Westside Medical Spa - Alexander Rivkin, M.D.

09/12/2008 Posted by alannahsophie

I am a spa junkie and I consider myself an expert in the latest beauty products, professional skin care, and cosmetic procedures. I was a former devotee of another cosmetic spa on Robertson but their constant staff turnover and product pushing got old fast. I went to Westside Aesthetics in search of a new, all-inclusive maintenance parlor that is in the West LA area. First off I have to say that their office staff is really great and relaxed and I didn't feel pressured to have an un-needed or pricey procedure done. I had the best deep clean facial ever by Malia, and a botox touch up given by the Doctor after. He gave my eyebrows a slight raise but I don't look like a frozen bat, or worse Nicole Kidman. I look really natural and even but not definitely over botoxed. I am going back for another facial next month with Malia and will make another appointment with the Doctor for a juvaderm to eliminate the light sleepiness under my eyes. I also tried their Westside Aesthetics all-over sunblock and it is so far the best product out there.

Pros: free 2 hour parking lot, next door to coffee bean, and whole foods across the street!

08/07/2008 Posted by KSiddiqui

It would not be possible to completely recommend the procedures and how effective they are yet as I have only just had an initial consultation. However, after reading some of the reviews about Karen and Dr. Rivkin himself I would like to put others at ease. Westside has a very unpretentious and relaxing atmosphere. Karen was most helpful in arranging an initial appointment despite my lack of communication with her. I found Dr. Rivkin a very formible chap whose impeccible manners shined through despite my dehydrated and jet lagged toddler playing with his shoes and electrical sockets. I did not feel intimidated by either of them with the typical loud and ostentatious manners one usually finds in californian culture. And as a result, was put at ease straight away. If you are a person who is well travelled and prefers more reserved (friendly) and toned down forms of social displays then Westside is the perfect choice. I will keep everyone updated on the outcome of my procedure and hopefully write positive reviews in the future as well.

Pros: Yale university educated which usually equals great social skills

Cons: None so far

07/26/2008 Posted by camille737

There's nothing 'clinical' about botox with Dr. Rivkin! His staff was incredible, the procedure painless and the results incredible! I will be back in a few months. Thank you!

Pros: Great facility, VERY NICE STAFF

06/12/2008 Posted by LadyWhite

Hi There, Dr. Rivkin is a wonderful and caring doctor, and so far I'm super pleased with the results of my face. He's polished and competent, and a real gentleman too. The office is impeccable and smells nice, and the ladies are little angels. BUT if you've never visited before, be wary of the Office Manager, Karen, I think. She is nice on the exterior but comes across very fake and (please forgive me) Bitchy. She's one of those people who really needs to be careful and monitor how her manners come across. She wouldn't have a job if people stopped coming because of her attitude. . .But everything else made my visit a JOY!

Pros: Wonderful Doctor and Assistants, Great Results

Cons: Office Manager (Karen)

05/07/2008 Posted by sarabell239

I had lazer hair removal on my bikini line at the westwood location about a month ago. I can't say enough about how happy I am with the results. My technician was Ronnie, and she was great, she really worked with me and raised and lowered the intensity of the lazer based on what I could handle. She told me I would get about 80% reduction of hair after the first treatment, I thought, " yeah, Right," which she was! I can't believe how little has grown back! I am very pleased and am looking forward to going back. the citysearch $50 coupon off your first treatment is great! This place is aces in my book.

05/07/2008 Posted by infinitywithin

Let me say first off that I am not an LA girl in that "I need to have my face freshened" way. I'm a novice to this kind of stuff and was very hesitant and nervous about having any type of cosmetic medical procedure done. But all my concerns and fears were allayed by my experience at Westside Aesthetics. The staff are extremely knowledgeable, professional and friendly. The doctor is extremely personable, professional and patient (not to mention, easy on the eyes). He actually took the time to discuss things with me. I actually felt heard and understood. (When's the last time you could say that about a doctor's visit?) Though it was not necessary to my treatment, each staff member I interacted with took the time to make sure I was at ease and my questions were answered. It was impressive; the staff there are experienced, REAL people who are also beautiful, but not in that entitled, "I'm better than you" way. (I say this because I've been greeted by staff at other spas with that entitled, jaded attitude.) The place was relaxed, hip and clean. But in my opinion, professionalism, careful attention to detail and a high level of empathy for patients sets this place apart from others. I felt I was in the best hands possible at Westside Aesthetics. It was like going to a trusted friend's home: the atmosphere is comfortable and you know they are not going to let you do anything you will regret or doesn't suit you. So far, the results of my Fraxel treatment are great. And I've been told it will only improve over the next few weeks. I would go back in a heartbeat and would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone who is interested in cosmetic procedures.

