I've been going to Dr. Graves for years. I'm already gorgeous! Dr. Graves and her team enhance my greatness!

I feel compelled to write a review because Dr. Graves has really earned my love and respect in a big way. I've had some ups and downs over the multiple years I have been seeing her, but now I cannot express the depth of my gratitude for her. She is exceptionally responsive to me and my concerns, even getting back to me on a national holiday (!!). She always makes time for me and I don't have any other doctors in my life that even remotely compare to her in the way she treats me and my family as real humans. Her office responds quickly to text messages about appointments and if I have had a concern about a changing mole or something else she and her team will always find a sliver of time to address my concern. I have brought my whole family into her practice and in our world of corporate medicine I pray that she can continue to provide the care and commitment to her patients that she currently does. Thank you so much to Dr. Graves and her whole team. read more

Quality care and concern for the different skin problems I have due to a lifetime of sun exposure. Dr. Graves and her Staff have been responsive and easy to work with. I highly recommend her. read more

I had acne all my life until Dr. Graves put me on Accutane. She is very knowledgeable. She recognized that my acne was caused by hormones and prescribed the correct treatment for me. I do not really breakout anymore, and I will probably get laser treatment from Dr. Graves sometime next year to fix my scars. read more

Never actually was able to see the doctor... I called and had to leave a voicemail. Then got a weird text service asking what I wanted. After I got a call back from the front desk saying I could make an appointment in February. How ridiculous is that? You seriously can't find an appointment before the end of the year? read more

Dr. Graves may be a fine dermatologist, but my experience with her and her office hasn't been that good. I had some minor skin tags and a small wart on my face. She zapped them and said if they didn't all disappear in 10 days to come back for another zap. So I called 10 days later as instructed, after the little wart didn't respond at all...and I have to wait another 4 weeks to get an appointment! For something that should've been done right the first app't (which I had to wait 8 weeks for). I know that customer service is dead in this country (especially in health care), but this is ridiculous. read more

I started seeing Dr Graves a few years ago when my long time dermatologist retired. It was a blessing in disguise that he did retire...because Dr Graves is so much more thorough in her exam. She also is much more detailed in her ongoing documentation. She also is very comforting and communicative. She is without doubt one of the best physicians I have had experience being examined/treated by and I am 72 so that is saying a lot. I cannot recommend her enough, you will not regret putting your skin health in her capable and caring hands. As for her staff, I cannot speak for others who have written reviews about their past experience but in the last few years I have been seeing her twice yearly I have found them professional, prompt, and never had an issue. read more

Umm okay, I love Dr. Graves. Can she be my PCP?! My Sunday brunch buddy?! For anyone who watches The Mindy Project, she's the Dr. Lahiri of dermatology. Like, she makes me want to become a dermatologist just so I can be as cool as her. I never had much faith in doctors (I hate them, actually) because a lot of them think they know your entire life story within two seconds of meeting you without taking one look at you, then write you a scrip, send you on your way and expect you to drop BANK. And the whole "trust me, I'm a doctor" BS that they give you doesn't make it any better. I need a doctor that's going to be my ally and work beside me, not above me. DR. GRAVES TO THE RESCUE! I'll start off by saying that I was definitely NOT looking forward to my first appointment with Dr. Graves. I was so worried she was going to be one of *THOSE* doctors, but I'm here to say that she's the complete opposite. She's ALL SMILES all the time, talks to you in the sweetest tone ever, and really takes the time to hear you out, understand your concerns, and answer all your questions. She's also super relatable and knows how to communicate with her patients. You'll feel right at home the second you meet her. It also helps that her skin is #goals. But that's not all, there's so much more to appreciate about her! She's very meticulous with her work and does everything a doctor should do: describes your options, risks, costs and benefits, the whole nine yards. She won't push anything on you and will work with you so that you can make an informed decision. She maintains eye contact the entire time you talk to her, something many doctors aren't keen on. So even if you're Medusa, she'd STILL meet you in the eye because she's just that great of a doctor. It's the little things that count! When it comes to doctors, she's a diamond in the rough. I always look forward to my visits with her because she's such a pleasant person. Nothing but good vibes all around her office. I'm so #blessed to be able to call her my dermatologist. Like, "You should go see MY dermatologist, she's the BEST." Make your appointments ASAP because my initial one was three months out, but well worth the wait if time permits! Also, for you out-of-pocket people, her prices are VERY reasonable. I'm all about equity and access when it comes to healthcare, so I admire doctors, especially those with a speciality, that make healthcare affordable and accessible for all. Now THAT'S a doctor for ya! Mad RESPECK for Dr. Graves! read more

