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Vail C Reese MD & Felicia Hall MD, Union Square Dermatology
Rating Details »
Category: Dermatologists [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Nob Hill, Union Square450 Sutter St
Ste 830
(at Stockton St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 393-9550
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
93 reviews for Vail C Reese MD & Felicia Hall MD, Union Square Dermatology
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
10/7/2008
11/11/2009
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7/14/2009
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Updated - 7/20/2009
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Updated - 8/1/2008
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Updated - 12/18/2008
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10/14/2007
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
I generally distrust doctors, so the fact that I am giving Dr. Hall five stars is sort of a big deal. She is awesome. I trust her to keep me skin cancer free. She is thorough and professional, and gives enough information for me to make informed decisions. She personally called me to keep me updated on the status of my tests and to discuss my treatment options. I ended up with a pretty bad scar from the last biopsy I had (different doctor). Dr. Hall completely understood my concerns, and didn't make me feel superficial for caring about that sort of thing.
I hate to break it to all my feet fans out there, but right now one of my feet isn't perfect. It's not like I lost a toe, it's just that not all pedicure places use sanitary practices. Unfortunately, their bad decision lead to something weird on my foot. I'm not going to go into detail.
It finally got to the point that OTC therapies weren't working, so I consulted Yelp and decided on this place (even though the lovely and my fave Jessica T wasn't thrilled).
I called and managed to get an appointment fairly quickly, and for front office staff, she isn't bad. The medical assistant was FANTASTIC, as was Dr. Hall. She took a look at the...thing, made her recommendations, and then answered all my other questions.
The office is clean and welcoming, and I am actually looking forward to having a reason to go back (I still need a mole check).
As some of you know, I know doctors very well, and I wouldn't hesitate to send all my friends here to get THEIR moles/things checked.
I referred to Yelp to help me find a dermatologist, and found this office. All the reviews praised Dr. Reese with great enthusiasm, and so I called hoping to get an appointment with Dr. Reese. I was disappointed when they told me that only Dr. Hall was available. (Well of course he is, with all the great reviews!) With hesitation, I decided to book the appointment with Dr. Hall and give it a try.
She was a great doctor. I've gone to a few appointments with her and she's always been friendly and to the point. Was glad to answer any additional questions that I had. I have no idea how she compares to Dr. Reese, but if you can't get an appointment with Dr. Reese, Dr. Hall is a great doctor to try as well.
It's been quite some time since I've needed Mr. Reese's pieces help; however, let me weigh in on this one...he's awesome, friendly, and professional. Bottom line: winnah winnah winnah. Let me tell you a little story....
About a year ago, I woke up to do my regular beauty routine (sand blaster, chisel, turpentine...ya know? the usual). Well after a little Mirror, Mirror action...i noticed something starting to grow on my face. Wicked Witch style--turns out I had a wart (yep, a motha effin' wart) growing on my motha-effin-face. But have no fear, with a little help from yelp, I found the proverbial light. Dr. Reese stepped in and after a couple of appointments and voila no more wart. Ensuring once again, that I'm the prettiest princess in the land.
The End...
Dr. Reese is great but what earned them 5 star is WINNIE. Amazing woman. Very funny, helpful woman.
Thanks for making me feel very comfortable Winnie. Im 36 and she said i looked 28... maybe she says that to everyone but i dont care... made me feel good :-)
I saw Dr. Hall.
Great experience so far, she was fast, efficient, explained things well, and was thorough.
I would definitely recommend Dr. Hall to anyone looking for a straight-forward approach.
A glowing review for Dr. Hall. She saw me for an acne meds followup when Dr. Reese was unavailable that week, and I'm glad I got "stuck" with her. She, too, has great medical expertise and bedside manner. While she's quieter and doesn't crack many jokes like Dr. Reese, her easygoing and straightforward manner was refreshing. And triple thumbs up because Dr. Hall returned my calls personally.
