Punch excision, mole removal and scar treatment with Dr. Emer

I am not one to usually 'review' anything until I've gone through the procedure or met the provider but I have been SO incredibly impressed by Dr. Emer and staff that I decided to start this review a little early.

I am scheduled to see Dr. Emer for a consultation on 4/25/16 for a skin assessment, possible punch excision of a dilated pore, mole removal, scar therapy treatment plan and..... pew! pew! Laser talk :)

I know very little about types of lasers and use having never had a laser treatment so I'm sure it will be an interesting and informative consultation.

So.... While I can't speak of the consultation/treatments just yet what I can share is my initial impression and experience with Dr. Emer and his staff.

I chose to consult with Dr. Emer after seeing how active he was on Real Self and of all the before and after pics uploaded by dermatologists, his results were the most dramatic.

If you are considering Dr. Emer for a treatment you probably know he's kind of a big deal :) I reached out to Dr. Emer through social media and was shocked when he responded personally before I had even scheduled a consultation. If you have any experience with highly regarded Doctors in Los Angeles you will know that personal contact outside of scheduled office time is a rarity. So the fact that Dr. Emer took the time to make sure one of his lovely office staff (Nicole) contacted me and was able to schedule me in AND answered my questions quickly and personally was surprising and refreshing.

I am very much looking forward to my consultation/ treatment and hearing Dr. Emers recommendations. I have a feeling that Dr. Emer is going to be instrumental in helping me finally love the skin I'm in :)

I will update this review after my consultation.

I flew to LA on 4/25/16 and met with Dr. Emer later that afternoon. I have to say that I was super impressed and grateful that Dr. Emer and staff were so willing and able to accommodate my wish for a consultation/treatment within a short time period (I was only in town for 2 days) knowing how busy he is- and how relatively basic and mundane what I wanted done was- mole removal and a punch excision was- the fact Dr. Emer made the time to see me meant a lot.

So... My first impression of his office was that it was full of light, comfortable, tastefully decorated and bustling with positive energy. As a side note, there is a giant splatter print artwork in the waiting area which is both uplifting and entrancing, it reminded me of a beautiful piece I had seen in a London art gallery years before and thought it was a perfect, purposeful selection for the space so kudos to the decorator.

My motivation for seeing Dr. Emer was to remove a tiny but deep-ish hole by my nose, a mole on my face and moles on my neck and chest. Not too hard, right? Surely any 'ol local Dermatologist could do this and you're probably wondering why I travelled to California from the East Coast for this. Fair question- and you are not alone as many of my family members asked the same thing....

My answer was- this is my FACE. I only get one of these- so I'm only going to entrust it to the best. The truth of the situation was, the idea of a punch excision and having a scar right in the MIDDLE of my face was and is terrifying. However, I was at the point where the hole by my nose bothered me so much I needed to do something about it BUT I also had to make sure the person who did it would not leave me devastated and with a large, ugly scar being worse off than where I started.

My extensive online sleuthing turned up one guy who met all my prerequisites a few of those being- knowledgeable, experienced
and innovative with a proven track record of absolute precision- Dr. Jason Emer.

After seeing Dr. Emers Facebook page, watching the videos he posted and reading his glowing patient reviews I felt I had found someone I could trust.

And..... I was not disappointed!

So... Consultation time- I initially met with Celeste who can only be described as perfection. Seriously, this lady is as friendly and sweet as she is stunning- if I could look half, okay, even a quarter as great as she does now (shes a bit older than me- not that you would ever guess) I would be thrilled! While Celeste took down a little history and what I wanted to be seen about we chatted, had a lot of laughs and shortly after we were joined by Dr. Emer who was charming and personable despite having just finished surgery and who probably wanted a donut as opposed to meeting with yet another patient for such boring stuff (comparatively) in the dermatological realm :)

During our consultation I found Dr. Emer to be extremely focused, thorough and attentive and felt like I was talking with someone I had known for years. Without airs or judgement my time with Dr. Emer was comfortable, open and I felt at ease discussing each of my concerns.

Our consultation was lengthy and I pointed out what I wanted Dr. Emer to assess and address for treatment the following day. I spoke of the moles I wanted removed and the tiny hole by my nose which had strangely opened up out of nowhere about a year ago. Dr. Emer then examined me and I found out the hole was in fact a dialated pore of winer. We then made a short (mole removal, punch excision and treatment of a strange spot on my chest which had developed a week before) and long (facial and body, creams and laser work) term individually tailored plan.

The following day I returned for the first stage of the treatment plan, which included-

1) First up- the cosmetic mole removal of one larger dermal nevi on my right cheek and moles and tags on my neck. Dr. Emer performed shave excision with laser/hyfrecation blending.

2) Punch excision removal of the dilated pore of winer on my left cheek. Dr. Emer closed the wound with dissolvable stitches and I was instructed that if the stitches are there in 7-10 days I can remove them at home then treat with scar gel.

3) Dr. Emer also started me on a skin care regimen in preparation for fraxel dual laser treatment with microneedling/PRP at my next apt on July 19 to help with my freckles, brownspots and for antiaging purposes.

4) Dr. Emer performed a pulsed dye laser treatment to my nose diffuse redness and dilated blood vessels, also to the scar on my chest.

5) The scar on my chest was also injected with 5FU and kenalog (steroid) to help decrease its size and soften the look. Dr. Emer did mention that it may need to laser it in the future and/or possibly surgically remove it if it doesn't respond to lasers.

6) For those who don't know- Dr. Emer has been doing some amazing work with hi definition liposuction. We discussed his "hi def physique" creations- you can check them out on his facebook page- the transformations are quite fantastic! Dr. Emer mentioned that he thinks I would be an ideal candidate which was quite flattering.

So... All in all, a very positive treatment experience. Since I left and travelled home I have been in contact with Dr. Emer and Celeste who have both immediately answered the many annoying 'I'm so sorry but I forgot to ask xyz type of questions' I sent them. If I wasn't convinced before that I had made the right choice by selecting and investing in a long term skincare relationship with Dr. Emer, I was 100% sure when Dr. Emer personally reached out to check that I had made it home safely. After seeing firsthand how how run-off-his-feet-busy Dr. Emer is, I was touched by his kindness and thoughtfulness and it was then that I truly knew just how much of a gem Dr. Emer is- not only was he engaged in my treatment process, he has been active, present and on hand for my aftercare; going above and beyond.

For those looking for a skilled, understanding and innovative Dermatologist, I wholeheartedly recommend you book a consultation (either in person or online) with Dr. Emer- you won't be disappointed!

I can honestly say, my time with Dr. Emer and staff surpassed my expectations and I am very much looking forward to seeing how I heal and my next appointment!

I have been following Dr. Emers post treatment instructions and think I am healing quite well for being in the early stages.

The only thing which is slightly annoying is that the mole which was removed under right eye has caused the area to puff up and is quite sore. But.... This complaint is me reaching for one- it is a little tender to the touch but no real pain.

At this stage I have no regrets and am hoping that once the stitches come out at the site of the pore of winer that I won't be left with a huge dent- fingers and toes crossed! :)