I started receiving treatments here for Laser hair removal and on my 4th visit I noticed it was much much more painful then usual, so I mentioned it to the Babe(the Nurse who does the Laser hair removal)and her solution was to simply ice the area more so it was less uncomfortable. As I was getting my full legs done the appointment was quite long and the whole time I had the sensation of burning and I simply didn't think it was normal as I'd never experienced this much discomfort. When I would tell her I thought it was too hot her response again was to ice the areas more and to try and distract me from the pain. Because I trusted that she was a medical professional(big mistake) I continued with the appointment despite my nagging feeling that it felt very wrong. when I stood up to leave I realized there were black and red welts all over my legs. When I showed her she responded that it would go away in a few hours and just put lotion on it....not so much. Turns out I was burned all over my legs and I ended up unable to sleep at all that night as the pain was so intense. I went back the next day to see the doctor and his response was not very comforting he basically said sorry she turned it up to high and that the scabs would fall off and eventually I would be fine. The pain lasted for quite a few days, I had to chill aloe vera gel and apply it every hour or so, not to mention take advil for the pain. I was shocked that they really were not very responsive and that they seem pretty ok with what had happened. Andrea( a girl who works there) was helpful and understanding and because I was very, very upset she gave me a refund on the rest of the treatments I had already purchased(although I feel they should have also refunded me for that appointment that left me burned and scarred). I could not wear dresses or shorts for almost three weeks because it looked so bad. Even now I am left with white marks all the way up and down both my legs. I will never go back there and I would never refer someone to them. Of course I knew there were risks with Laser hair removal, however a professional who is concerned about your safety and your well being would not ignore when someone tells them the pain is too much and it feels like its burning. The doctor was very nonchalant about it and when I explained that I had a trip to Miami planned and that now I would not be able to be in the sun, or show my legs, his response was, "well wear pants". When I asked him what could be done for the white marks on my legs he suggest I do spray tanning, So ridiculous! Why should I have to pay to cover up a condition that your incompentent staff caused me? I felt he didn't take my situation nearly as seriously as he should have considering he is the doctor on staff there and I was burned quite bad in his clinic. Nor did they offer me anything to help with the scarring I was left with. I hope I can save someone else the horrible experience I went through by writing this review. If I could give them zero stars I would. read more

This guy, Carl Powell is an absolute FRAUD! I'm not sure if they still work together or not, but he also had a snake-oil salesman assistant named Todd something or another, who managed to sell me on the idea of getting a hair transplant from them for only $2 per graft! I should have reminded myself right then and there that there's no free lunch and that you get what you pay for! It's now been 10 years since my so-called procedure, and, not only have I not grown any hair in the spots they operated on, I have permanent numbing on my skull that his con-man of an assistant told me AFTER the procedure is permanent and will never go away! Had he told me that upfront, I wouldn't have let them touch me.. Speaking of "them", even though I was groggy during the procedure, I do recall that a group of all Mexicans with accents were performing the procedure, and the idiot doctor was only supervising. Putting this together with the fact that the assistant went to Mexico regularly, it would totally make sense to me that these were a group of illegals without any license whatsoever, who probably worked for very little pay while Powell and his slimy assistant pocketed all the profits.. After getting confirmation from a woman who used to work in his office that the two (Powell and the Todd guy) were in fact ruthless frauds, I ended up suing them in San Diego Small Claims Court. During the first hearing, the judge was furious with Powell and even told him to shut up at one point! Unfortunately, however, he gave us 90 days to resolve the matter peacefully on our own, and, by the time of the follow-up hearing, the original judge had transferred to another court, and some dodo bird who was not even a real judge, only a "referee", heard the case. You could tell all he was interested in was to run his morning docket along, and, without even listening to my whole story (which, I had to tell all over again, thanks to the first judge leaving), he prematurely dismissed the case. What you might find very interesting is that Powell asked that referee to restrict me from leaving a review like this online (I'm sure he did not want his already shabby reputation to get even worse), but the referee declined his request! I have no doubt I would've won my case had the original judge remained on it, but, at least I'm able to warn others like whoever is reading this review about this incompetent quack, who, I found out after speaking to an attorney, at least at the time of my procedure did not even have the proper education or license to even perform hair transplants of ANY kind! And, given his character and conduct as I remember it, I highly doubt anything about him has changed in these intervening years.. I hope you make the wise choice that I unfortunately didn't, and stay away from this shameless fraud posing as your friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon! read more