With more than half-dozen visits to Dr. Reese under my belt, I totally recommend him, too. Winnie the assistant returns calls instead of Dr. Reese when I have questions, but she's nice and was on top of my Accutane paperwork. If I must quibble:
(1) Dr. Reese runs late, even if you call beforehand and they say he's on time.
(2) In my individual case, he tended to be a bit overly optimistic and confident about the length/efficacy of the prescribed treatment. e.g. The topical acne meds were -not- enough to treat my relatively mild acne, nor did I get clear skin after 3-4 months of Accutane but had to go the entire crazy-lips-a-peelin' 6 months. And I -did- have to use more prescription meds after Accutane, contrary to what he had confidently assured me. A wee frustrating but, hey, I have clear skin now.
Overall, Dr. Reese and Hall are fantastic doctors, and I'm glad my search for a dermatologist is over.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/12/2008
Dr. Reese is knowledgeable, thorough, and listens (really)!! Winnie and Judy are helpful and run… Read more »
Sadly, I can only review Dr. Reese's office staff and not Dr. Reese since they managed to lose any record of my appointment. Since I have very good records of when the appointment was made, who spoke to whom, etc., I can say with some certainty that this was the office's fault. I was provided a perfunctory apology and nothing more for the considerable inconvenience. Dr. Reese declined to even come out and say hello to a new patient.
Given the very high cost of this practice (they require payment *upfront by credit card*) they need to be much stronger with their customer service. They position themselves as a high-end practice (almost luxurious), but my experience suggests that they struggle to live up to this.
Dr. Hall has surpassed my expectations for a doctor!
I was referred to Dr. Reese, but when I called the office, his schedule was full further out than Dr. Reese's. Reluctantly I decided to take an appointment with Dr. Hall, so I could be seen sooner. I'm so lucky I did!
Dr. Hall was very attentive to my concerns & really took the time to listen. When I had to call her office a few Saturday's ago with a questions about my prescription, they paged her. She called me back & was not at all short or inconvenienced, but rather more than happy to talk to me. I was shocked...I thought she would be totally upset that I called with a non-emergency concern. She remembered exactly who I was & reassured all my concerns.
I am glad I found her & would not hesitate to refer anyone to her. I feel she is very concerned for her patients & took the time to listen to me at my appointment. She did not push any cosmetic type procedures on me like I have heard so many dermatology offices do these days.
Love her! Glad she is on my team.
I saw Dr. Hall several months ago, and let's just say that I have no idea how she could get a good ratings in here.
So, my appointment time is at 3:00PM, and there is also another patient whose appointment time is at 3:15PM.. at that time, I was thinking to myself, okay, so she's only going to see me for 15 minutes.. it better be effective!
So, I got called in at 3:10PM, and her assistant asked me a lot of questions, about the product that I used, etc, and she left me in the office alone for another 10 minutes. Honestly, I thought that she must be really busy and all, but I heard that she was talking (no.. socializing) to other man outside (I assumed he's her old-time patient), because he was about to leave far away (yes, they talked really loud that I could hear their conversation from the office)..
So, she finally went in to see me, and looked at my face BRIEFLY, and gave me this one cream, while I specifically told her that I have used that cream for about a year, and it has made my face worse!!
So, I still give that cream a try.. She said that my face would be better in about three months, and asked me to schedule another appointment in three months. And guess what, that three months is the WORST stage of my skin.. no sign of improvement whatsoever.. and it's all thanks to Dr. Hall..
I gave her two stars instead of one because of their generous sample.
I've gone to Dr. Reese four or five times now and been impressed by both his friendliness and his medical knowledge. He has a great combination of both and in ways I didn't find with the two other dermatolists I've gone to in the past ten years. I trust his judgement. My skin is in much better shape thanks to his care.
The staff have been both warm and professional as well.
I would recommend him to anyone who needs a dermatologist.
