Dr. Golara Honari, MD

I have been working with dermatologists for 2+ years battling severe acne and hypersensitive skin that started inexplicably in my late twenties (after years of perfect skin). I've tried it all including a prolonged course of accutane and nothing has worked. Even putting water on my face burns. When I went in to see Dr. Honari, she answered my questions about whether skin symptoms were within a normal range with an "I don't know" and an eye roll. Since I waited 5 months for an appointment with her, I had a pretty long list of questions. Instead of sharing her expertise as a doctor, she got annoyed after a few and asked how I expected her to answer anything when she had only known me for 10 minutes. Also instead of prescribing me medications, she suggested a bunch of extremely expensive over the counter luxury creams. She made it clear that my acne was my own fault. Even more offensive: she started giving me makeup shade suggestions because she said I "needed color." How is that part of… her job? As anyone with skin issues knows, self-esteem can be a big issue. Dr. Golara honestly made me feel so ugly and like my skin issues are the only part of me that matters. Avoid her at all costs.

It has been almost a year since I've seen Dr. Golara Honari and I am still as traumatize by my experience as I was the day I left her office and drove myself back home to the East Bay completely distraught. I don't think I can ever forgive her for her unprofessional behavior. Not 'battle' with! I went in to see her to get a referral to see Dr. Rockson to find out whether I had Lipedema or not. She did not even know what Lipedema was. She googled images of patients with Lipedema and without touching me once, decided that I was not worth her time. She spoke over me when I corrected her as she suggested that 'I meant to say lymphedema.' She even became offended asking, 'Well, if you want a war of words.' This was supposed to be a woman I could depend on! She even suggested that I was trying to have liposuction; implying that I was lying about something in order to 'get away with' getting liposuction! I felt utterly criminalized and deeply shamed for seeking treatment from someone who I… was supposed to be able to trust, be vulnerable with, and lean on for their expertise. She concluded that what I needed was a dietician and not to be referred to the ONLY Lipedema research hospital in Northern California. Women travel from all over to see a doctor that I'm within driving distance from. I drove home completely gaslit and questioning my own symptoms in a fury of tears. Even today I cry and am enraged by the treatment I received. I DO NOT believe she should be trusted to see anyone AT ALL. I completely regret ever having seen her! I've been diagnosed MULTIPLE times with, now, stage 4 lipedema in my arms and legs by both Dr. Amron and Lukaszewicz. She cause such self doubt that I even questioned the confident diagnosis from those wonderful doctors for a while. This woman allows fat bias - not science to determine her treatment of people and she should be held responsible!

An amazing doctor. All should be like her.