ZERO STARS ACTUALLY! My first visit was a wait time of an hour even though I was punctual. Dr. Tuffanelli spent 15 minutes with me, threw a brochure at me and told me to come back in 3 months. I made another appointment in 3 weeks to follow up because research of my issue said I should. Then Dr. Tuffanelli's office bumped my appointment to a later date. I showed up only to find they had double booked me. I waited for an hour to see her but she saw the other person first even though I had checked in on time and before the other patient. Needless to say, I left. Why should I wait and be treated by this very unprofessional doctor? I have already seen another dermatologist since then. And it's amazing the difference between someone who cares to treat you as a patient and those who considers you on a conveyor belt of $$. If you are reading this, don't go to see her. There are plenty of dermatologists who care. read more

I love the Tuffanelli Family. I've seen Dr T Sr & Dr Lucia both. No Nonsense Super Derm care without the warm n fuzzy's! read more

She's the best! I trust her implicitly. Dr. Tuffanelli is extremely smart and confident and also very compassionate.

I love Dr. Tuffanelli!!! I've been a patient of hers for over ten years and she's always been warm, professional and helpful. The front desk does an exemplary job given how busy they are. read more

She's great. I recommend Dr. Tuffanelli. She is no nonsense and just grabbed some instruments and cut the thing off, rather than making me come back another day. She also loads you up with great samples. Explains well. read more

Dr. Tuffanelli has been a superb dermatologist over the decade I have known her. Her sharp eyes have kept my skin cancer-free. She truly cares about her patients and is one of the best doctors I have ever had. I have also visited her to deal with the usual skin issues of aging, including cosmetic things that she has treated perfectly. Doctor Tuffanelli anticipates what her patients must deal with - like how to get proper medications. I am so grateful my primary doctor referred me to her. read more

I am not going to question the medical expertise of the doctors at this location as much as I question how it operates. Getting dermatological care in downtown San Francisco is challenging because there are so few of them and so appointments are very hard to come by--except at this office. You can get an appointment pretty quickly here--usually within the week. So why am I complaining? The reason you can get an appointment is because they jam-pack as many appointments as they can into a day here, which means each patient has approximately eight minutes (if that) with any doctor. This also means there are invariable delays. Also, I think their admin staff are not very good at all. I have numerous follow-ups not responded to, numerous requests for prescriptions not attended to until the third repeat call from me, and ever call to the clinic is responded to as if we are disturbing the staff. I'm sorry, but this is a low-end operation. They are alive and thriving because there are so few dermatologists downtown and so people just tolerate them, but they are far from good. As I type this right now, I am waiting for a call from one of the doctors. The staff did not respond to repeated requests for prescription renewal over weeks, and finally when I was able to get a staff member on the line, they said they could not renew the prescription without speaking to a doctor first. I asked them why no one had told me this and her answer was (verbatim): "I don't know, we are just busy." The call was meant to come from the doctor at 3:00 pm, it is now 3:25. Don't come here. Trust me, find a better place. I am going to. read more

After going to a dermatologist who didn't bother to get their broken phone system fixed for several weeks when I needed a prescription filled, it was great to find one who could treat my eczema quickly and relatively cheaply. I agree with the others who say she just wants to get to whatever issue you're having and treat that and doesn't have time for a lot of small talk. That may be due to the office jamming lots of appointments in. All I know is that she has helped me keep my eczema under control, for which I'm truly grateful. read more

She's a good doctor. She isn't warm and fuzzy and isn't into small talk but she's the best dermatologist I've had in SF. Don't go expecting her to hold your hand, go prepared with what she needs to know and listen to what she says. Save the feelings for your therapist. The staff is fantastic, knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. The office isn't dirty; it's old. 450 Sutter is an old building and some offices need upgrades more than others, but they aren't dirty. read more