My tummy tuck with Dr.Powell was life changing. By far one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I couldnt have asked for a better more experienced physician. After months of research and visiting 4 different plastic surgeons with consults, I found my 5 Star Plastic Surgeon. ***Doctor C. POWELL**. From the moment I walked into his office. I knew I had finally found the right surgeon. He is an Artist, a perfectionist , I shall call him a Picasso! I had a full tummy tuck, with muscle repair. I feel GREAT !!! I look even better!!! The overall experience, was awesome. Dr. Powell gave me the flattest tummy with an unbelievable waistline and minimal scaring. He has finite precision and amazing attention to detail. My results are far better than any I've seen advertise. He is by far a gem! While Dr. Powell was not the cheapest Dr., he was also not the most expensive either. But, he made me feel like a million dollar patient. Dr. Powell is the man! He is extremely educated, super professional and funny. He was able to answer all questions and made me feel safe and at ease. My Tummy Tuck came out amazing!!! It has been eight weeks and I am so happy with my results. My mobilty, my self esteem, and my life has greatly improved! Dr. Powell and his staff has calls me frequently to make sure I am doing okay. His staff, also probably the best on the planet. Always smiling, very professional, knowledgeable, and kind. Lindsey's super happy mood is contagious! She goes above and beyond to make patients/clients comfortable. So whatever he is doing he needs to keep it up because if six stars were an option I would give them to him and his office. read more

Powell Cosmetic Surgery - 5 weeks post op - Cosmetic Surgeons Near Me - Cardiff, California

I have now referred five people to see Mary at the Cardiff Medical Spa for laser hair removal and they've all loved her. She is such an amazing women she makes the process as pain free as she possibly can. And she's just fun to be around. She's a trauma nurse as well so you don't feel weird baring all cause come on there's nothing she hasn't seen. Plus she keeps the prices totally reasonable $150 for both the bikini and underarms plus numbing. Which I recently found out some people charge extra for. No numbing cream are you crazy! Anyways, go see Mary if you want to get rid of unwanted hair. She's amazing! read more

Great place especially if you need a little help with weight loss, but customer service needs a lot of help. I have been trying to get a refill of phentermine for the last month, but I have been told in mid conversation that they are currently with a patient and they will call me back or leave a message which the person hangs up; I never get a return call or email. I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt. It was amazing while it lasted, thank you but I will find another place. FYI: if you leave a bad review, they won't help you unless you delete the review. I tried one last time to see if I would get the run around as before but I was confronted with my full name, my review, lies about how they set time aside for me, and "delete the review or find another place." read more

I visited the Cardiff Medical Spa in December and was given a wonderful mini peel facial by Andrea. I really enjoyed it and I noticed a difference in the brightness of my skin. I am looking forward to my next appointment. I would definitely recommend the Cardiff Medical Spa! read more

This is the absolute worst place I have been to in regards to laser hair removal. The nurse and office staff are fine, however the doctor (DO not MD) is absolutely ridiculous and gives the most bizarre medical advice I have heard. I was left with white marks all over my legs, resulting from burn marks after one laser treatment. I had a consultation with the "doctor" to discuss how to treat the marks and besides being completely dismissive, he advised me to tan until I sunburn to accelerate pigmentation. Expose your skin to UV rays and sun damage to help diminish the appearance of white marks associated with laser hair removal. Are you kidding? Instead of offering to provide microdermabrasion services and being sympathetic, he could not be bothered and made it clear that he "could barely see" the marks, while every other person was astonished at how noticeable they were. Further, EVERY appointment I made with them had to be rescheduled. They would make appointments so far out in the future and then call 2 days before to reschedule for another 6 weeks later. Terrible, terrible experience. Do your research. I've had laser hair removal at two other establishments and was ecstatic with the professionalism of the doctors and staff, and the results. Dermacare in Carlsbad and Laser Clinique were far better! read more

Run from this Office. Extremely poor customer service. Purchased a UT DEAL - $289....In the fine print it states can be redeemed for purchase value...$289...and that does NOT EXPIRE. Contacted the clinic today and they OUTRIGHT LIED, stating the Spa was under new management and would not honor that. This clinic is still run by a Dr Carl Powell, and owned by him. Why lie? Do not use a clinic that does not honor it's offers. ************************Replying to Follow up left by TODD P from Dr Carl Powell's CARDIFF MEDICAL SPA....yes you have a new OFFICE MANAGER, SO WHAT? Still owned and operated by Same Doc. Same company. Now leave another nasty reply, and this just shows what I mean by poor customer service. read more

