Great Staff and best skin care in San Diego... Thank You!!!

f I could describe this experience in 3 words it would be: 1) overpriced 2) snobby 3) ineffectual. I originally came upon this place when i got a free microdermabrasion gift certificate from a charity event i went to. upon arriving, i immediately got the sense that they were pretty stuck up and overly concerned with status and image. i got the free microderm, but my esthetician was more concerned with upselling products than my actual health. without my asking, she automatically printed out her "recommendation" for me which included, $263 worth of products and 2 deep cleansing facials knowing that i am working on a student budget here. that's fine. i figured it was a reputable place since they make a big deal about tipping 15%+ gratuity, no-shows, and their cancellation policy. they also emphasized how booked and busy they always are. i bought a couple of items in good faith and even told my boyfriend about it. treatment 2: .....So....for my birthday last week, my boyfriend wanted to surprise me with a gift certificate for the special of 2 deep cleansing facials. he figured me and my friend could get one. except i got a call from Alvarado stating that I made an appt with them today. My boyfriend wasnt aware he made an appointment, but instead he thought he got a gift certificate. Again, that's fine. They're just being proactive right? Awesome. I didnt even have to call in. I showed up for my treatment today, and the receptionist asked where my friend was. Long story short, they never confirmed my friend's appointment with me or my boyfriend, never sent me my gift certificate in the mail, and knowing it was a birthday gift for me, they guilt-tripped me about how my friend is a "no show" even though NONE of us KNEW she had an appointment to begin with, and how i had wasted a room and an hour of their time. In fact, i even requested Renee for my facial but they had told me on the phone i would be with Carrie. However, when i arrived, they changed the story to say that Carrie had been assigned to my 'evil' friend who wasnt considerate enough to show up. So in consequence, I am not even allowed to re-schedule my second facial which as been PAID FOR (not that we scheduled the first one to begin with!) but instead, i pretty much just got one facial for the price of 2, and my boyfriend shelled out $150 for nothing. Apparently my business isn't good enough. Apparently having obtained my Masters from Columbia University isnt good enough for these people. I realize i am not their usual clientale. Their elite clientale, the ones that actually recieve customer, service probably spends the full $263 on products and fulfills some form of socioeconimic/age/aesthetic requirement that they set. i dont know what. im just speculating, and its only obvious that Alvarado's customer service are are arbitrary and biased. it doesnt matter if you are a paying customer or not. they want your money, not your business. in fact, if you dont fit the image they want, they wont even uphold the monetary contract you made with them in appointments. Long story short, dont go here. tell your friends not to go here. UPDATE nov. 11/2009! we called them back 3 times! and each time they said they would us back. they didn't and refuse to give any customer service. i thought businesses wanted continuous patronage? either way, i am going to call them and threaten them with a BBB report as well as contacting the Sundt foundation (the charity that gave me the gift certificate) and tell them not to do business with these guys.

Carrie and Mary have to be the best Estheticians I have ever seen. Not only does my skin look better than ever, but they are both very warm and caring and attentive to my skin's needs, as well as answering any questions I have. I am very happy at Alvarado!

Great Laser Treatment. Very pleased with the results. I purchased a gift certificate for my wife, so I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

I have been getting facials at Alvarado Institute of skincare, I just tried their Peels and wow, what a difference! I wish I would have done this sooner!