When David Perry, MD, PhD, mused on what his specialty would be as a physician, he was able to take more time than most. The owner and founder of West Ashley’s Perry Dermatology began his journey by enrolling as a PhD student at the Medical University of South Carolina after earning a biochemistry degree at Clemson. But he soon realized that he didn’t want to fully devote himself to the theories of medicine, he wanted to practice medicine as well.
“It dawned on me I wanted to do something hands-on, something that included patient care,” he said. With that, he applied to a different program, the MD, PhD tract, also known as the Medical Scientist Training Program, or MSTP.
After a total of 14 years, one as a PhD student, eight as an MD, PhD student and five in residency and fellowship, Dr. Perry opened Perry Dermatology in 2019. He decided on dermatology for the opportunity to work as a medical doctor and as a surgeon. “It’s a unique balance, and you can think in a lot of different ways,” he said.
Dermatology and Hair Loss
Many patients come to Perry Dermatology concerned about hair loss, a condition known as alopecia. How the condition is treated depends on what caused it, according to Dr. Perry, for example, whether or not it’s in response to inflammation. Various treatments can range from injectable anti-inflammatory medicines to topical agents to stimulate the hair follicles to natural supplements, which patients can try no matter what caused their hair loss.
Inflammatory Skin Conditions
In addition to alopecia, patients visit Dr. Perry and his team for a variety of issues, including inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, as well as skin cancer. Much of skin and hair health is related to various types of inflammation. “Oftentimes, as dermatologists, we are thinking about whether a certain inflammatory skin condition could be associated with inflammation in other parts of the body,” he said. “For example, if a patient has scalp psoriasis, which often presents with hair thinning and dandruff, we know there’s an increased association with psoriatic arthritis where joints are involved.”
Another example of an inflammatory condition that can affect the scalp and also have systemic implications is lupus. “If a patient has a diagnosis of lupus, which can cause a type of scarring alopecia, we would also look at the bigger picture and assess whether other internal organs are involved, which, at times, will involve evaluation by rheumatology.”
A Hands-On, Accessible Practice
He described the practice as having a personal touch, pun intended, and works with two other talented physicians, Lindsey C. Bressler, MD, and Peyton Goodie, MD.
“We’re a family-run, small practice,” Dr. Perry said. “One of the benefits of our practice and small private practices in general is accessibility to patients. There’s easy parking, and we’re right there. There are not a lot of barriers.”
Dermatopathology and Lifelong Curiosity
Apart from working with his patients, Dr. Perry values understanding the pathology of cutaneous illnesses and enjoys utilizing his training in dermatopathology. Though he isn’t currently involved in scientific research, he always has an eye for interesting research opportunities.
“I have an engineering type of brain, so I always want to understand something,” he said. “Despite being primarily focused on patient care and clinical medicine, I hope to revisit my interest in research, as the discovery process can be very exciting. But I value being interested in every patient as an individual and staying curious.”
To learn more, visit perrydermatology.com
By Denise J. James