Dr Powell burned my face so bad with an IPL treatment that I got second degree burns! Blisters and puss and looked like a monster for a month! He had no remorse and told me it was normal. He had the machine set too high and I was too tan so he should never had done a treatment on me. I had to stay out of the sun and mostly inside for three months and it ruined my life for a long long time! This is three years ago and I still have hyper pigmentations in the places he burned me and lots of white spots in some places where he killed all the pigment! PLEASE DO NOT GO TO HIM! There are actually good doctors out there but he is not one of them! read more

Upon recommendation of a friend, I went to Cardiff Medical Spa for laser hair removal on a small area. I went the first time, and no one was there. Me and another patient sat in the waiting room for 30 minutes for someone to show up. Inside, the place looks dingy and old. I initially worked with an RN, who was nice, but always put a "please tip me" sign in my face after my treatment. I went back for my 6th treatment to learn the RN was gone, and I was going to work with a new doctor. No prior call on this at all. This doctor was very nice, and because of the bad advice and service received by the RN, she made a new financial agreement for future treatments. After a few treatments with this doctor, the place went MIA. No return calls, no confirmation calls for my future booked appointments...nada. I finally received a prompt call back today after leaving a message this morning. The caller was very nice and respectful, however informed me that they would not honor the financial arrangement I made with the doctor because she was no longer there. After almost a year of treatments with decent but not great results, after getting bad advice initially about what to do between treatments (confirmed by the doctor), and after twice showing up to a closed business, I am amazed this place would risk bad publicity for a few already agreed to discounted treatments of a small area. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Friendly, courteous staff in a nice location with easy access. I was there twice for a sculpsure procedure in my abdomen and love handles and had amazing results! No downtime, no surgery, and NO PAIN!!!! I would recommend this office highly for their excellent customer service . read more

I bought a signonsandiego (i think it is now called utsandiego) daily deal for 6 treatments of laser hair removal. I just went in for the first treatment for the back of my neck. I was a little skeptical with buying a daily deal because i have heard that the companies will always try and upsell you on extras just to make money off the deal. When i called to make the appointment, the lady answered any questions i had, told me i needed to shave the area the night before and scheduled the appointment. I received a call a few days later confirming my appointment. When i got there i wasnt treated like someone who just bought a deal, but was treated like any other customer (i know because there were other people in the waiting room too) i went to the backroom with the lady (i forgot her name, sorry) and she asked me questions to determine how sensitive my skin is, explained to me what the process would be, explained why there needed to be multiple treatments and then went ahead and did the laser removal process. The shock on the laser was a little more than i expected, but the whole process didnt take to long which was nice. Afterwards she gave me lotion to put on my neck and also some sunscreen, explained to me to try not to sweat that night and stay out of the sun because the skin is very sensitive after the procedure. They tell you that you need to purchase a cover piece for the laser treatment for $10, and to bring it back with you every time, I am ok with that as it is not a lot of money, and it makes sense. No one tried to sell me on buying more products or anything, i didnt even bring my wallet with me, and they said i could pay the $10 the next time i come in. They do ask that you leave a tip, which is a little weird, but if my neck hair clears up, i would probably kiss their feet ;) i have read other reviews of people getting burnt, and from what i understand it just depends on your skin sensitivity. I was asked if the laser was to hot or painful and she would have been able to lower the heat. So i am assuming that if you have sensitive skin you probably want the heat lowered. I personally want my hair gone so i dont care if they blast it up the whole way. Overall i had a very good first experience, i still have 5 more sessions. But i do recommend this place. read more

I purchased a deal with U-T San Diego for $99.00. Deal shows a value of $700.00 86% savings. I received my first treatment on my upper and lower legs and it did nothing at all. i assumed since the deal claims it's a $700.00 value I should receive another treatment. When going to my second treatment they tried to charge me $350.00. Now my issue is they claim it's a $700.00 value but after doing a little research they charge $200 for upper leg and $200 for lower leg. Now if I do the math I only received $400.00 worth of lasering. After speaking with Bibi she blamed the value as a miss print and blamed it on U-T San Diego. I received a email after contacting U-T San diego and replied with. Hello , Thank you for contacting Insider Hookup. I apologize for the inconvenience, however you will need to contact the merchant in regards to the redeemable value as they set the terms for the deals that they run. Please let us know if we can answer any other questions. Regards, Daily Deal Support If you ask me I beleive this is false advertising and illegal. $99.00 was a complete waste of money. I am aware you need more than one session but after speaking with bibi I'll never go back again. read more