I visited Dr. Tuffanelli's office recently and received the very BEST of service. She remedied a few issues that two other dermatologists I'd seen previously couldn't seem to fix yet charged me to the hilt for. I went to Dr. Tuffanelli's office JUST ONCE and she got my issues taken care of. I'm VERY happy with the Dr Tuffanelli's level of expertise, easy-going-yet-very-experienced treatment plan and her phenomenally dry sense of humor! As a person, she's probably a riot to hang out with. While not everyone will appreciate her, they probably are too thin-skinned to know better. She's an old-school healer of the very best kind. In league with GOOP featured Dr. Jaclyn Buettner of Union Square Chiropractic, Dr. Sze, a dentist with integrity and heart and others I know well in this wonderful historic landmark of a building known as 450 Sutter. One last piece...while waiting to see Dr. Tuffanelli, her schedule being PACKED which is commonplace for her from what I understand, I had an opportunity to read the beautiful poem she had posted in the treatment room. As I'm also in the medical field, it brought tears to my eyes... read more

Lucia Tuffanelli, MD - Dermatologists Near Me - San Francisco, California

During my appointment with Dr. Tuffanelli, I did not feel seen or heard. She disregarded and minimized my concerns. She also used a lot of over-generalization like "your generation" and "Asian people, oh but I mean Chinese, I shouldn't use *air quote* Asian because there's like 22 different kinds of Asians"... Overall, I think she lacks professionalism and compassion as a medical provider. It's one thing to share your medical opinion and expertise, but it's another to disregard your patient's lived experiences. Definitely left feeling like I don't want to be seen by her again. I sat in the reception area for about 15 minutes and also noticed that her receptionist also lacked good customer service. I get that in a busy medical office, you're probably dealing with a lot of people and needs. I think it's basic mannerisms to be polite and respectful and not treat people like they're in a DMV line. I will say that the medical assistants that I saw and the one who worked with me directly was polite and kind. Needless to say, I will not be coming back. read more

Dr Tuffanelli kept me sick as long as she possibly could by not doing any testing while doing a whole lot of guessing joined by several prescriptions and no diagnosis. read more

Dr. Tuffanelli was very helpful in a few dermatological issues. To begin with, Dr. Tuffanelli removed a non-malignant tumor that other dermatologists did not see the need to, as it was not bothering anything. However it was in a conspicuous area, and it bothered me. Dr. T completely understood my desire to be rid of it. Another skin-treatment issue was my eczema. Dr. Tuffanelli patiently treated me for over a year, using multiple modalities. With her persistence, I now have my eczema under control. Great bed-side manner. read more

Dr. Tuffanelli saw me for a complex skin condition after I had seen a few doctors and dermatologists that did not know how to treat my condition, she was very thorough in her assessment, asking detailed questions and ordered a number of tests. Within a week Dr. Tuffanelli was able to find a condition to treat that other doctors had not. Her office staff always answer the phone, and follow through. After three visits Dr. T referred me to a very specific specialist, she wasted no time in getting me the correct care. I really do appreciate Dr. Tuffanelli. I find Dr. Tuffanelli to be straight-forward and kind. She sees a lot of patients and is busy, but engages fully in my questions and concerns. She and her office staff are much more responsive to follow up items such as prescriptions, questions, referrals, than my other medical providers have been (University Hospital, PCP phone app provider). She's a top notch Derm and I have seen a few. read more

Dismissive and unkind. I felt like she was annoyed with me the whole time for no reason. I'll go elsewhere from now on.

What I like about Lucia Tuffanelli is that is pursued getting Medicare to cover my Retin-A prescription for topical acne medication. Because it is well known for it's cosmetic benefits, insurers are loathe to cover it. I need it for acne and she made that happen. I have not had that experience with other derms. At. All. Faced with Medicare, other derms will generally tell me to get Differn, an expensive, over the counter, much less potent version of Retin-A. Differn is well, different! I appreciate that Tuffanelli advocated for me. read more

