Take a tour of our center

MEET OUR DERMATOLOGISTS WITH ADVANCED LASER AND COSMETIC TRAINING

Mathew Avram, MD, JD, Director

R. Rox Anderson, MD

Gary S. Chuang, MD

Susan DeCoste, MD

Anita Grassi, MD

Joshua D. Shofner, MD

Sandy S. Tsao, MD

Molly Wanner, MD

At the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center, all treatments are performed by dermatologists who have advanced training in laser and cosmetic procedures.

As a result, our patients receive care from highly skilled physicians rather than nonphysician providers, such as nurses and estheticians, who often are employed at private medical offices and spas.

What to Expect

Most patients are scheduled for a consultation. During the consultation, patients meet with a dermatologist to discuss their skin condition and possible treatment options. In some instances patients may receive treatment on the day of their consultation. Many treatments are available with little or no downtime, allowing patients to return to their lives almost immediately. Most of our laser services require more than one treatment for an optimal result.

Please note that in most cases, these elective cosmetic dermatology services are not covered by health insurance.

In addition to cosmetic procedures, we also treat patients, including children, with medical conditions such as port wine stains and hemangiomas. Small children (including babies) are often treated in the surgical day care unit in conjunction with MassGeneral Hospital for Children. In this setting, our pediatric patients can be given general anesthesia in a very safe, controlled environment. We also work with every patient’s insurance company to obtain prior approval for the laser destruction of port wine stains and hemangiomas.

Leaders in the Field

We see thousands of patients a year, which gives us ample experience in understanding how the skin works and responds to various treatments. At our comfortable new facility, we offer many treatments that were pioneered at Mass General, including laser treatment of rosacea, broken blood vessels, port wine stains, hemangiomas and sun-damaged skin as well as tattoo removal and laser hair removal.

Among the latest technologies developed at Mass General is fractional resurfacing, the technology behind the Fraxel® re:storeTM laser system, which smoothes the patient's wrinkles and lessens the effects of sun damage. This technology gave rise to a new class of lasers now in use across the country and the world, including the Fraxel repairTM.

The Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center houses a wide variety of lasers. Each patient’s condition is carefully evaluated and the best laser treatment(s) is chosen to ensure an optimal outcome. Treatments are performed by Mass General dermatologists who have extensive cosmetic dermatology training. This allows the center to offer top-quality services in every area of the cosmetic dermatology field, while ensuring patients safety and satisfaction.

Contact UsDermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center
Massachusetts General Hospital
50 Staniford Street, Suite 250
Boston, MA 02114
617-724-6960

Downloadable Patient materials

Anti-aging techniques

CoolSculpting: Dr. Avram answers questions about this new fat freezing procedure.

Cosmetic Dermatology Brochure

What to Know: Over The Counter Moisturizers

What to Know: Tattoo Removal

What is Tumescent Liposuction?

Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing

NEWS AND EVENTS

February 26, 2013; Watch Boston Fox 25 Video with Mathew Avram, MD -What you should ask before having a laser procedure

February 24, 2012 Watch Channel 5 Video as Dr. Avram discusses a new laser peel. 

August 10, 2011 Channel 7 Boston, Healthcast: Cosmetic Concerns.  Dr. Mathew Avram explains what's in mineral makeup.

July 28, 2011 Watch Boston's Fox 25 live interview with Dr. Mathew Avram as he answers questions about summer skin.

Smile! There's New Help For Frown Lines – WCVB-TV, Ch. 5

March 2, 2011: WCVB-TV Boston's Channel 5 featured Dr. Mathew Avram and the new Fraxel Re:Store Dual Laser for reversing sun damage.

Dr. Avram appeared on the Dr. Oz television show Wednesday, February 9, 2011 demonstrating the NEW Fraxel Re:store Dual System. Read about the results.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center attracts patients from all over the world seeking treatment for cosmetic and skin conditions. For nearly 20 years, our center has pioneered cutting-edge skincare treatment.

We perform a full range of laser procedures at our state-of-the-art facility, such as permanent hair removal, tattoo removal, pulsed-dye laser treatments, fractional resurfacing, fractional CO2 and fractional erbium treatments, skin-tightening procedures and traditional CO2 and erbium-resurfacing treatments. Additionally, we perform numerous other  treatments such as Botox, soft tissue fillers, chemical peels, sclerotherapy, tumescent liposuction and CoolSculpting,by Zeltiq, a fat-freezing procedure.

