Alopecia Doctors — Dr. Vera Price or Dr. Richard Strick?

Hi,

I’m writing to you desperate for answers. About 6 months ago my hairline started to thin and recede rather rapidly after stopping ortho-tri cyclen birth control pills. My general doctor thought that stopping the pill was the cause. About 2 months after seeing the doctor I started to develop a round bald spot above my front hairline. It has slowing progressed over the last 6 months into a spot the size of a quarter with redness and tenderness along with some sporadic itching. I went to see Dr. Vera Price at UCSF in San Francisco. She had her derma pathologist review a biopsy that Dr. Kurgis of Templeton CA had taken and told me it was alopecia areata and not a scarring alopecia. However, this is where I get to my question, I wanted a second opinion because Dr. Kurgis thought it looked more like a scarring kind so I went down to UCLA to see Dr. Richard Strick who also reviewed the same biopsy slides. He said that neither he nor his derma pathologist could clearly read the slides to determine if it was either scarring alopecia or alopecia areata. Which doctor is more knowledgeable about these diseases? Who should I trust Dr. Strick or Price? Please help; I don’t know what to do at this point. Dr. Price said that having another biopsy again is unnecessary and might make it worse and she was certain it’s not scarring, but it keeps spreading every week, little by little and the redness spreads as well. I’m very worried I will have to wear a wig if this does not stop. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

I personally know Dr. Richard Strick, because he is in the Los Angeles area (where I am based), and can speak very highly of him and his work, but I only know of Dr. Vera Price based on her reputation. These are two terrific dermatologists, and I can’t make a decision for you on who to trust more in this situation. You should have asked Dr. Strick about Dr. Price’s recommendations, as he was the last doctor you saw. I wish I could offer you some advice, but these doctors are both highly skilled in dealing with conditions like these and are much more specialized with this than I am.