, one of the nurses who administers injections, not Dr. Lisa Kang. My experience left me wanting to run out of the building and never come back! She did not take the time to explain what would happen after treatment, I asked about side effects and the response was «everything has side effects». Ummm. Ok. Well, I’ve read up a lot on it prior but needed to feel secure and re-​assured by a professional staff member that what I was about to do was right for me. She made made feel like I was wasting her time, jokingly made a comment that I was scared and went on to mention how she’s been having botox for 10 years and does not want to see one wrinkle on her face! Well, that has nothing to do with the scared candidate before you considering such a treatment. This is a fast paced, high turn over of people coming in who already know what they’re having done. No time for asking questions or having your fears addressed. The consultation ended with me thanking her and she walked out without saying anything or hopefully you’ll come back or did I help answer your questions? Do you think you want to do it? Nothing. I walked out feeling like i had just wasted an hour of my time and an hour thru SF traffic for nothing. Had my fears and answers been addressed, i would have received a treatment. Dr. Lisa Kang did catch me at the registration desk when I was leaving trying to pay for my consult and was told by a girl sitting at the desk «I don’t work here!» She pulled me into an office and quickly asked what i needed. I explained to her my apprehension and received the same — hurry it up, we’re busy approach. I will be taking my business elsewhere where a more detailed one on one approach to beauty is delivered and concerns are answered in a professional more caring manner. I believe my consult fee was waived because I tried to pay and was told, it’s ok, take some brochures. At this point the spa was full like a Bart station!

*** Within an hour of writing this review, I received a call from the owner Dr. LIsa Kang, expressing that she was very sorry that I had such a negative experience and that she wished I would have contacted them directly. She offered to work with me if I ever came back. While I won’t go back, I have to say I have much respect for Dr. Kang taking the time to call and apologize for what happened with one of her employees. I’ve seen glowing reviews of Dr. Kang’s work. And maybe you will have better luck when you go there. **
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I used to go to a great place in Los Angeles on a regular basis and loved it. The service was professional and the folks were just great. It is called SkinPerfect in case you are ever looking for reputable skin care service in L.A. Since I’ve moved to the Bay Area I’ve been on a search for a place like SkinPerfect which is why I went to Serenity Med Spa on Post in SF with a GroupOn.
Serenity MedSpa is a beautiful place but operates like a fast food service. Upside– the ladies at the front desk are super. But the person who worked with me both times seems to pride herself on working extremely fast, is non-​communicative, and seems to be bored with what she does. Fast is not the thing you want when you are getting facial services. When the aesthetician came into the room, she barely said hello, and told me where she was going to put Botox. She had not even looked at my chart! I had gone in for a completely different procedure.
I had gone in wanting a strong filler in my cheeks because I’ve had it done in L.A. with excellent results. But this aesthetician put the filler there but also placed the strong filler in my lower face, although I had asked her NOT to do that because I knew it was the wrong kind of filler for that area. She ignored my what i asked for and put it there anyway, all without barely communicating with me during the entire procedure. Bad experience.
I have since found a place in San Mateo with top of the line service. The aesthetician there has helped diminish the wrong placement of the filler but for complete correction I will have to wait until it breaks down.
I thought a long time about giving a negative Unilocal review of Serenity Med Spa, its not something I think should be done lightly. I think they are overbooked, work on a very rigid timeline and it affects the work that was done on me. I think they should book a few less people so that these kind of incidents don’t happen.

I went into this, because I’ve been eyeing their Groupon, and their Unilocal site for the last year. I went to Skin Med spa previously, and they were nice. However, I prefer Serenity Med Spa over Skin Medspa. I have to agree with most of the reviews that Dr. Lisa is very honest.
Dr. Lisa and I started with 20 units in the eyebrows, 10 units in the forehead. It turns out I needed more in my brows after a follow up session. So Dr. Lisa discounted it for me since I had to come back.
Serenity Medspa also has a rewards program for their botox. Their Botox is at $ 10 per unit, very affordable. Generally, if you call them and you tell them you are thinking about getting their Groupon they will honor the Groupon price for you instead of purchasing it through Groupon. But sometimes Groupon has flash sales, so it might be a little less.
A lot of reviews mentioned the bedside manners of some of the staff here, and they’ve gotten a lot of flack over it. However, people you need to realize this is a HIGH VOLUME medspa. They are booked back to back! That’s why they are able to offer botox at $ 10 per unit. They are also very honest with people, because they don’t believe in injecting more into your body than you actually need. I’m sorry if some of you need to be coddled. It’s also nice to get in, and get out of there within an hour if you are on a tight schedule… but sometimes I just want to sit down, and just be able to take a sip of that hot tea I made in the reception area!
Their front desk girl, Latesha is awesome!!! Super nice, and friendly. She answered all of my questions, and very patient. I would say I prefer her over the other girls, because of her great attitude! Hope she stays at this place for a while!
Anyway all in all, I will be back!!! They are super clean, friendly, fast, affordable. The only 2 criticisms I have is just slow it down a little, sometimes I just want to be able to enjoy that tea I just made. Also, the second one is, that nurse I had today… she is nice, and had pretty eye makeup… but I was a little put off that she came late to the appointment.
Latesha, and Dr. Lisa, you rock!

