Hair restoration sits in an unusual area of medicine. A physician may perform hair transplantation based on their medical license and training, even if they are not specifically board-certified in hair restoration. That means a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, ENT/facial plastic surgeon, or cosmetic surgeon can offer FUE or FUT without becoming an ABHRS Diplomate.
ABHRS, however, requires a physician to deliberately pursue a separate hair-restoration credentialing process. The board states that candidates must demonstrate relevant training and post-training experience and then pass both written and oral examinations covering the full scope of hair restoration surgery. The ABHRS currently says only about 270 surgeons worldwide have completed the pathway to Diplomate status.
That helps explain why you do not see many ABHRS Diplomates in the Washington area. For a doctor who treats hair loss only as one service among Botox, fillers, dermatology, or general plastic surgery, there may be little incentive to invest the time required for an additional specialized board examination. A physician whose practice includes a substantial focus on hair restoration has much more reason to pursue this distinction.
Dr. Steven B. Hopping is a Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS), a distinction that reflects specialized training and expertise in surgical hair restoration.