We also treat a variety of skin issues and conditions, including:

• Broken blood vessels
• Rosacea (a common disorder of the facial skin)
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Brown spots and sun-damaged skin
• Port wine stains (a type of congenital birthmark)
• Acne and acne scars
• Skin laxity (jowls, neck, abdomen)
• Melasma (a discoloration of the skin)
• Surgical and burn scars
• Leg veins

A Long History of Excellence

Over the past several decades, the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center and the Wellman Center for Photomedicine have made major contributions to our area of focus, developing innovative treatments and technologies.

• 1983: We developed the theory behind selective, nonscarring laser surgery of the skin.
• 1986: We used a pulsed-dye laser to become the first to treat port wine stains without scarring.
• 1987: We developed a laser treatment for the removal of pigmented lesions.
• 1988: We developed a laser treatment for the removal of tattoos.
• 1995: We invented and first demonstrated permanent laser hair removal.
• 2000: We developed safe laser hair removal for people with darkly pigmented skin (previously impossible due to the risk of side effects).
• 2004: We invented and first used fractional resurfacing for the improvement of wrinkles, acne scars, surgical scars and melasma

Our program initially emerged in the mid-1980s as a treatment center for port wine stains, hemangiomas and rosacea. Several years later, we opened our cosmetic and laser center to treat a variety of skin conditions. We have since earned the reputation as an international leader in our field—and the place where other dermatologists often turn with clinical questions. Many of the leaders in cosmetic dermatology received additional training at our center.

Mathew Avram, MD, JD, is a board-certified dermatologist who has served as our director since 2005. He specializes in cosmetic dermatology and has written multiple articles, book chapters and coauthored a textbook in this field.

In addition to Dr. Avram, we have seven board-certified dermatologists on staff all of whom are on the faculty of Harvard Medical School:

• R. Rox Anderson, MD
• Gary S. Chuang, MD
• Susan De Coste, MD
• Anita Grassi, MD
• Josuha Shofner, MD
• Sandy Tsao, MD
• Molly Wanner, MD

Leading Research

As a research facility, we continue to explore new ways to use our lasers, even beyond cosmetic purposes. In conjunction with the Wellman Center for Photomedicine we perform numerous cutting-edge clinical trials and investigations.

Contact Us
Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center
Massachusetts General Hospital
50 Staniford Street, Suite 250
Boston, MA 02114
617-724-6960

Acne

Acne is a disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The glands become clogged, leading to pimples and cysts.

Birthmarks

Birthmarks are areas of discolored and/or raised skin that are apparent at birth or within a few weeks of birth. Birthmarks are made up of malformed pigment cells or blood vessels.

Excessive Hairiness (Hirsutism)

Excessive hairiness, also known as hirsutism, is characterized by abnormal hair growth on areas of skin that are not normally hairy.

Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating, also called hyperhidrosis, can affect the entire body, but usually occurs in the palms, soles, armpits, and/or groin area.

Hair Loss

Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair from the same follicle and the growing cycle starts again. Scalp hair grows about one-half inch a month. As people age, the rate of hair growth slows.

Other Benign Skin Growths

As a person grows older and is exposed to sunlight, the skin changes. Most people have some skin marks, such as freckles and moles, which may multiply or darken over time.

Rosacea

Characterized by redness, pimples and broken blood vessels, rosacea is a common skin condition that usually only affects the face and eyes.

Scars

A scar is the body's natural way of healing and replacing lost or damaged skin.

Skin Pigment Disorders

Skin color is determined by a pigment (melanin) made by specialized cells in the skin (melanocytes). Some disorders which affect skin color are: albinism, melasma, pigment loss after skin damage, and vitiligo.

Warts

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by the papillomavirus.

The following related clinical trials and research studies are currently seeking participants at Massachusetts General Hospital. Search for clinical trials and studies in another area of interest.

Dermatology, Laser and Cosmetic Center

Phone: 617-724-6960
Fax: 617-724-6970

Public Transportation Access: yes
Disabled Access: yes