I have been getting Botox from Dr Lisa Kang for 7 years. Since I started going to Serenity Med Spa, I have never gone anywhere else. I have always had great results.
I started getting Botox only in my forehead, but over the years I’ve inquired about new areas… I’ve found Dr Lisa always gives me an honest straightforward answer. I’m now getting Botox in several areas & am so pleased with my results. When it comes to Botox, I recommend starting young to prevent wrinkles from ever forming. It was the best thing I ever did… now at 40, I have not a single wrinkle.
I even convinced my husband to start going for Botox, but he started much later & it will take quite some time for the wrinkles to soften. This is not the fault of the Botox, but rather the deepness of the existing wrinkles.
Dr Kang offers a fantastic everyday price per unit, no Groupon or special deal required.
I highly recommend Dr Lisa Kang for Botox!
Additionally, I’ve had several IPL & VanGogh treatments with Dr Kang I have also been happy with the results of these treatments.

I was very nervous getting botox for the first time. I had accidentally purchased it through groupon and was not able to refund it. Since it was going to expire I had decided to use. I’m 42 so there are lines on my forehead that I can get rid of.
Entering the place I was greeted nicely. The waiting room was very nice and relaxing. The rooms were very clean and sterile. The click an was Joy and she was very nice and gentle. She made me feel comfortable. She didn’t hurt me at all. I definitely recommend this place.

This is in regards to two services at Serenity.
I highly recommend their tattoo laser removal. The nurse does an amazing job.
However I wouldn’t recommend their hair laser removal unless done by an English lady. She does an amazing job and is thorough. The rest spend less than 5 minutes and walk out. Don’t waste your money here!

First IPL photo facial out of 3. Good customer service from the staff especially Sheryl! She explains everything

READ CAREFULLY!
I hate it when people take advantage. Gals are vulnerable. They want to be beautiful for their men and for themselves so will pay big bucks for fillers and cosmetic enhancement procedures on a working girl’s salary. Let’s face it, cosmetic companies have us over a barrel.
I went to every medical office in Marin County. Except for one R.N. in business for herself, all the other offices are pricey. They do what i call ‘The Marin Gouge’. And nobody have i found in Marin County as excellent in her field and as reasonable in pricing cosmetic services as Dr. Lisa at Serenity MedSpa. She is a surgeon, but first and foremost she is an artist. I love that lady for giving us gals (without fat pocket books) Movie Star makeovers! What a spiritual service she performs. EVERYTHING AT SERENITY MED SPA IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY.
Goodbye price-​gouging Marin County cosmetic services. Its a nice ferry ride into the city and from there easy access to Serenity Medspa where you get so much quality and perfection for every hard earned penny!
Do you know what the best thing the cosmetic business can do for us gals? I’m going to tell you. It is to learn how to clone Dr. Lisa! We need a lot more giving and excellent docs like her in the cosmetic business! I can’t give Dr. Lisa a 5 star rating. She needs a galaxy!
Shannon O

Ok so here is my update and I apologize for it’s tardiness.
So my botox had set in and yes it was fresh botox and properly diluted. I could tell by the effectiveness of the product. So that’s important. I was pleased with that aspect.
Next, I agreed to Lisa’s recommended injection sites. So I can’t complain, but it did not give me the brow lift I am used to.
It did smooth my forehead however.
I would absolutely recommend them and I will be back, I will just stick with my regular injection sites next time.
Oh! Botox also lasted as long as usual! Which is important because it shows the product is fresh, stored properly and diluted properly.
Thanks Serenity Med Spa!

