Peter Karlsberg, M.D., F.A.A.D.

I did not mean a 1 star for this review I give Michelle 4 to 5 stars each time I visit her. Today was my second visit and again she is very gentle the office is clean and I am extremely pleased with the results. My negative review was for the West Coast Vascular clinic they referred me. I should have posted my opinion on the West Coast Vascular web site.

I am a technician for a mobile lab company hired by Dermatologists all over Southern California to perform special lab duties during Mohs surgery.
I go to different offices every day and I get to see the «behind the scenes» of how each office works.
Dr. Karlsberg’s office is one of the cleanest and best organized offices I work for. His staff is taken care of like family and a culture of respect and genuine caregiving toward patients is of the highest priority.
I cannot attest for the cosmetic work, but his surgical removal of skin cancer is conservative and precise. He takes patient concerns seriously and will talk with you about anything.
While most doctors and staff are in a rush to complete the surgeries and move on to the next procedure, Dr. Karlsberg sets aside a day specifically for Mohs surgery, taking the time necessary to do it correctly and effectively. This prevents the dreaded «recurrence», which causes patients from other offices to have the same surgery for the same cancer all over again!
There are plenty of cosmetic dermatologists out there to get your money. In my opinion, cosmetics are for people with money to burn anyway! But if you want someone who cares about the damaging maladies of your skin, I think Dr. Karlsberg’s office is a winner.

Dr. Karlsberg came highly recommend. Sadly he does not take my PPO insurance. Odd since my insurance is accepted almost everywhere. Every surgeon, oncologist, primary physician, etc. in town takes my insurance. Disappointing but I’m moving on to the next Dr. Clearly this guy doesn’t need our business.

Dr Karlsberg is nothing short of amazing, a pure dermatologist artist/​magician. I have been going to him since I moved here (3 years ago) and my skin has never looked better. He is honest with you (sometimes that can hurt our ego a bit) but the results are completely worth it.
I do spend most of my time with him and his staff doing cosmetic/​cash procedures, and I never have to wait for an appointment, nor has the staff ever been anything but kind, helpful and professional (I have read a few negative comments here) At the end of the day, you can’t get mad at him or his staff because they refuse to take your insurance. I have a high deductible plan that I prefer not to use, and the few times I have had non-​cosmetic procedures done, we have negotiated a very reasonable cash price, well below what he would have charged my insurance, that I would have had to pay anyway.
Yes, he charges a bit more for his cosmetic procedures, but he is the doctor actually doing them, not some medi-​spa with an MD that signs off paperwork a few time a week. He knows all of the latest techniques and stays on top of his education, he is always sharing with me about conferences/​meetings he recently attended and new techniques learned from the experts. So I guess you could pay less and get botox diluted down with lord knows what, given to you by someone that didn’t get board certified in dermatology or pay a little bit more to someone that does know what they are doing and would never risk their medical liscene to rip you off… I choose the later and look better for it.
I am often told I look way younger for my age and I have Dr. K and his staff to thank for it.
I have even sent friends to him that for years couldn’t figure out skin issues, and he fixes them on the first visit.
I have lived in many big cities and if I ever had to leave this town, I would either come back here or mourn my loss. he is just that good!

CAUTION! They don’t care about results – they do care that you pay up front and never bother to follow up. Did two sessions of Coolsculpting back in August and September 2015. After far more than the time they told me to expect results, nothing has changed. Further, the office never reached out to follow up. Never took «after» pics to compare with «before» so it is easy to conclude that they know it does not work. Any doctors office that does not check on a patient for any service is negligent. It’s all about the money and the wait times only further the feeling that this is a money making factory – we are just another number. I would caution anyone to have ANY PROCERDURE at this office because RESULTS DON’T MATTER. SAVE YOUR MONEY.

Seriously, one of the worst doctor experiences I have ever had.
I am new to the Ventura area and Dr. Karlsberg came highly recommended. This was my first and last visit to this office.
Dr. Karlsberg was not only running over 40 minutes behind schedule, he managed to be rude, combative, and insulting. He briefly told be about a skin resurfacing procedure, handed me a pamphlet on the procedure and rushed out of the room. Someone named Monica was supposed to call me to follow up. It’s been 3 weeks. No follow up call.
I have great medical insurance coverage and great skin (because I have taken the time, energy and $$ to work on it), so I’m not sure why the deplorable bedside manner. I gave the office 1 star because the ladies at the front desk were professional.

I am a new patient of Dr. Karlsberg. I decided to switch dermatologists because I wanted a doctor who was closer to where I live. My previous doctor seemed unwilling to take the time to answer my skin questions nor was he very thorough when I was examined. When I arrived for my first doctors appointment, Dr. Karlsberg and his staff were friendly and very professional and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to go to him.
Thanks

Dr. Karlsberg has helped me maintain naturally beautiful and healthy skin for the past seven years. I am so grateful for the care my family and I have received from Dr. Karlsberg and his staff. I give Dr. Karlsberg the highest recommendation. Thank you very much for keeping me beautiful and healthy. You are truly appreciated.

