About ABHRS
Internationally recognized as the only board certification focusing on hair restoration surgery for physicians worldwide.
Commitment to Hair Restoration Excellence and Safety
The need for the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) first surfaced in June 1995 at a Hair Replacement Surgery Seminar in Chicago. A group of speakers began discussing the need for a certifying board in hair replacement surgery. The discussion during the subsequent twelve months became more resolute as the press began to focus on hair replacement surgery, due to the many sensational stories on television and in print.
In 1996, the American Hair Loss Council (AHLC) invited all of the specialty groups whose physicians performed hair restoration surgery to participate in a meeting to discuss the development of a Board Certification process. Two significant events stimulated this first meeting: the AHLC was receiving many inquiries from the public about how to recognize a competent hair restoration surgeon, and the AHLC had been contacted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which advised of its plan to conduct an industry audit.
On June 10, 1996, the organizational meeting for a hair replacement surgery certification examination was held at the Hotel Intercontinental in New York City. This meeting heralded a new era in hair restoration: the formation of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery. Each of the societies represented agreed that their respective organizations would accept and recognize this board as the only board certification focusing on hair restoration surgery.
The Mission
To act for the benefit of the public, to establish specialty standards and to examine surgeons' skill, knowledge and aesthetic judgment in the field of hair restoration surgery.
Our Goals
To grant certification to candidates who meet the highest standards of the medical profession in the field of hair restoration surgery, with the express provision that the Board will not act as a business, vocational or post-secondary school.
Objectives
To establish requirements for qualification of applicants for certification by the Board in the field of hair restoration surgery with utmost discretion.
Why ABHRS?
The first formal board meeting was held in Nashville on September 20, 1996. Officers were elected and committee chairpersons were appointed. They embarked on the development of a written and oral examination, each of which would be statistically validated with regard to their ability to identify between those whose practice habits were consistent with safe, aesthetically sensitive hair restoration surgery.
The ABHRS was recognized internationally when, in 2000, at the request of the president of the European Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, the ABHRS began to offer its international candidates the option of having their certificates read "International Board of Hair Restoration Surgery." A certificate with this designation certifies successful completion of the same credentialing and examination process as the Diplomates of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery.
Recognized by the ISHRS
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery is a global non-profit medical association and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration. Its recognition affirms the ABHRS examination as the standard for the specialty.