In 2008 I made a really bad decision… I got a tattoo. Tattoos are obviously not for everyone. I certainly couldn’t pull it off. Luckily, it was small & I could cover it with makeup. After a while that became a drag so I looked into laser removal. I went in for a consult with James. I explained to him that I was very nervous about the pain. He thoroughly explained the procedure & made me feel super comfortable. We decided to start the first session that same day. I used numbing cream the first time. On a few occasions I was rushing so I skipped the numbing cream & surprisingly it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t pleasant but it was tolerable.
Because the tattoo has color in it, it’s a slower process. Yellow & green ink do not break down as easily as black ink so it has been 3 years (7 sessions) & according to James, in 4 – 5 months, I will be going in for my final session. You can hardly see it so I don’t have to go back but I’ve come this far so I might as well finish. Each session is $ 60 but the price will depend on the size. James also mentioned giving me $ 25 if I allow him to take an after pic. Sure, why not? That’ll cover parking & coffee ;)
That reminds me, it’s hard to find parking. I usually park in the Union Square garage & walk from there. Oh & they are no longer on Maiden Lane, they’re on Post as of earlier this year.
I’ve also seen Joy & Lisa for Botox & just recently, Vicky for an acupuncture consult. I’ve recommended a few friends & they’re all pretty happy. I met Sophie last week when I accompanied a friend to her first visit. She did a great job. Kim who is at the front desk is always very pleasant.
They have good prices & scheduling is easy. I didn’t go through Groupon but I believe I paid the same amount my first time. $ 169 for 20 units. Kim enrolled me in
the Brilliant Distinctions program. You get $ 20 towards your service for every $ 200 you spend. You can only get the special pricing the first time. After that, you pay $ 10 per unit.
I love my results & although my lines were not very deep to begin with, it makes a big difference. Results last about 5 months maybe 5.5 but I have friends who have to go in every 3 months because they have deeper wrinkles. I do it for preventative reasons. Preventative Botox, is a theory, by which early, proactive efforts reduce the need for more invasive procedures.
If you always get asked why you look upset or have frown lines when you’re concentrating hard, it’s time you come see this wonderful group of ladies.

***NOTE: This review is for laser hair removal — not tattoo removal***
Synopsis: I got burned — twice.
Dets.: Lured in by a Groupon offering three high-​quality hair removal treatments for the low low price of $ 175, I visited Serenity back in June for my first armpit zapping. And what a zapping it was. It was more painful than any other session I’ve ever had (10+ in the same area at The Laser Center of Marin), and I wound up with pretty severe burns under one armpit.
As I had two sessions left on my Groupon, I returned last week for another session. I even asked the doctor to lower the setting (which he dutifully did); however, I STILL got burned. I could chalk it up to being dark skinned (the laser sometimes has trouble differentiating the dark hair from dark skin), but I have literally never been burned at any other spa except Serenity.
I would HIGHLY recommend them for tattoo removal with James. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend them for laser hair removal.

I’ll start with that I should write good reviews before I write a bad one, but who wants to admit to botox?
Everyone was nice.
This was not my first visit here and everything went as it had before.
Later my forehead felt heavy, like it was taped down. Then I noticed my eyelids drooping and the brow wrinkle was still there. Actually looked older after the procedure.
It’s been a month now and still droopy eyelids, still have a brow wrinkle…
A forgiving person I am, but spending money to look worse is telling me to look elsewhere.
UPDATE: It’s been agony waiting for the over injection to leave my face. What happened? An off day? One bad few minutes and I’m walking around looking like I haven’t had a proper nights sleep in weeks. Again the reason I went there is STILL there…

I’ve been to see Dr. Lisa Kang on three occasions, all three being
of finist professional manner, great guidance, wonderful care from the staff,
and couldn’t be a better experience. On time, great results, new space is amazing,
and has it all! Bam!

Have been coming here based on F’s recommendation to edit a tattoo. James, my laser guy, is incredibly friendly, professional, and SKILLED! At first, I was a bit peeved because I had to wait a long time, but I think that was a one-​time thing.
You can come early for the numbing cream but I found that I didn’t really need it. He explains the process super clearly and it’s just been super fast after the first go. They just moved to a new locations that’s roomier and nicer!
Anyway, I see people coming here for a variety of needs, and I just appreciate the cleanliness, the airiness, and the hospitable touches.

The service here is quick and painless (kind of, lol). The receptionist are friendly. It is very easy to make an appointment. Dr. Kang is a straight forward kind of guy, he pops in, says hi, does his thing and peaces out, which is totally fine for me. It’s not exactly the type of chatting environment that i need anyways.
The office is clean and bright. Plenty of seats in the waiting room. Coffee and tea offered to the clients.
Yay! I will be back! =]