I have been with Dr. Tuffanelli for years. I met her initially when she worked side-by-side with her amazing father. She has addressed all my dermatology needs quickly and with effective results. She is VERY special to me, as she has gone above and beyond her role on every visit. When I was between GP's (mine retired), she ordered bloodwork to make sure all was in good order for my ongoing chronic condition. She has also helped with other challenges that fall beyond outside of her specialty. Most recently, I have been suffering from a condition for over 2 years that is not related to dermatology, I saw seven different specialists and they all responded with some version of "I don't know what to tell you," expect for Dr. Tuffanelli, who suggested that I switch a generic medication, to the name brand instead. Guess what? Within a week of following her advice, my condition and previous suffering is reduced by 85%. I am grateful beyond words. If you are looking for a great doctor, then you have come to the right place. Grazie Mille Dr. Tuffanelli. You are one of kind. I have also found her staff to be beyond helpful...but I believe you get back what you give. Karen J. read more

My experience with Dr. Lucia Tuffanelli was horrible from beginning to end. My face-to-face time with her only last about 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes were miserable. To start, I had to wait for over an hour without any updates on how long the wait would be. When she did finally enter the room, I was applauded by her bluntly racist behavior towards me. When she saw I was Latinx and saw my name, she rolled the R in my name excessively/comedically and said, "Okay,¿Que pasa?", rather than asking me, her new patient, how she could help me or what the reason for my visit was. I was treated like a caricature at a fiesta. This was incredibly insensitive and in poor taste.  When I explained my symptoms, she rolled her eyes and asked if I had been under stress lately. I confirmed I had been, to which she replied, "Well there you go" while shrugging her shoulders and pursing her lips. When I asked for recommendations on sunscreen, she recommended makeup with sunscreen because I should "always wear makeup" so I can "look pretty again." She prescribed me medication without even really looking at my face or asking me about my history with acne/rosacea and didn't give me much information about what to expect from the medication.  As a dermatologist and a health care professional, I could not believe how rude, disrespectful, and racist she was. I wouldn't recommend her to anyone. read more

I was recommended to this dermatologist by a primary physician from Sutter Health. Had to wait more than an hour for a cursory 5-minute diagnosis of a major concern of mine that was dismissed off as being minor as compared to her old age wrinkles. No empathy. No thoroughness. Charged $200+. Avoid, if you can. read more

1 hour of wait time with no time estimates or updates provided, and the receptionists were rude. I was seen very hastily, with no bedside manners. I wanted to have some moles checked and some scarring looked at, and the doctor said that I was young and so moles are fine and barely looked at the moles. Instead, she seemed fixated on treating my acne. I told her that due to past experiences I did not want antibiotics or hormonal treatment, only topical treatment, and she seemed extremely irritated by this, let out a frustrated sigh, and prescribed me a hormonal medication anyways. Didn't answer my questions or describe what the medicine does, or talk about pros/cons at all. I would not recommend this doctor if you want your time to be considered, to be treated politely, have any of your questions answered or your medical requests considered. I will not be returning here, but I hope the doctor will learn from these reviews and provide better service for other patients in the future. read more

I went to Lucia Tuffaelli (Dermatologist) after some friends who'd been going to Denny Tuffanelli for years referred me. My appointment was at 12 on my lunch hour and I wasn't even shown to a room until 1pm. Already late for work I politely asked if it would be long before the doctor was available. I was told yes without any explaination about them running behind, or apology. Upon seeing her, I asked about a mole which she looked at for two seconds and said it was fine. I then asked about topical cream for acne, and she picked some, seemingly at random, and wrote me a perscription. Then she got a phone call and left me in the room with the door open. i heard her planning a pot luck party while i was an hour late for work!! Never went back. My fiance saw Denny Tuffanelli and was being treated before he could finish the sentence "I think I have a wart on my finger" They might be good doctors but they wouldn't take the time with us! read more

If you are looking for an REAL dermatologist look no further. If you are tired of being up-sold by dermatologists, this is your office, After three years of being misdiagnosed and wrongly prescribed treatments, thank God I came to Dr T. Within 24 hours of her regimen I felt like a new person. She takes a DETAILED health history and eval of your meds and analyzes the information. Don't expect fluffy hand-holding. Dr T is a straight shooter and I love it! read more