I sent my child to Dr. Graves and she is a miracle worker! Not only is she incredibly professional but also dedicated to her patients results. I sent my child there with awful cystic acne and within 6 month she was completely cured and it has yet to come back. Even though it's hard to get an appointment once your in you'll realize it was worth the wait. read more

A true professional in every respect. Dr. Graves offers expertise and a keen knowledge of her field. She also practices dermatology with an understanding of the whole person, not just their symptoms. Always kind, warm and gracious, she has a calming demeanor, as does her entire team. A stellar physician! read more

Great, great doctor! Never felt rushed and she was very friendly. She solved my problem w/ a prescription for a cream (hands and fingers were peeling A LOT) but also gave me samples to take with me. She also removed (and very well I might add) two milia's on my face. She wouldn't remove the 3rd because she was afraid of scarring and despite my begging she insisted it would look worse. Her office was also very responsive when they had to submit a request to my insur carrier for retin A micro (if you've never tried it, it's fantastic! Not like the old retin A creams.). Great doctor. Highly recommend her. read more

I recently went to Dr. Graves location in Lafayette, where she works on Mondays. The location was very easy to get to and the office was very light, welcoming and comfortable. I'm very nervous of going to doctors and I was pretty sure they would find something to remove so I wasn't really looking forward my visit. But Julia and her assistant were so great! They were very thorough, made me feel very comfortable, and answered all my questions. She gave me a bunch of test products for some issues I was having and I didn't even need anything removed (yayyy)! I will be going to her for all my skin needs in the future and I will definitely be recommending her to my friends (she was recommend to me by a friend too)! read more

Dr Graves was very attentive to all my questions and concerns. She was very patient and understanding, and I would definitely recommend her if you're looking for a new dermatologist in the east bay. Parking was a bit difficult to find, but after circling the block a few times, I found a place 2 blocks away. Leave yourself a few extra minutes in case you get my luck with parking. (There was also some construction which ate up some of the possible parking... I bet it'll be easier to park once that's completed) read more

It really doesn't get any better than Dr. Graves's attention, care, and dare I say it: prices. After several failed attempts at getting treatment from a Kaiser dermatologist, I remembered that time Dr. Graves did that thing to the thing on my neck. So I called and made an appointment at her Lafayette office. When I get there, I'm 30 minutes early, and instead of leaving me to surf out in the waiting room for 30 minutes, Ray the medical assistant immediately opens the door and welcomes me in. When we get back to the exam room, Ray asks what's going on, looks, takes notes, and goes and gets Dr. Graves. Per usual: super friendly and always smiling. She looks, asks a couple more questions, and 10 minutes later, done. $81.00. Yes. $81.00. I know not all outpatient procedures are going to be like this. But ask yourself this: when's the last time you went to the doctor's, 1) got into see them earlier than your scheduled appointment, 2) felt completely at ease and informed, and 3) were surprised at how affordable the bill was afterwards? Yeah. Never happened to me before either. Especially not all 3 at one visit. tl;dr: Dr. Graves is the best dermatologist. read more

edit: Sorry for the misunderstanding and initial poor review. I have since spoken the the manager at Dr. Graves office and reconciled the discrepancy. I have learned that Blue Shield California deserved the majority of the blame for misinformation. My apologies, the medical office was not to blame and very polite about the entire scenario. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The office visit was ok, but their billing people have been giving me the run around about a claim for over 2 months. My insurance provider simply needs information about my visit to reconcile my claim and have requested this information on several occasions. Their billing representative lied to me regarding sending the information over which has let this process drag on and on. I know that the billing people are probably 3rd party but I think the MD should be partially responsible for the help. read more