That said, there are two procedural hiccups which have occurred again and again and so I have to consider them more than one-of events. The first has to do with how long it took from the time of my appointment to when I actually saw the doctor. I consistently arrived on time but in every instance I've had to wait many minutes, sometimes half an hour, in the waiting room before being escorted to an examining room. Then, minutes later, a staff person would interview me to find out why I was there. Then there was another wait until I saw the doctor himself.
In other words, allow lots of time and take reading material.
The second hiccup is more disconcerting. Let my start by saying that I think Dr. Reese's prices are fair. They are in line with the other dermatologists that I've gone to. I never know, however, what the cost of a new procedure is going to be until I'm on the table, having to decided then and there if I want it. I don't like making a cost analysis decision while I'm lying there with my skin exposed. I would like to have the information beforehand, even if that means getting it at the start of the session when the Dr. is offering me options.
The end result: I go to Dr. Reese and will continue to go to him.
So, I recommend Dr. Reese but there are these two small "bewares."
Holey-Moley! So yeah I have a lot of moles. I have moles on my scalp, my back, my arms, I even have one on my ear! My ex even called me chocolate chip! Needless to say I'm more than a little freaked out by the thought of getting skin cancer (not to mention the fact my grandpa had it and I got sunburned a ton as a kid!)
Dr. Reese took a look at all of them and gave me a clean bill of health! But he didn't just do that he also had awesome bedside manner, dispelled a lot of myths for me, gave me ideas about what to look for in my moles. And told me I should come in once a year to get them checked.
The office was clean and modern, the front desk staff were nice, and my doctor seemed to actually care about me. I couldn't really ask for more so I know where I will be getting my next yearly mole check up.
I'm still adjusting to the whole "Pick Your Own Doctor" game after being with Kaiser for so many years. I had gotten so used to visits consisting of long waits, but short visits, which were kept serious and professional at all times. I realized just how much I was missing out when I made a visit to Dr. Reese's office.
Shared with Dr. Hall, his office boasts a cast of characters, akin to those involved in a comedy routine. There's the front desk receptionist (the host), his assistant, Winnie (the warm-up act), and Dr. Reese, himself (the comedian).
Dr. Reese removes a lot of the apprehension that comes along with doctor visits. He doesn't talk down to his patients, and his persona is one that puts you at ease. He can exchange witty banter, yet still maintain a professional composure. A lot of doctors could learn a thing or two from his bedside manner.
Aside from the fact that he's actually human, he's completely knoweldgeable in the field of dermatology, explaining thoroughly any conditions I had concerns about.
During my visit, Dr. Reese performed a quick procedure I wasn't expecting. Worried that it would take up too much of his time, he assured me that it wouldn't, but also gave the impression that he had all the time in the world to attend to me. If that wasn't enough, he made doubly sure all my questions were answered before leaving. Most doctors are scratching at the door to leave as soon as your two minute appointment is up.
It's just too bad he's a specialist, and not a PCP. When you can joke around with your doc and forget you're sitting around in your underwear, that is some great patient rapport.
Negative one stars because:
1. Months after seeing this Dr. Reese, my son's acne has worsened.
2. An even negative minus star for some Dr. Reese fan who has been harrassing me during a workday ....
My reviews are my opinions, you don't like it, you click away!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/12/2008
This is the only Yelp find that deserves a ONE!
Maybe a minus one, but perhaps because my patient… Read more »
I am a big fan of Dr. Reese and My previous dermatologist tried to solve my skincare issues by inundating me with lotions and potions that didn't always work. Dr. Reese is well-versed on other treatment options that I should consider that are more effective and he does a great job of explaining these to me....Thanks Dr. Reese.
Dr. Reese is amazing. So friendly and comforting. I can not recommend him enough. Go get your moles checked! It is easy and the peace of mind afterward (Hopefully) is priceless.
There are few people I envy more than those blessed with good skin... while the parade around in a blemish-free world, I'm cursed to freak out every time some random bump or mark appears.
Like last month, when some huge lump decided to make itself known on the side of my face, just camping out and hanging around all swollen and red. It scared the shit out of me, so I booked my first appointment with Dr. Hall.