I drive a long distance to come to this office out of the absolute professionalism that Dr Karlsberg and his staff exude. I have seen several dermatologist in the past years, but Dr Karlsberg has really stood out, and that’s why I decided to to make this doctor and his staff my new primary dermatologist office of choice. The staff is always pleasant and amazing, I’m always greeted with a warm smile from the girls behind the counter, and welcomed back. I’ve been visiting this office for two years now, and have been extremely happy. I read some of the reviews on here and have never experienced any rudeness, or unprofessional manner from anyone in this staff. In fact it’s been the opposite. Unfortunately people like to complain and point the finger in the wrong direction. He and his staff are the BEST! I’ve had numerous procedures done with Dr Karlsberg and the results have been excellent. From the removal of skin cancer on my lip, to helping diagnose other issues with the skin. His assistant Michelle is the best P.A. that I have ever met. She’s always smiling and helps explain in detail all questions that I ask, nor is she bothered when I ask, and have her explain in detail everything that is occurring during a procedure. This is a great office! I’m lucky to have found them!

I recently went to Dr. Karlsberg to see if he could remove a painful wart on my finger tip. I had that wart for over 20 years. After doctors at the well known Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara treated it and it returned many times, I gave up. My husband told me about his good experiences with Dr. Karlsberg, so I decided to try one last time. He successfully removed it and I am beyond thrilled! Dr. Karlsberg was able to do what no other doctors could do. I am forever grateful to him.

My wife and I just moved to Ventura and I needed to get a previous cancerous mark checked out. Dr Peter Karlsberg and his staff were fantastic on taking care of the problem and explaining the problem that I could understand and giving me multiple options on how to take care of it. I’m glad I chose Dr Peter Karlsberg over the other options I had in Ventura.

I have been a patient of Dr. K for 8 years, I will agree with prior reviews that you do need to book in advance… But for me I consider that the best calling card around, a good doctor is always going to be in demand.
The first time I went to Dr. K it was for brown spots that had started to show up around the time of my thirtieth birthday, it started as one small freckle and eventually travelled down the length of my face and around my eyes, it was so noticeable that sometimes people would ask me if I had black eyes.
Needless to say this was hard on my self esteem and I wasn’t even sure if he could do anything for me, I initially went In to ask about bleaching creams. After he did his consultation he explained I have a hereditary pigmentation (I cannot remember the exact diagnosis) and he recommended because of my fair skin to have a chemical peel, he warned me that because it was hereditary they would eventually return, but not for along time.
I chose to have the procedure, the staff was friendly and put me at ease, he explained that he could be putting a cloth with chemical on my face and pressing firmly and my face would feel heat and discomfort, as a person who tries not to show her pain it wasn’t until Dr. K told me to breath that I realized I was holding my breath. It’s not that it really hurts, but the level of heat is very overwhelming and when he replaced the chemical cloth with an ice cold rag I almost expected to see steam rising from my face.
My skin was red, he explained how to treat it and gave me different products I could buy over the counter as well and a prescription cream.
The results … 3 days later my skin was flawless and smoother than it had felt in years, it was amazing to see those brown spots peel away as if I had been wearing a mask all those years.
Dr. K was right eventually some of them came back, thankfully not like first time… But it took two years for it to happen so I felt I got my money’s worth.
I would go back in a heart beat and now that I’m in my Forties I probably will.

Dr Karlsberg has been my families dermatologist for 14 years. Dr K has removed our spots that were potential danger, he has preformed many cosmetic procedures to beautify. Dr K is up to date on the latest technology.
Dr K’s office is clean, beautiful and very relaxing (for a doctors office!)
The staff is pleasant and do their best to get you into the best Dermatologist in the VC.
Btw my Botox is amazing!

