I began laser hair removal treatments with Dr. Shel Wellness & Medical Spa in August 2006. I purchased a full body hair removal package (arms, underarms, face, back, stomach, buttocks, bikini, legs) which cost me $9,000 in installments over 4 months. She did my first treatment and told me that she would be in the room during all of my treatments. I hardly saw her after my first session, unless it was time to make my payment. She must have found it much easier to just TELL my laser specialist what settings I should be on without even looking at my hair or progress, because that's exactly what she did thereafter. I could tell that I wasn't getting results by my 4th or 5th treatment, and notified her immediately. After even a year I had only reached minimal reduction. I had meetings with her, my laser specialist, even the Cutera representative and at that time she promised to get me to a certain percentage of hair reduction (only in a few body parts) and we came up with new ways to do this. Now, she did follow through for some months, and for that I was grateful. However, I was still not getting anywhere near my goal. After she moved into her new office on Hwy 6, I went in only for the second time and after my laser specialist and I passed by her office, she called her in to speak to her. After a few minutes the laser specialist came back and said that "Dr. Shel" said there is nothing more they can do! I asked what happened to our plan and when she couldn't answer my question, I asked if I could meet Dr. Shel to discuss this. I was told that she's with someone...her office was empty when I walked by. I said I would wait, and in an attempt to throw me out of the office, I was told that she was booked all day and wouldn't have time to meet with me at all. I had no choice but to leave. I called back a few times the next week, leaving her messages asking her to call me. I never got a call back..from anyone at the office. The next time I called back, I got a new receptionist on the line who apparently didn't know my situation and I managed to get an appointment to speak with Dr. Shel. On the day of my appointment, my laser specialist called me and left a voicemail saying, "I wanted to schedule a phone call instead of a meeting, I don't know what you need to meet her for, I told you everything there was." I was so upset I didn't know what to do, but I just wanted to get a copy of my file for my records. They gave me hell for that too. I was pushed around, lied to, and constantly tested, not to mention completely HUMILIATED! The new manager got in my face, was rude and refused to let me see her. After the cancellation on my appointment with her, I didn't even want to see her, all I was there for this time, was for my copy of MY file. And they weren't giving it to me. I finally had to throw a tantrum and I actually began crying because I was being treated like a crook. One of the nurses from her husbands dentist office (the same building) came to calm me down. She spoke to the manager and a few minutes later he came out with the copy of my file. I saw Dr. Shel once that time, when she walked out to talk to the manager. She looked at me and waived, as if she was oblivious to the whole situation. That is just bad business ethics and plain foolish that she didn't have the courtesy to speak to me just once in person. Bottom line, I didn't get what I paid for, I was humiliated and neglected because my treatments weren't working. Today, 6 months later and close to $10,000 less, I am still waxing my full body every 4 weeks-just as before the treatments, my face more frequently. Now i'm not at all saying that everybody will have a bad experience or bad treatment. However, I do say that keep in mind before getting any procedure from their clinic that results do vary from person to person, so keep in mind the possible chance of not being satisfied along with my experienc and then decide if it is something that you would want to go through.
by Jabeen
January 29, 2009