Really great doctor and great staff. She knew exactly what the light rash I had on my face was, and exactly how to cure it. She even gave me a few sample medications so I wouldn't have to pay out of pocket. All in all a great experience. I highly recommend her. read more

She was very professional, gave me multiple options, and was quite friendly. Parking wasn't too much of a problem--the garage in the building takes cash and check only. read more

Although Dr. Graves is an ok doctor, her office staff leaves something to be desired. I received a message from one of her assistants (Laura) when I inquired about a refill on a prescription. Laura's message proceeded to lecture me and tell me that I had been told the last few times that I filled this prescription that I needed to make an appointment - I'm sorry but my pharmacist never made that indication so I don't care what the chart says you have in front of you. I don't appreciate when Doctors and more especially their assistants speak down to patients - completely unprofessional. Even my primary care physician who is a Harvard MD speaks to me like a human being. read more

Very disappointed in the service and staff here. I waited a month for my appointment and the day before the appointment I received a confirmation phone call. I asked the woman on the phone what the address is of the location, she told me the address and no suite number or any other indication of how I would identify where I am going when I came into the large office building of several offices. I arrived at the location at about 2:50p, my appointment was set for 3:00p, I drove around and around through the construction detour looking for parking. When I finally found parking it was about 3:00p. I parked the car, paid the meter and walked up to the building. I wandered around aimlessly trying to figure out what suite my appointment was in and I finally figured it out 7 minutes later. Upon my arrival at the office, I walked up to the first desk and was instructed I needed to go down the small hallway a bit and find ANOTHER desk. I attempted to check in with the receptionist here, at this time it was 3:10, she instructed me that Dr.Graves would not be seeing me since I was ten minutes late and that she had a personal engagement to attend to that she would have to leave early for. Cool, so because I was ten minutes late due to YOU not giving me correct instructions as to what your suite number is and I wandered around trying to figure it out on my own, I get here after waiting A MONTH for this appointment and NOW I cannot be seen and she has a personal engagement to attend to. So basically what you are telling me is that even if I was on time, my doctor wouldn't even really give me the time of day and wouldn't listen to my concerns because she would be in rush to leave "early." Cool. The receptionist offered to reschedule the appointment...to APRIL 3RD! Uh no thanks. I prefer to see a doctor that would actually care about my concerns with my health. You know I get it, doctors have a million patients all the time, but a good doctor makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside when you are freaking out about a medical concern. Strike 1 if you already have a bad taste in your mouth and you haven't even physically seen her yet, but you get relayed messages from someone else. Strike 2 if the medical staff isn't understanding when it was the lack of bad communication on their part. Strike 3 if you can't even accommodate a reschedule that isn't a month away. Cool, let me just wait 6 months before I can even get an appointment to be seen. By then my problem will be worse but that's cool. I didn't really like good skin anyway. read more

I waited 8 weeks to see Dr. Graves. When I arrived at her clinic, I had to wait about 20 mins to see her. She came and spent exactly 3 mins with me, gave me some creams and left. My problem is not sorted and I still have it but I cancelled my follow up visit (again scheduled out 8 weeks or so out) cause I just dont think she is worth it and here is why 1) Her medicine did not help me 2) I doubt her diagnosis was right, and I am even less sure it can be right, if one spend less than 3 mins with a patient 3) Having to wait so long to see someone, the least one can expect is NOT felt rushed ..her office charged my insurance over 250 dollars for the visit, that is 80 dollars/minute- I think this is just wrong I would not recommend. I like doctors who take personal interest in patients health. I do not feel like this was Dr. Graves intention. read more