I saw Bebe for brazilian laser hair removal. After five treatments of the painful and embarrassing procedure, I look just as hairy. What a waste of money, time and dignity! read more

This guy does amazing work! Him and Todd make a great team. I had them do a hair transplant and super amazed by the results. It has been 5 months since the transplant and my hair looks completely different. If you are looking for a hair transplant, definitely use these guys. Also, I was extremely anxious going into it and Todd did a great job putting me at ease. They were also always available for follow up questions. Couldn't be more happy. Worth every penny!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Mary is the BEST. She's fun to spend this "otherwise would be weird" time with. Her prices are reasonable, she's completely honest and works with you to get the results you want. I've heard horror stories of other laser experiences and other then the discomfort of being lasered (kind of like being snapped by a rubberband, though numbing and ice really do help!) I've never had a bad experience. Mary is fun to visit with and knows what she's doing! Highly highly highly recommend her. read more

I tried laser hair removal about 6 years ago at another location and it was so painful I never went back. At Cardiff Medical Spa they used a newer laser that was pain free. I went in about 5 times for treatment and I no longer need to shave. They have great deals every month which made it affordable. read more

This Doctor ruined my life!! Not only am I scared to let another surgeon touch me to fix what Dr. Powell did to me, I found out that my lifetime warranty is VOID because he REUSED my same implants for a revision surgery to correct his first mistake. HELLO McFLY, MENTOR IMPLANTS ARE FOR SINGLE USE ONLY!!! AND I AM SURE THERE IS A VERY GOOD REASON FOR THAT TOO. You had 1 job Dr. Powell, and you failed because of your careless negligence and mistakes. I never thought that such a "wonderful doctor" was capable of such a tragic display of patient care and quality performance. Ladies please think twice about allowing this man the opportunity to hurt you, I am not saying he will but he is capable of it. I know other girls that he has worked on and they have no complaints, however I do and hopefully no one else will go through the same thing I live with everyday. The last time i went to his office, he gave me my chart and said to get out of his office. What kind of a caring doctor makes a patient feel helpless, all while KNOWING he made the mistakes. Maybe he never expected me to find out about my VOIDED warranty but guess what, I did. Thanks a lot Dr. Powell you really know how to leave an impression literally. read more

PLEASE READ THIS before you book any treatments at this place. The staff is friendly, but Dr. Powell is horrible and he's irresponsible. He doesn't care about his patients or the damage he has done to them (read other similar posts here from last year and Sept where he burned and scarred some patients). I would NEVER go back - no matter how many discounts they offer. I went in for a consultation for a few tiny spider veins behind my knees and a couple on my thighs. The doctor recommended a $400 treatment and he said that would make the tiny veins in the back of my knees disappear in a couple of weeks. It's been more than 3 months and not only are the old spider veins still there, but now I still have bad bruises on both my thighs. Now there's permanent damage to my legs that wasn't there before the treatment I received from Dr. Powell at Cardiff Medical Spa. Not only was the treatment very painful, but I didn't get any results and now my legs may be permanently damaged with new more noticeable veins all over my upper legs caused by shots administered by Dr. Powell. I live in California and I can't even wear skirts or shorts because my legs are damaged so badly and much worse than they were before I received the treatment by Dr. Powell. I called them to complain and all they said was that I needed to come in again for more shots and pay more money, of course. They have no remorse over their bad treatments and damage caused to their patients. I went in because I wanted my legs to look better, not worse. Now I may have to go another doctor in LA and it's probably going to cost me $1,800 or more to get additional treatments to remove the damaged veins in my legs caused by the Dr. Cardiff Medical Spa. read more

This is the best place to get any kind of cosmetic procedures done at!! I love love the work they have done on me!! Dr Powell is number 1. I will be back soon!! read more

I was quite pleased with the professionalism of the staff members here. I got laser hair removal which was not painful and was with a machine in which each patient had a special piece which was attached to ensure theat each patient had hygenic treatment. The staff was kind and efficient and I had noticeable results after the laser hair removal. Additionally I found it relatively easy to book an appointment which is not always the case for other medical laser centers. read more

The doctor seems like a nice man, staff was friendly. Once I realized he had shaky hands and was injecting my face, I should have stopped him but I didn't. After the procedure was done he didn't seem very confident with the work, but said it should "start to look good". I've never felt so unsure and afraid as I did today. I'm hoping the results will turn out great, but I will not return to this office. read more

When going to Powell Cosmetic Surgery office, Dr. Powell did a great job, and I am satisfied with the service. Thank You!