Much like the other reviews I found Dr. Tuffanelli to be abrupt and rude. I waited over an hour to be talked down to and to have eyes rolled over legitimate concerns. She removed a mole, which left a large scar. I've had many moles shaved in the past and her lack of care and precision during the procedure was astonishing, but according to her noone will really see the scar anyways... The staff are a disaster area as well. Was double billed after my insurance covered the visit. read more

If you look at the other reviews, you will see a lot of complaints about long wait times in the office. This can be true. Take something to occupy your time. My experience in the late afternoon is 1/2 to 1 hour after the appt time until I actually see her. Plus, the women in her front office can be a bit brusk and English is not their first language. The office is dated, but I don't rate a doctor based on how modern and flashy their office is. I think that she knows what she is doing and I trust her. I have had 3 skin cancers removed in the last couple of years and she recommended the appropriate course for each one. One, squamous growth she did in her office. For two other carcinoma patches, she immediately recommended Mohs surgery (outpatient, done over at Bush & Divisadero). Regarding bedside manner, she is efficient and business like. She is not a real warm & fuzzy doc who takes time to shoot the breeze (do any of them anymore?), but is caring and has warmth. She has usually taken the time when needed and explained what and why she was recommending a course of action. I go to her every 6 months for a check of the sun damage that I have and to make sure that nothing gets out of hand. I think she's good, but if you want a real warm & fuzzy experience, you might want to look elsewhere. read more

Dr. Tuffanelli has absolutely horrible bedside manner. Super long wait to be seen. She is extremely unfriendly and unprofessional, does not even crack a tiny smile. Left her office feeling like the whole experience and interaction was so incredibly unpleasant. read more

I had to wait 1 hour and 45 minutes past my appointment to finally see the doctor. I did inquire at 1 hour to which I was assured I was "next". Another patient in the waiting room also waited more than an hour for their doctor. Based on the other reviews I think this is perhaps more of a problem with the administrative and assistant staff than a problem with the doctors. As for Dr. Lucia Tuffanellis, I found her to be professional, informative, flexible, and honest in her findings and recommendations. I would probably give her 4 stars. So I'm combining that with the unacceptable waiting 1 star experience for a total of 3 stars. read more

I haven't the need to see Dr. Lucia Tuffanelli for a few years until recently. She is still as good as I remember her to be. Very patient, good bedside manner. Took the time to listen to me, and even took the time to go check on my insurance to make sure I can get the name brand; and then even gave me a coupon for the prescription. Talk about a nice person. She has every bit the kindness as her father, Dr. Denny Tuffanelli, had. Highly recommend her. read more

Lucia Tuffanelli is an amazing dermatologist- she's quick, highly intelligent and goes right to the point and resolves it. I know of no better dermatologist. read more

Dr. Tuffanelli is a very popular, busy, talented and experienced Dermatologist who is actually the second generation practicing in this field and in this office. She is direct, thorough, professional, knowledgeable, confident and a truly good Dr. from whom I have been seeking care for about 25 years, first with her talented dad, Dr. Denny Tuffanelli (who has since past) and now with his equally talented daughter. I get cortisone injections for my Psoriasis from Dr. Tuffanelli at the Epstein and Tuffanelli office due to their specialization in this field although she possess many other skills. The front desk staff is efficient and effective in their role while managing the Dermatology practice's high volume of patients. They are always friendly and helpful. read more

THIS WAS THE MOST INFURIATING DOCTOR'S OFFICE VISIT I HAVE EVER HAD! If you value your time, I suggest you pick someone else. If you were referred here by your PCP, ask him/her why he/she hates you and for another referral. I got to my 9:15 am appt EARLY and waited an hour before I decided to cut my losses and leave. First off, the woman at the front desk has the personality of a bitter, uninterested, yet rabid, dog. What horrible customer service! Lady, squeak out a smile every once in a while! 55 minutes into my wait, I got up to ask her how much longer it would be. She eventually checked and told me that I was next and that the person before me was getting ready to leave. I waited another 5 minutes (standing this time since all the seats were filled) before I asked one of the assistants the status. After she told me that I was next, I told her to cancel my appointment. I told her that even if I saw Dr. Tuffanelli, I would never consider coming back, so what's the point. Once again, avoid this office like the plague if you value your time. Unreasonably long wait and a horrifically bad front desk rep!!! If there were negative star rating options, I would have picked that... read more