Eek, the comments here about the front desk are no joke. Between two different receptionists, neither gave me the opportunity to complete a full sentence. Wouldn't even book a consult without a doctor's referral--how do I know I even want to be referred there? I have a very serious condition & after 5 months dealing with chaotic hospital clinics, am looking to escape the stress of that environment (and oversight). This clearly isn't it. Not even bothering to make an appointment. read more

I went to see Dr. Graves for a skin rash which I assumed was poison oak. She looked at my rash and asked about my history with rashes, and allergies. She then explained to me about allergic reactions and explained how poison oak and other similar allergies can all manifest as rashes, etc. She explained how these are caught as well as how they can spread. She then took time to discuss all the different treatment options and the pros and cons of each one. I asked her lots of questions, and she listened patiently and answered every question thoroughly and thoughtfully. When it came time to prescribe the medicine I needed, she went to check to see if there were samples she could give me instead of having me go and get a prescription filled. Thoughtful and financially conscious for her patients! Dr. Graves was very easy to talk to and very personable. I didn't feel rushed at all, and I feel like I left her office with a much better understanding of what was wrong with me and how to get better. I recommend her wholeheartedly and will most definitely return to her for all my other dermatological needs. :) read more

Yeah, so I guess it won't work out after all. To make another appointment, it's going to be another two months. I suppose if you know you want to see your derm say, twice a year and you can plan it in advance, this might work, but if you wanted to call and get in quickly, Dr. Graves may not be the doc for you. It seems she won't be the doc for me. read more

To be clear. I never saw Dr. Graves. However, I did call to make an appointment based on a referral. 1. They didn't have the referral. That's OK. It happens. 2. They asked me to fax the referral. I asked if I could email it. No, it has to be a fax. 1996 much? 3. I got a different referral from my doctor. Email worked fine. In fact, they sent me an email appointment confirmation and they are going to send me a text message reminder of the appointment. Medical professionals need to know that being so technologically dated has a significant effect on our experience. If you can't simply upgrade from fax to email what other technologies are you unable to use? I don't think that expecting a doctors office to use basic productivity and communication tools is too much to ask. These technologies have been available for over 20 years. If not now then when? I'm going a much less convenient location but I expect to have a much better experience. At least I have so far. read more

Dr. Graves is great! I would recommend her to anyone. Attentive, knowledgeable, explains everything.

I saw Dr. Graves recently for my annual skin cancer screening, and I thought she was fantastic. She was super nice and personable, and I never felt rushed. She answered all of my questions and I feel like she did a really thorough job of inspecting my skin for any concerning spots. I will definitely come back to her again. read more

I have only seen Julia a few times, but she is one of my favorite doctors because she is very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Unlike some dermatologists (both in CA and DC), she is easy to get an appointment with. I had a major break out a few days before I moved to DC, and her staff was able to fit me in the day before I left. If I was writing the review solely on her personality, then she would get 5 stars. However, I have been using the creams and taking the pills she prescribed as directed for two months but my acne is not going away. Although I know that this issue has little to do with her and more to do with my having sensitive skin, I question whether or not the creams she gave me are effective because my skin is dry and has been peeling for a week despite having used them for two months. I just questioned this today because my new GP said I have sensitive skin and asked if my derm gave me pills. I told my GP I took Doxycycline a few years ago, but that was not helpful. Fortunately, the GP gave me a prescription for pills (can't remember the name) and I am seeing a derm in Silver Spring who will hopefully find a medicine or cream that works. Aside from the doubt as to whether or not the meds she prescribed are effective, I highly recommend her and will see her if I move back to CA! read more

Loved. I had a derm back east I adored and had been going to for years so I was hesitant I would find anyone as good out here, and I did! Very nice staff and Dr. Graves is so sweet and although I know she has a busy schedule, I didn't feel rushed, she explained everything and answered all my questions. She as forthcoming with information. made me feel comfortable, and I felt like I could absolutely trust her. read more

