Advanced Dermatology

AVOID...

AVOID THIS PLACE - In late 2024, I joined Advanced Dermatology's membership program, where a fixed monthly fee accumulates as credit toward treatments. Members also receive discounts on treatments, a deal that initially seemed attractive. When I attempted to book my first treatment at Bondi Junction (PRP Facial), I was informed that the discount wouldn't apply until after the initial treatment was paid in full. This condition wasn't mentioned on their website at the time. Despite this, I paid for the treatment and enrolled in the membership. During my first PRP facial, the nurse, who mentioned it was her first week at the clinic, began the procedure. Surprisingly, I felt no discomfort from the microneedling, an unusual outcome based on my research and my partner's prior experience. Despite adjusting the intensity several times, I still felt nothing. Post-treatment, my skin showed no typical redness or tenderness. Initially, I thought my skin might have reacted differently. Weeks later, noticing no results, I used my accumulated credit to book another PRP facial. This time, the experience differed. The new nurse, appearing more experienced, was surprised by my previous lack of sensation and agreed to increase the intensity. Yet again, I felt nothing during the microneedling. Midway through, the nurse discovered the cap on the micro-needling device hadn't been removed. Once the cap was taken off, I finally felt the expected discomfort. This led me to conclude that my first PRP treatment was entirely ineffective, likely because the cap had been left on throughout the entire procedure. Due to this, I didn't experience the results or post-treatment effects I should have. By the time I realised the first treatment had been performed incorrectly, several weeks had passed. I felt it would be pointless to raise the issue with management, as I couldn't prove the treatment's ineffectiveness after such a delay, and our prior interactions with the clinic's management gave me little confidence that the matter would be handled appropriately. On another occasion, I attempted to book Ultratherma but was again told that I wouldn't be eligible for the membership discount until I paid in full once. Like before, this condition wasn't documented in the membership terms, making it seem like the clinic was inventing rules. My final visit to Advanced Dermatology was the last straw. I booked another PRP treatment (foolishly), now rebranded as PRF, with an additional charge of $200 for essentially the same procedure. The only difference was that they now included red blood cells in the treatment. Ironically, the preparation time for the blood had halved, leading to a quicker session, yet they charged more. The clinical manager performed my treatment while training a new staff member. I found her technique rough; she missed my vein on the first attempt, then switched arms and succeeded but failed to instruct me to apply pressure afterward. As a result, blood leaked under the plaster, and I developed a bruise in the following days. I have serious concerns about the clinic's health and safety standards. The fact that a microneedling device was used on my skin without removing the cap raises concerns about how many other treatments may have been improperly conducted, potentially risking infection. I strongly advise others to avoid this clinic. Over several months, I spent hundreds of dollars, and my partner spent thousands, yet the service fell far short of the premium experience they claim to offer. Both of us have canceled our memberships and moved to a more reputable clinic.