Who are the Hair Transplant Doctors

Hair restoration surgery is a specialty in its own right; however, there is no formal post-graduate residency training or fellowship program to become a hair transplant surgeon. It is not taught in residency or fellowship programs. There is no accredited board certification for a hair transplant surgeon as it is not recognized as a specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties. In the United States, the only qualification to call oneself a hair transplant physician is a valid and active medical license.

Talented hair transplant physicians come from backgrounds in various medical specialties. A physician’s medical training in a particular field of medicine does not automatically confer the skills or knowledge to be a well-qualified hair transplant surgeon. Since there are no formalized training programs, it takes physicians who are motivated and committed to acquiring the knowledge and learning the skills needed to successfully help patients suffering from hair loss.

Surgical hair restoration is not a skill to be learned by attending a weekend aesthetics course. The ideal way a physician can learn the skills necessary to become a hair transplant surgeon is by working as an apprentice with an established hair transplant physician in their practice. It can take 1 to 2 years for the physician to build a solid foundation of experience and acquire the skills needed to be a high-quality hair transplant surgeon. The type of surgical hair restoration training received is the most important determinant of a great hair transplant surgeon who consistently provides patients excellent results regardless of the specialty track they pursued after medical school.