Shes so UNPROFESSIONAL. Like the posts below, similar story. Waited 30+ minutes for a 5 min session. Didn't apologize for the wait and had a very grouchy attitude from the get go. Then she asked where I work and I told her and she ROLLED HER EYES. I work for a health tech comp and she probably thought our products are bs but that's her opinion, keep it to yourself DR. Terrible office and I wouldn't recommend her to anyone. Save your time and money and see a real physician who cares about you. read more

I went to Dr. Tuffanelli for what I thought were bug bites on my leg. She was incredibly patient and thoughtful when I walked her through what I thought was going on, and then what she thought could be the problem. She even went so far as to pull in a doctor from down the hall for a second opinion while I was in the room. She was efficient in her diagnosis and worked with me to find the right treatment for my problem. Yes, there is a wait to see her. However, I felt more comfortable that so many people wanted to see my doctor. All in all, if you arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment you will be taken care of. I have recommended my friends to go to Dr. Tuffanelli - she is great. Thanks again! read more

I read the reviews and I was mortified. I had the same complaints. The only difference is that my skin condition was common and she knew what to give me for it. But I asked her about a mole (that is growing) and she said "oh, that's fine" after not looking at it for even a second. Not knowing where else to go I made an another appointment, but somehow ended up reading these reviews. I cancelled the apointment right away, I rather not treat my conditions and find a more respectful doctor. What kind of scam are they running, that people keep going back after numerous bad experiences? Thank you Yelp! and Yelpers!! When I called to cancel, I told the receptionist to check out yelp.com because people are not saying good things about them... She was nice and said she would check it out. Will this make them change? I dunno... read more

I had my first visit with Denny Tuffanelli a few weeks ago. It was like most dermatology appointments, short and sweet. I gave him the run down on my skin's history and he gave me a RX and a bag full of samples. It did not exceed my expectations as a first time patient. I was actually more disappointed in the waiting room. The office also does not accept credit card payments, so cash/check only. I'm revising my review to one star because I still like Dr. Lenny Tuffanelli. However, I will not put up with the disrespect from the woman who works his front desk. I asked my primary care physician for a new referral to a different dermatologist, any dermatologist not in the same suite, so that I will never have to see her again. It's 7:45 in the morning and no one is in the waiting room except for me. I go to check-in and receive no smile. Now I know from other visits that they do not accept credit/debit payments. However, there is something resembling a POS machine. So I ask politely with a smile on my face whether or not the office got a new processing machine. The lady tells me no. I ask her what the machine is for just out of curiosity. And she says "I already told you we don't accept cards. I said no." She then proceeds to tell me that it is for insurance cards, like I am an idiot and I should have known better. The machine looks like it could swipe a credit/debit card. During this time her tone has not changed since the beginning of the conversation. And I was really trying to be pleasant. I asked her "Do you have a pen please?" (to write out my check) She looks up from what she is doing and corrects me "May I please borrow a pen?" in the most condescending voice I have ever heard. That was the final straw. I knew I was going to call my PCP no matter what and change dermatologists. This was my third appointment and I was hoping that it was going to be my last one for at least six months. He had been giving me samples everytime I came in and now I hoped that I would at least get a six month supply of something. He told me he would give me a two month supply and instead I only got one month when I picked it up at the pharmacy. I hope everyone else has better luck. read more