I had planned to have a surgical procedure with Dr Powell and had been given a quote in writing. I made an appt. to meet with Dr Powell and go over the procedure. When I showed up for the appt. I was informed that the doctor was not there and would be in surgery all day, my name was there on the book for the appt but no one had called me to inform me there was a mistake and that the doctor wouldn't be there. The office is unprofessional and disorganized. The girl that was there apologized but I never received a call back from the office or apology from the doctor or person that made the appt. I will not be having my procedure done with Dr. Powell, there are too many other surgeons and professional offices in San Diego for me to be treated poorly at this one. read more

I purchased a daily deal through Sign on San Diego several months ago have just completed my third round of laser hair removal and am pleasantly surprised by the results. The majority of the hair is already gone even though I was told it would take six visits. When I first came in, they explained what was included in the certificiate so there would be no confusion, and gave me an incredible rate on adding another area. I was treated like a customer who was paying full price and not like someone who had a "deal". The staff has been extremely professional from day one and I have never had any problems scheduling an appointment. I was surprised to read another reviewer say her appointments were canceled and rescheduled since that has never happend to me. Bebe, my RN, makes the sessions as comfortable as possible and after meeting her, I wasn't as embarrassed or as shy as I thought I would be. She is really careful about making sure you are not experiencing any discomfort and uses an ice pack to help numb the area. I completely trust her and know she is doing an incredible job. I have had such a great exprerience at The Cardiff Medical Spa that I have told several of my friends and now they are booking sessions too. I will never go anywhere else! read more

After some lengthy online research into hair restoration facilities in the San Diego area, I chose to go with Dr Powell at Powell Medical Hair Restoration (www.hairtransplantsandiego.com) for my FUE transplant due to his background, experience, results, and low cost per graft. I opted to go for a relatively small procedure of just 800 grafts to fill in thinning portions of my hairline and the surgery was easy and painless. I'm very happy with the results so far...grafts were taken from a large and well dispersed donor area with an appropriately sized punch to minimize visible scarring, skillfully transplanted to the areas I wanted filled out as discussed in our pre-op consultation (taking into account relative density and growth direction in both the donor and recipient sites), and I was given easy to follow post-op directions for proper care and medication to facilitate my recovery. It's been almost a week and I'm extremely optimistic about the long term results - the donor area has mostly healed and is unlikely to develop noticeable scarring, the grafts appear to be well placed across the recipient area and are recovering nicely, and following the natural shedding process that will take place over the next few weeks I'm looking forward to having a much stronger hairline returning over the next 3-12 months. I don't plan on updating this review unless my future results differ significantly from my above expectations, so if you're reading this and it's been a while you can take it as a sign that I'm still a very satisfied patient. read more

I've been relying on this Spa for a few years. They have a great caring staff! I have referred several people for HCG Diet to this Spa especially. They have reasonable prices on Botox and Dr. Powell is very good read more

I was advised to purchase a medication for a skin problem. After searching for it online, I found it on the Cardiff medical spa website and purchased it for $130 11 days ago. They sent an email that they received my payment, but no word from them afterwards. Needless to say I have not received anything from them yet. They don't appear to be answering online queries or phone calls. I'm having no option but to dispute the charge on my credit card. It's very unprofessional to take someone's money and not provide them with what they paid for! read more

Nurse Bebe did my laser hair removal. I was amazed at how painless the process was. I was expecting more discomfort and was pleasantly surprised. The results are great! Especially my underarm and bikini areas. No more ingrown hairs and harsh feel and red bumps after shaving. Yay! I highly reccommend! read more

Dr. Powell has been taking care of me for the last three years and I couldn't be happier with my care and my surgical results. The doctor and all of his staff are professional and most importantly caring!!! Lindsey is the greatest and is always there and ready to do whatever she can to ensure whatever I need is taken care of. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Dr. Powell and all his staff at the Powell Cosmetic office in the Cardiff!!!! read more

I received a laser treatment for hair removal and appreciated the fact the procedure was virtually pain free (in comparison with other lasers which have always resulted in a painful experience). I only had one treatment but it is nice to not have the pain. read more