Viveve

"I am not exaggerating when I say that Dr. Andrea Hui Austin is a LIFE CHANGER. I’ve been seeing her for almost two years now for treatment of my rosacea and acne and skin is clearer than it’s ever been, clearer than I ever hoped it would be. I first started seeing Dr. Austin in 2019, a few months after I turned 31. I’d been diagnosed with rosacea in middle school and had otherwise had fairly clear skin until I reached college. In college, I started breaking out more and more frequently until my acne was basically chronic. Some people in my family had late-bloomer acne, so I told myself it would probably just clear up as I got older, and I tried to take the best care of my skin that I could in the meantime. I tried every OTC treatment under the sun, went on different diets, and saw a series of dermatologists who put me on a range of topical medications and oral antibiotics. Nothing made much of a difference and by my late 20s I’d was so close to giving up and resigning myself to having bad skin for the rest of my life, although it made me feel miserable.That’s when I realized that the one thing I hadn’t tried was seeing a dermatologist who specializes in treating rosacea. I did some googling and Dr. Austin’s name came up again and again, so I scheduled a consult. My expectations weren’t high, given how little luck I’d had before. But Dr. Austin completely blew me away in the consult. Not only was she able to explain why my rosacea was causing these breakouts, but I was blown away by her empathy; she started the appointment by asking me to tell her about my history of rosacea and acne and after I went through the litany of things I’d tried she said, "I’m so sorry you had to go through that." It made me tear up to feel like someone cared and understood how much having bad skin can take a toll on self-esteem.She started me on a routine of oral medication and new topical skincare products, and did an excellent job of answering all my questions and explaining how each product or medication worked and why it was necessary. I noticed a difference in my skin within weeks, and once the breakouts were more under control we began a series of laser treatments to help tame the rosacea. As my skin continued to heal and improve, the treatments became less frequent, and I’m now at the point where I only have them a few times a year. My skin has healed enough that she’s also able to address the scarring I have from acne and, honestly, that’s a milestone I never thought I’d reach until I started working with her. She’s continued to be a thoughtful and kind person, celebrating the milestones with me as my skin healed, remembering details about my personal life, and engaging me in conversation during the treatments; I feel like she really cares.As a bonus, the whole BACD staff is competent, professional, and friendly. They keep things running smoothly, call/email back quickly, and have a very flexible auto-ship program that sends my topical products to me four times a year. BACD has done a sterling job of adapting to the pandemic--they’ve put up signage, spaced out appointments, created physical distance in the waiting room, and changed their payment process so you pay in the treatment room. I’ve noticed some other places get lax with these types of measures as the pandemic has gone on, but BACD has been incredibly consistent, which I appreciate.If you have rosacea and acne, Dr. Austin is your gal. She’s truly and completely changed my skin in a way I never thought possible. I highly, highly recommend her!(The photos I’ve included from her office are from before the acne scarring treatment; the personal photos I included are after one acne scarring treatment. No digital filters, no makeup or concealer in any of these photos!)"