• What are lasers?
• How does your practice compare to those based in Boston?
• Do you do facials?
• Can you remove tattoos?
• Do you have experience with African American skin care issues?
• What are your billing procedures like?
• What if I experience a side effect to my treatment?
• I perspire heavily under my arms. Is that a condition you can treat?

What are lasers?

Lasers are devices that emit a high-intensity single wavelength of colored light beam that is selectively attracted to a particular target such as a blood vessel or a brown spot.

I live on the North Shore but find it’s easier to get quality treatments in Boston, where I work. How does your practice compare?

Just like the larger, Boston-based practices, we excel at providing state-of-the-art treatments for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin. Fortunately for our patients, our costs are a bit more reasonable. As an example, we charge only $150 for 30 treatments of GentleWaves®, which is a light-emitting diode machine that tightens skin by activating skin cells so they produce new collagen. The healthy appearing glow and smooth texture it gives the skin makes it definitely worthwhile. Another way we stand apart is that we keep our practice very personalized and patient-centered. We do our own skin pathology and all of our own billing in house. And we make every effort to squeeze in emergency cases—we're here to take care of people and listen to their concerns, not to run a train station. Lastly, visiting our Swampscott office is significantly less hectic than driving into Boston. And we have evening and Saturday hours, too.

Do you do facials?

We offer acne facials which are designed to treat blackheads, whiteheads and unclog pores. However, for patients who would like to bring a quick, youthful glow to their look, we offer a collagen blanket, which is a soothing 30-minute treatment that hydrates and tightens the skin. The effect is temporary, but it's not expensive. Many people like to have one when they really want to look great for the next couple of days—for a wedding or perhaps to impress friends at a school reunion.

Can you remove tattoos?

Yes, we can remove tattoos with lasers, but multiple treatments are necessary. Amateur superficial tattoos (blue, black) may require four to six sessions while professional tattoos (deeper and usually multicolored) may require eight to twelve sessions. Treatments are spaced approximately six weeks apart.

Do you have experience with African American skin care issues?

After more than 30 years in the business, we're experienced in treating all skin types, all ethnicities, and all ages, even babies. Our new associate, Dr. Holly Mason, has a special interest in pediatric dermatology. As dermatologists, we specialize in diseases of the skin no matter the color of skin, the age of skin, or your heritage. And we have several team members fluent in various languages, so please ask if you're more comfortable speaking a language other than English.

How will I be billed? What if I am unprepared for the charges?

We have our own in-house billing department with a very experienced staff. And we accept all insurances. If you have any concerns regarding your insurance coverage or if you aren't certain you can manage your account, our staff will work with you. We don't farm anything out to impersonal billing agencies. We have hands-on control of the practice because we care about our patients and try to be there for them.

What if I experience a side effect to my treatment?

Please call our office as soon as possible. If the problem is serious, one of the doctors or mid-level practitioners will immediately speak to you. If the side effect does not require immediate attention, you will be called at the end of the day.

We stand behind what we do and will always be there for our patients.

Most of the time, people get a nice result from our services. However, every treatment has side effects, so we try to keep them to a minimum. In order for you become fully informed about what to expect, we go into as much detail as possible at the time of consultation. If there's any adverse effect you weren't prepared for or if you're not happy with the results, we go out of our way to try to bring you to a level of satisfaction. We stand behind what we do. And should you have a bad result, we'll resolve the problem—with multiple visits if necessary—without telling you the next opening is in three months. Yes, our waiting room may sometimes get full, but you won't be left high and dry.

I perspire heavily under my arms. Is that a condition you can treat?

Hyperhidrosis is defined as sweating that is so severe it interferes with your daily activities and is unaffected by the use of even clinical-strength antiperspirants. At Dr. Howard S. Goldberg's practice, we offer BOTOX® for the treatment of excessive underarm sweating. When BOTOX® neurotoxin is injected into the skin, it blocks the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands to contract and secrete sweat. It's very effective, lasts about six months, and most of the time is covered by insurance (with prior authorizations).