I saw Dr. Karlsberg in late December because his website looked so great, and my dermatologist had left the county to practice in another county. I wrote a letter to Karlsberg in reference to a treatment I received January 9 at his office, «acne surgery,» that he recommended I have. At our initial consultation, Karlsberg explained that this acne surgery consisted of routine extractions, which is a common office procedure that I have experienced before. On the contrary, when I returned to his office for my acne surgery following our consultation, Yvette led me into a treatment room and prepared the room for the procedure.
After taking a seat in the treatment chair, Yvette asked me what my areas of concern were, and began the procedure. After several minutes of experiencing a level of pain that I did not feel was reasonable for a routine extraction procedure, I finally asked Yvette what exactly she was doing. Yvette told me that she was using «a scalpel to nick my skin, and a tool to extract what was underneath my skin.» My overriding impression of the procedure was that it was extremely painful, and very involved. At times during the procedure, Yvette made statements concerning the amount of «stuff» coming out of my skin, and that she didn’t anticipate the procedure to be as involved as it turned out to be. After enduring another forty minutes or so of my face being repeatedly pierced with a scalpel and extracted, followed by chlorhexidine applications to my open skin, Yvette told me to «lay off the acne prescriptions for that night and probably the next day,» and that my face «would look better the next morning.» She then handed me a sheet of paper identifying the procedure as «acne surgery,» told me to hand it to the receptionist at the front desk, then left the room. I looked in the mirror to find a shocking amount of inflammation and drainage, and held gauze to my face to control the bleeding.
Later that day, my mother, who is a wound care nurse and RN, called his office to speak with Yvette and clarify details of the procedure. Yvette explained that she had used chlorhexidine to clean my skin after each extraction. When questioned about the amount of pain I experienced during the procedure, Yvette confirmed that the procedure can be painful, and that the next time I came to the office for acne surgery, my face could be numbed prior to the procedure to control the pain. When my mother questioned Yvette to determine her credentials, Yvette stated she was a medical assistant who had been trained by Doctor Karlsberg.
Here are my concerns. The scope of practice of a medical assistant is non-​invasive with the exception of injections. The use of a number eleven-​blade scalpel constitutes an invasive procedure. The risk associated with using a number eleven-​blade scalpel on the face requires extensive training and proper credentials. A procedure labeled «acne surgery» should be preceded by a thorough explanation of the procedure, informed consent, opportunity for questioning, and further explanation if needed. Surgical procedures require proper pain control, sterile technique, and post-​operative instructions including ways to prevent infection and appropriate follow-​up care. Even procedures performed by properly trained and credentialed personnel require oversight by a physician.
On the day following the procedure, my face was weeping and inflamed, and by the afternoon, multiple scabs had formed on all areas that had been extracted. I immediately called my former dermatologist in an attempt to prevent permanent scarring. The dermatologist instructed me on several methods to prevent infection, and informed me on how to care for my damaged skin after such a destructive procedure. A week after the procedure, I traveled outside the county to visit his office for a consultation. The dermatologist diagnosed me as having a common case of adult acne, and subsequently prescribed medications to treat this condition. In addition, he informed me that the invasive procedure performed on my face would not have been a logical initial treatment option, and in fact, this treatment did nothing to improve the quality of my skin. He informed me that in the event of permanent scarring to my skin, he would be able to perform laser treatment to correct the damage incurred at Karlsberg’s office.
I would advise not to go to Karlsberg’s office for any reason. His staff is unprofessional and uneducated in areas related to the line of work they practice (even if they are not licensed), and Karlsberg doesn’t seem to be concerned when it comes to these issues. I will be notifying the board who certified him of my experience at his office.

I read some of the reviews stating that it takes weeks if not months to get an appointment and I experienced the exact opposite. I called on a Wednesday and was scheduled with Dr. Karlsberg two days later. The office staff was friendly on the phone and at the office. Maybe they have taken the feedback to heart but I only had the best experience.

Horrible rude staff worst place I have EVER been

The Best for Cosmetics! I previously used 40 units at another office, with Michelle she used 26 on me and I received better results by 100% ! I am soooo happy and will be referring tons of friends and family here!!! Staff is amazing and beautiful atmosphere!!!

There really should be two reviews. One for the Dr. and one for the staff and office experience. Dr. Karlsberg deserves five stars because he talks frankly and really knows his stuff. He’s successfully treated many problems for both my husband and me. It does take forever to try to get an appt with him, but it’s worth it if you can.
Zero stars for the office staff who is rude and not helpful at all in person or on the phone. IMO-Don’t bother going to his backup nurse whoever. She’s even more rude and acted like it’s a bother to see me. She showed up to work 25 minutes late for a first in the morning appt, came in and didn’t even offer an apology for keeping me waiting. Then looked at my issue for less than 30 seconds and sent me on my way with no good information. I did try to ask questions but she stood up, handed me the samples, and said if it gets worse come back. Yeah, like that will happen ever again. I got billed ~$ 100 for under five minutes of her rude attitude, and no answers. Slam, bam, no thank you.

If I could give zero stars, I would. This place seems nice, as their lobby is very nicely decorated and their brochures list many available treatments; however, not only was I totally rushed through the appointment I waited over two months to get, they prescribed me a medication that was DANGEROUS for me to take while PREGNANT! I told them I was pregnant and asked if the medication was safe because the pharmacist advised me it was ‘iffy.’ After speaking with my OB, she urged me not to take it as it wasn’t worth it. I was furious and called Dr. Karlsberg’s office to complain. I had to leave messages and no one ever returned my calls. Very disappointed and I will not be going back.

Dr Peter Karlsberg is a great dermatologist. I went to his office a few yrs ago when it was on Brent st. He took a look at my issue, took awhile to discuss it and after following his advice… poof problem solved. So I haven’t had to go back to him but if I ever need a great physician its nice to know there is a Harvard trained dermatologist in Ventura. Oh and i have referred a family member to him and they were as pleased as i was.