Dr. Julia Graves is GREAT, if you can get past her rude front desk staff and dismissive and snappy female assistant. I enjoy seeing Dr. Julia Graves and completely dread having to interact with her front staff by phone and in person, which is why I don't come in to see her as often as I would like and need to. Sometimes I ask myself if I shouldn't just find another dermatologist that is equally wonderful with an equally pleasant staff?! read more

Two years ago on vacation, I developed a severe sunburn and I also have psoriasis. I called various dermatologists in the East Bay, but all of them said I would have to wait 4 weeks or longer. I then called Dr. Graves. Her receptionist told me that she would have to ask Dr. Graves whether she would fit me in as she was completely booked. When the affirmative answer came back I was totally ecstatic. read more

Great "bedside manner", and very professional, which apparently are both issues with dermatologists (maybe with all docs..?). She listened attentively and gave me a better treatment than I was able to get from my primary care physician, even though all I have is some dermatitis that isn't such a big deal. I'm uninsured, and $80 for 15min seems reasonable. I also got samples of some new ointment that would have been prohibitively expensive - that was a nice bonus. Oh, and good luck not getting distracted by how beautiful she is ;-) read more

I love, love, love Dr. Graves! She is absolutely the best dermatologist I have ever met. I feel like she has saved my life... at least from chronic hives. She worked with my primary doctor to figure out that I was having issues with hives do to an autoimmune disease. I spent a lot of time in Dr. Graves office getting support, testing medications, dealing with other issues as a result of this disease, and getting well. She and her staff (both Oakland & Lafayette) are amazing. She has since treated me for wrinkles and thin lips ;) I cannot say enough good about Dr. Graves and I would recommend anyone visiting her. Dr. Graves is not only nice and kind, she is on top of her game. read more

I have been twice for annual checkups and thought the doctor and staff were excellent. Everyone was professional, thoughtful, and great about giving explanations and answering any questions. Highly recommend! read more

Such a nice experience. The staff was very pleasant and Dr. Graves herself was delightful. She took her time and offered a very thorough explanation without me having to ask. Highly recommended! read more

I have a mole I'm anxious about, and I called Dr. Graves' office. It is May 15 today, and she isn't making new appointments until July. I think I need to see someone a lot sooner than that. read more

I was referred to Dr. Graves for my condition as all other suggestions by my doctor were down. Dr. Graves spends time to evaluate the condition and have implemented many treatments, creams and other medical advice to improve my condition. I appreciate her patience, recommendations and advancement of my condition although I have more treatments to cure the condition. read more

I have seen Dr. Graves twice with a few years in between. First visit was great, solved my skin issue easily. Second visit, not the same problem, was much less satisfying. I felt that if I had not told her nurse what my general physician had already said I would have had a much more comprehensive diagnosis. Lesson learned, my bad. I am VERY confused why so many people going to this office building had trouble finding parking. There is a garage in the building; if all else fails why not suck it up and use it? HHMMM, don't blame the doctor for that! read more

Went in for your standard mole check. Sent husband as well. She seemed very knowledgeable, answered all my questions thoroughly, didn't seem rushed even though it was all very efficient! Rare in today's health care world. Husband was very pleased as well. read more

I've been quite happy going to Dr. Julia Graves for my semi-annual skin check-ups. I find her thorough and knowledgeable. I have sent others to her and they like her as well. read more

Dr. Julia Graves is very attentive and comforting! I had some moles that were concerning me so she went ahead with ahead with the toe skin examination (very thorough) Luckily everything was fine but it's so important for the younger crowd to pay more attention to how the environment is effecting our skin! My last Dermatologist was a grumpy crypt keeper, he never really payed much attention to specific concerns of mine. Dr. Julia broke down the exact term for each and every mole and made the whole experience pretty enjoyable. It was definitely nice having a beautiful young doctor this time around! read more