Dr. Hall was simultaneously very professional and comforting, assuaging my fears of cancer and assuring me the bump was simply an ugly, but non-threatening eyesore. She quickly shrunk that sucker down and bandaged me up in less than 20 minutes, while also providing some helpful general advice and handing out a number of free samples... always appreciated.
So now I know where to go the next time I feel the need to keep up in our beauty-focused culture.
I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with my appointment here.
While Dr. Hall was nice enough, I just didn't feel like it was a successful visit. I didn't leave feeling like I had real solutions in my hand when it came to my skin concerns. I also felt like my body examination for any suspicious moles and the like (as a redhead you have to be careful) could have been more thorough. Even some advice offered about how to better protect my skin when it comes to the sun, would have been welcomed.
After waiting in a thin paper garment for a good couple of minutes before the appointment, I felt that the actual appointment went by much too quickly.
I've heard great things about Dr. Reese who works in the same office, so I may try him down the road when skin concerns arise again.
Dr. Reese is pleasant, professional, and establishes immediate rapport the second he walks into the room. He has a great sense of humor and has always been considerate of my dignity.
As a result, he has won the hard-earned title of the only man on this planet allowed to give me a good once-over with a magnifying glass while I wear a giant paper napkin.
Well done, Dr. Reese.
Dr. Reese is the best! I have a history of skin cancer, and have had bad luck with my previous dermatologists (i.e. did not pay attention to scarring and/or just wanted to give me botox). Dr. Reese is thorough, attentive, and very easy to talk to about any concerns or problems. If you're looking for a good derm for any skin cancer issues, I highly recommend him.
After reading a couple of Dr Reese's reviews on Yelp, I felt that familar tug of peer pressure, but on calling discovered he was out on vacation. I took what I could get. A next day appointment with Dr Hall. Gulp!
Dermatologists need to keep the ABC's in mind when it comes to treating their patients:
A - Always explain your thoughts and attitudes, especially when non-popular, towards topical subjects of steriods, and hydraquanine etc. Check.
B - Bear in mind how the draft feels from under a paper gown while waiting endlessly for your Dr to arrive. Check.
C - Contact, that is eye cotact, cannot be underestimated when your in the business of having to meet your patients naked first time. Check.
Dr Hall looks like she lives next door. I mean, I swear I saw her dancing her way through that aging yuppie crowd at the Balboa last weekend. No really, she's lovely. She did a full body peek, gave me some samples, which I always appreciate before having to cough up for an unknown cure, and promised to meet with me in 3 months to talk through some upcoming changes. I was in and out in half an hour, without feeling rushed. I liked the clean, efficient and thorough way they do business.
Dr. Reese's manner and knowledge-base are simply tops. I went in today to get some stuff checked out, and he does a great job at even putting this self-proclaimed complete needle-wuss at ease. He doesn't take my insurance but he's definitely worth whatever it will cost without my insurance covering it all!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/26/2006 First to Review
Holding out on the last star until I have a procedure done. He was very nice, listened, and gave me… Read more »
Nothing to complain about with Dr. Hall.
I saw Dr. Felicia Hall to get a mole checkup and to talk about some eczema issues. She was efficient, but friendly.
I ended up needing to have a biopsy taken of one of my sunspots. This took literally 3 minutes once she was set up and was completely painless.
I heard back a week later about the biopsy and everything was normal. I'll definitely be getting my yearly checkup from her in the future.
So Dr. Reese is the dermatologist who does the http://skinema.com website. He assured me that even when I become famous/infamous, he would never post me up there because I'm his patient. He added that he'd never be able to maintain that site if his practice was in LA because he'd inevitably get celebrity clients. I responded, "What about someone like Sean Penn?" who lives in the East Bay. He responded that he can't comment on current or past clients. I think this is called creating medical practice-mystique.
Anyway, I was just going in for my yearly melanoma avoidance check and to get some small things to help with acne breakouts. Dr. Reese was very friendly and explained how things work for the nerd in me. He even understood my description of "satellite acne" (http://openwetware.org...)! Awesome.
