After reading some of the mixed reviews for Dr. Tanghetti I feel compelled to chime in with a positive one. I have gone to his office for both medical procedures (laser for birthmarks), as well as cosmetic treatments (facial IPL and laser hair removal).
Dr. Tanghetti came highly recommended to me from a top physician in NYC, who I contacted through birthmarks.com, which despite the hokey URL, is a leading national clearinghouse on research and treatment of port wine stains and other skin issues. I have a large port wine stain that, as I have gotten older, became darker and textured. I had never had it treated and I was unnerved by having to start from scratch to figure out how to approach finding the right doctor. I did know that it is important it is to find one that not only is reputable, but is staying current with a quickly changing field of research.
After about 5 years of laser treatments, my birthmark is profoundly lighter. I would like it to go away completely, and Dr. Tanghetti has been very direct about managing my expectations. (The older you are the less likely the chance you get it to disappear, and every birthmark is different). He is up front about his conservative approach, which I have questioned from time to time. We talk openly about it and I know he could push the envelope to try and make me happier but, but given the possibilities of scarring, etc., going conservative is a good thing.
His reputation also led my insurance company to pay for the treatments, which is actually very difficult to achieve. But to address one reviewer's comment about him getting on the gravy train, I am surprised at how little my gold-plated PPO plan actually remits to his office given the amount of time my appointments take. I look at the statements. He bills at what is probably a standard rate (about $1200 for birthmark laser), but gets reimbursed at about half that. (I don't think HMOs will cover these procedures, and I have PPO specifically for this reason.)
Given the results with my birthmark, I have also been inspired to try some of the cosmetic procedures (IPL laser for sun damage and rosacae; laser hair removal) and have been very pleased with the results. For those of you trying to cash in on Groupon specials, fair warning! I did the same and can attest to the fact that not every place is the same. Results at two of the medspas I went to were barely noticeable. Dr. Tanghetti uses the most latest lasers and the results are very different.
I plan for the seasonal specials. I recently did 2 laser hair removal treatments in the underarms for $75, which will now go up to $150, but I am so thrilled with the results I am going to continue with the 6-8 total recommended treatments. And the office offers $150 IPL treatments in the winter. I wish more cosmetic providers would figure out that we working girls can't spring for "standard" rates. Hats off to places (Like Dr. T) who would rather lower their rates and stay busy during slow months.
I think the cosmetic side of dermatology offices can lead to a weird marketing vibe. But I don't find Dr. Tanghetti's office at all pushy, compared to some of the MedSpas I went to through Groupon, where they lobbied me to buy a package of treatments. I think his results speak for themselves, read more