update 7/10/07 Note the spate of 5 star reviews from one review yelpers. Something smells a little fishy. I especially enjoy the comments about the 'kind staff members" Must've walked into the wrong office! ______________________________________ I used to see Dr. Beverly Epstein, who shared offices with the Terrible Tuffanellis - Lucia, the blond Valkyrie and her evil father, Denny. Once I had a bit of an emergency and Dr. Epstein was on vacation so after begging and pleading with the office staff, they begrudgingly gave me an appointment at 7:30AM on a Friday morning with Dr. Denny T. He looked at the giant bump on my shoulder for about 2 seconds, sprayed something on it and SHOVED A BIG NEEDLE INTO IT BEFORE THE SPRAY HAD EVEN STOPPED DISSIPATING Next thing you know blood is pouring out and running down my arm and I've got this big gob of something in my hair that had flown out of my shoulder - shudder! He quickly leaves the room and one of the office staff comes in and puts a dressing on it. WTF? He didn't even tell me what was wrong, what he was going to do, any follow-up care, NOTHING. Guy is a sadist and from how I've overheard his daughter talking to patients, she sounds even worse! Avoid! read more

Today was my second time visiting dr. Tuffanelli, and yet, I still have no idea what she looks like. I'm not even sure she exists at this point. The first time I tried to see her, she had been called to some skin related emergency at a local hospital and all her patients were backed up over 1.5 hours. Without any explanation (or warning, rather) they sent in a cold, lifeless man to throw unconscionably priced medications at me without even bothering to look at my eczema. My pharmacist who actually has eczema took one look at the prescription, threw it away and gave me something much more effective and cheaper instead. Good work, doctor. Out of sheer desperation, what with another life inhibiting eczema outbreak under my belt (get it?) and having exceeded my prescription refills, I decided to give this office another chance. For christ's sake all I needed was a prescription. I get there 15 minutes before my appointment. 45 minutes everyone around me had been seen. people with an appointment one hour after me began to arrive. So I asked the nice lady at the counter if she knew how much longer it would be. She didn't know. So I sit back down. 15 minutes later a man storms out of his room in his paper dress and shouts "does anyone even know I'm in here!?" Disturbing. At this point I realized that I'd probably wait around for an hour just to have someone barely look at my skin for maybe 2 minutes. I go back to the nice lady at the desk and ask her for a refund of my copay --which they managed to charge within the first 10 seconds of arriving. She says, "sorry, the doctor's not good with time." No fucking shit. Get it together, doctor. What kind of operation are you running here? read more

I am so upset that other dermatologists came me up when I type in the address on Yelp. I was under the impression I would be seeing a doctor I yelped with 4 and a half stars. After coming home and getting my bill for $154 for a 5 minute look at a mole, I realized this dermatologist was horrible. I Yelped her and I see all the bad reviews and now I realize I went to the same doctor. She looked at a mole that I already had removed by a different dermatologist. I was in and out in 5 minutes and I thought my insurance covered it. Then I get this bill for what? I paid her around $30 a minute for her time. All for her to tell me what I already knew. What a joke, our system is so corrupt. Doctor's are not out there to help they just want customers. read more

They are very rude and unprofessional. You get a 5 mins session, being examined with... chopsticks. Then nothing happens unless they perform a "biopsy" and they charge you 150$ for that. Looks like they're only interested in taking your money. read more

Well maybe they read these awful reviews and tried to improve! I just went to see Denny for the first time, and I was nervous about these terrible reviews, but My general Dr. said the Tuffanellis were great, and I trust her. The women in the front-office part were completely pleasant. Then, the Dr.'s assistants were lovely. Totally NICE. Then, Denny Tuffanelli came in and was warm and communicative. He was happy to take care of all my skin-issues that I pointed out. He seemed like he has a big personality (that might rub an individual the wrong way on occaision, but I thought he was just great). I have Zero complaints. Oh, one actually: They don't take a credit card for the co-pay, and that's fine, but they should warn you in advance so you know to bring cash or a check. read more

If you like rude staff and slipshod care, this is the place for you. If they can't make money on quality care, they have to make up for it in volume. As an example, I once asked the senior Tuffanelli to look at a skin cancer, and he said "I don't see anything. Come back in three months." Three months later, he said "I'll do a biopsy only. Come back next week." The incision from the biopsy hadn't healed yet when he had to operate again to remove the cancer. Then, he wanted me to come back again! No thank you. My life is too precious to waste time making him money by turning what should have been one visit into three, and putting my life and health at risk. It is worth going outside your network and paying more to avoid this practice. read more