He isn't in-network for Blue Cross or Blue Shield but they will submit your claim so you can get out of network reimbursement.
By the way, gorgeous office. Who knew you could pull off a little craftsman-style in a medical office?
I started having skin issues at 12. Four different dermatologists in 3 states later, I had the same issues. And I'm 25. Isn't acne supposed to be gone by now? Well, thanks to Dr. Reese, it's on it's way out for good. Finally!
One of the best parts is that Dr. Reese treats acne like it's normal. Other Doctors I have seen act like your face is about to fall off unless you apply seriously expensive, painful and nasty medications. I have never been a fan of prescriptions, but Dr. Reese has me on a new drug that is, slowly but surly, saving (my) face. He doesn't promise miracles and he reminds you that clear skin, for life, takes time. My skin is much improved, and it's only getting better. Hurray!
After getting some small outbreaks of cystic acne over the past few years, I went to Dr. Hall for help.
Dr. Hall made me feel so entirely comfortable and was very professional. I was so relieved since my family doctor didn't think these outbreaks were a big deal. Dr. Hall recognized the problem and put me on a prevention program.
Dr. Hall is extremely nice and comforting, I highly recommend her, especially to those unsure if they really have a problem.
Dr. Reese is the best dermatologist I have ever been to! He's smart, funny, thorough, has all the latest technology, and is up on the latest procedures. He quickly diagnosed a condition that other doctors misdiagnosed and recommended a treatment that worked. He is the kind of doctor most others can only hope to become.
His staff is also terrific. Winnie, his medical assistant, has a great personality, and his receptionist is very nice and helpful. The office even has great decor.
I have been going to Dr Reese for about 10 years now, probably around the time he started http://skinema.com. He is the only place where you could be half naked with a knife diving in to you, a mole being extracted, and at the very same time have a conversation about Mark Whalberg's third nipple. I love gossiping with him about both celebrities and people we both see on vacations, burnt like lobsters on beaches.
The man is a walking encyclopedia of stars and skin problems. I bet he kicks butt in trivial pursuit...about as much butt he has kicked on my moles.
I have recommended everyone I know to go to him, and I am glad to do that on Yelp, as well. Thanks, Vail!!!!
I will join the ranks in praising Dr. Reese to the skies. I have only been in for checkups about 5 times, but I just had 2 nasty moles removed yesterday, that he thankfully thought were not the bad kind.
I agree with what everyone else says about him; he is wonderfully sociable and chatty and that makes all the difference when seeing someone who is about to jam you with a needle. He makes the whole ordeal smooth as silk. And, I might add, his surgical assistant Winnie is a riot - she's so happy go lucky she fills the room with sunshine!
After reading many yelp reviews I was able to find Dr. Reese
Today was my first visit to Dr. Reese. I was thoroughly impressed with him and his staff. highly recommend, he is extremely professional, with a gentle bedside manner.
Thank you to all the yelpers out there that write your reviews. It makes life so much easier to find great doctors and much much more.
Miles better than any other dermatologist I've ever seen. Kind, attentive, informative, and did not push any prescriptions on me whatsoever. For the first time I didn't feel like I was being sold anything. I saw Dr. Hall and she was wonderful, have also heard great things about Dr. Reese but she worked fine for me and they have made me (almost) a believer in some western medicine again. Thank you!!
I'm sad one can't care for ones health by ordering a combo meal. In a perfect world, Dr. Reese would be my primary physician, dentist, AND derma-doc. I didn't take any happy pills but I was so stoked for my second visit to see Dr. Reese. He clearly (literally) knows his stuff and is so well mannered that you just leave his office feeling "cured." There's some sort of magic which compliments his concise explanations of why ones skin may be acting up or why a weird bump has appeared. Dr. Reese exhibits a calmness which I personally think is half of his overall prescription to whatever you're in for.
