Dr. Sandy Tsao graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude from Colorado College with a Bachelor‘s degree in Biology and from Harvard Medical School with an MD degree, winning the Soma Weiss Research Award. She then completed her internship at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and her Dermatology residency at the prestigious Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency, where she was selected as Chief Resident during her third year. Dr. Tsao subsequently trained in laser and cosmetic dermatology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. In 2001, Dr. Tsao joined the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser and Cosmetic Center and is currently an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. She is considered both locally in Boston and nationally as one of the premier "must see" laser and cosmetic dermatologists. Dr. Tsao has delivered well over 100 lectures on laser and cosmetic dermatology at conferences throughout the world and has been recognized by the MGH as one of its leading physicians through multiple Partners-in-Excellence Awards and a nomination for the Brian A. McGovern, MD Award for Clinical Excellence. Dr. Tsao is also one of Boston’s prestigious SuperDoctors in the specialty of Dermatology.

Dr. Tsao is deeply committed to education, having served as both the Director of Dermatological Surgery and the Associate Director of Procedural Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. For her efforts, she won the Teacher-of-the-Year award from the Department of Dermatology at Harvard. Dr. Tsao has been on committees for dermatological organizations including the American Academy of Dermatology, the Women’s Dermatologic Society and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and has helped set the national agenda for medical and procedural dermatology. She has also served as a medical advisory board member for OrthoNeutrogena and Roc and as a consultant to Johnson and Johnson.

Dr. Tsao has written numerous original articles and book chapters about laser and cosmetic dermatology or skin disease and has co-authored a major dermatologic surgical textbook- The Color Atlas of Cosmetic Dermatology- which is now in its second edition and the consumer-oriented book, Harvard Medical School: A Woman’s Guide to Hair Loss and Excess Hair. She is recognized as a thought leader in skin health and skin care and is frequently featured in magazines such as Health, Shape, Allure, Oprah, Good Housekeeping, OK, Natural Health and Parenting, just to name a few. In addition, she helped pioneer the use of photochemical tissue bonding (or “nanosuturing”) for sutureless wound closure.