05/03/2008 Posted by nancy001

I had the worse experience you could imagine at this office. The doctor is not trained in what he says he is, and has no integrity. I spent a lot of money at this office and walked away very disappointed without any results. Nancy

Pros: in west LA

Cons: the physician has no integrity

02/28/2008 Posted by polishpride

I believe that I first heard of Dr. Rivkin after doing research on the Internet and watching a video featuring a nonsurgical nose job. I think it was either on Extra or on the Tyra Banks show. Before heading out to California, I exchanged several emails with the staff to measure their response time and get a few answers. My first inquiry was answered the next day, and the 2nd email was answered in 4 days both by Noemie. I was pleased with the detailed replies. So i bought a plane ticket and flew out to California. I estimated that the drive from the hotel to my first appointment would take about 30 minutes at the most but I didn't plan for the traffic. I called from the road that I was going to be late, but didn't expect to be so late and I arrived a full hour late and was prepared that the staff would reschedule me for a different day especially since my original appointment was for 5 P.M. but no such thing, I filled out the form, and got right in without any condemnation from anyone! I got to greet Dr. Rivkin and he explained the procedure, the nurse came to numb my nose and I iced it a bit. The Dr. came in and molded my nose into the desired shape which looked great! Definitely worth $1000. I also decided to get blepharoplasty for the dark circles under my eyes. $1000 for 2 small injections did seem a bit steep but I rather have an experienced person handling needles under my eye. I came back in 7 days for a follow up and a touchup for the nose. The eyes didn't need a touch up. He even did FREE cortisone injections in an unrelated area where I have swelling due to past wrestling injuries. The spa was clean and the employees friendly. Their website westsidemedicalspa dot com is clean and informative and lists the prices as well as the differences between the surgical and nosurgical treatments. The cherry on top was personally being called by the Dr. after I got back home to make sure all was OK. A++ Service. I will be back!

Pros: Free injections, free follow up, understanding to my needs, clean and professional spa

Cons: Blepharoplasty a bit pricy

01/28/2008 Posted by itsme470

I love this office. The staff is friendly, efficient and wonderful. They make me taken care of from the moment I walk in. Dr. Rivkin is the best. He is kind and good at what he does. He sincerely cares about his patients and calls after a treatment to see how I am. Wow, not many offices do that. He is the kind of doctor I enjoy going in to see. He takes care of buisness and always makes me laugh. I am a baby when it comes to pain and he caters to that as well. I could not ask for more. I highly recommend this office.

Pros: Great Doctor and staff

Cons: Parking in westwood can be rough

01/23/2008 Posted by healthyheartisme

Being Asian I was never too happy with my “no bridge” nose and my “non-existent” chin but have had to live with it because I definitely did not want to go under the knife. A friend had told me about Westside Medical Spa and mentioned to me that the doctor she’s been seeing for years for Botox also does Non Surgical Nose/Chin Jobs. I was curious on how that worked so I scheduled a free consultation right away, which was very convenient considering that I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go through with the procedures and I certainly didn’t want to pay if I wasn’t going to get anything done. Upon arriving to his office I was greeted with what I thought was the friendliest staff I’ve come across in a long time. They seemed to love what they do. I talked to the doctor shortly after and he explained his “non-invasive” procedures to me. After answering all of my questions and concerns I went on ahead and went through with the procedure that same day !! It’s been a month now and I’m very happy to report that the results are amazing. The doctor was very knowledgeable and professional with his technique that I am highly recommending him to my friends.

Pros: knowledgeable and friendly doctor/staff that care