Check out his site http://www.skinema.com . It's been referenced in US Weekly and more even more amusing, it relates celebrities to us, everyday folks, and vice versa.
Dr. Reese was amazing. He took care of problems that I had had for years (moles, cysts, etc.), but that no one else would touch. He's quick, painless, and professional and will let you pop in before opening hours or right before the end of lunch if you need something really quick (cortisone shot, removal of stitches).
The office was also very clean and upscale-feeling. In addition to all the regular dermatological procedures you expect, you can also purchase high-end skin creams and elixirs.
I would recommend Dr. Reese's office to anyone.
I'm am so glad to have recently seen Dr. Hall for a number of skin related issues. She was amazing! Not only was she attentive but she took the time to get to know me. She is extremely knowledgeable and has a good grasp on current treatments and the potential of future treatments. I trust her completely. I will definitely be revisiting her soon! Five stars for her personality, medical expertise and ability to relate to patients.
How could I forget to write a review about my favorite doctor? Dr. Reese is the BEST dermatologist I have ever seen. (and I've seen dozens) He's the only one who has managed to give me clear skin, get rid of my nasty scars, erased my fine lines, helped with weird ailments that tend to crop up with my health issues, and always gives me more then enough information to get better. On top of all that, he does it with a huge smile.
I've been seeing him for 4 years now. He goes above and beyond, and really my skin has never looked as good as it does now. I can't say enough about him!
Since Dr. Matarasso (and the rest of the practice) is no longer taking United HealthCare insurance, it was time to branch out. Union Square Dermatology was able to get me an appointment with Dr. Hall 6 days after I called, and even at the end of the day.
I hadn't done the mole check in years, so it was time. Dr. Hall made me feel like a skin care rock star for knowing the ABC's of moles, and she shot one on my back with some liquid nitrogen so it's not nasty anymore. I was in and out in 20 minutes. No complaints here.
I'm a fair skinned redhead with freckles, lots of benign moles, and extremely sensitive skin. Not to mention oily and breakout prone! So naturally when I moved to SF about a year ago, I thought it was about time to make friends with a good dermatologist.
I found Dr. Hall about a year ago on here, and I'm so glad I did! She's been working with me to heal my blemish-prone skin, and it's been several months with no Proactiv (which scared me since it seemed to be the only thing that would control my breakouts--like as soon as I stopped using it at any time I'd break out!) but I totally trust Dr. Hall. And my skin is starting to finally calm down and look nice! She is warm, efficient and confident and always listens to my concerns, even the ones I suspect are kind of silly. =) I'm so thankful to have found her! She's doing an excellent job helping me care for my ultra sensitive skin.
Sara Jane and Keshia (reception and attending staff) are awesome, too---always warm and friendly on the phone and in-person.
Thank you!
I went to Dr. Reesse for a skin emergency and ended up getting a good check up on my moles. He was very thorough. As for the rest of the treatment...the products didn't reallly work for me. But his whole office is very nice and friendly....makes it a breeze to go to him.
Update: when it comes to skinproblems like moles, sunburns etc. I would recommend Dr. Reese. In regards to the mole, he basically held my hand thru surgery and afterwards and squeezed me in when I got such a horrible sunburn that my ankles were swollen. He makes me feel that even the tiniest problem is worth a thorough check-up and doesn't dismiss it!
I went to see Dr. Reese based on several Yelp reviews and I must say "thank you!" to my fellow Yelpers. Dr. Resse --- in addition to running a pleasant and professional office --- is personable, informative and quite adept at putting one at ease with ones skin.
I was so comfortable with his level of professionalisn that I had a procedue done on the spot, he handled it perfectly. And the followup with his staff, Winnie and Judy, was an excellent experience as well.
There is a reason Dr. Reese's rating is so high -- he's that good.
Go in to have a mole removed and he'll take care of a dozen other things too, all in less than twenty minutes. And, even better, all on a single co-pay. Plus, he's got a great bedside-manner -- the kind of easy natured rapport that makes me feel comfortable even when I'm in my underwear.
