This article was Co-authored by Dr. Christopher D’Souza, President BAHRS, and Dr. Gregory Williams, BAHRS Vice President.
As with everywhere in the world, hair transplant surgery is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. However, there is a lack of public awareness about who should do the various steps involved in this surgical procedure. Hair transplant surgeons should never delegate the making of skin incisions, either for follicular unit excision (FUE) harvesting or when using sharp implanters.
The Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA) has a standard for hair transplant surgery which can be found here. On page 12 it states that only GMC (General Medical Council) licensed doctors can perform hair transplant surgery. On pages 13 and 14 the roles of the hair transplant surgeon and hair transplant surgical assistants are clarified including defining the surgical and non-surgical steps of a hair transplant procedure.
The ISHRS Fight the FIGHT campaign summarises this here and notes that, in the UK, hair transplant surgical assistants (also known as technicians) do not need direct supervision to perform the non-surgical steps of a hair transplant procedure.
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The British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) endorses the Fight the FIGHT campaign and offers various resources:
- Guidance on who should do your hair transplant surgery as well as noting the General Medical Council’s view here.
- Guidance on what to think about when considering having hair transplant surgery overseas here.
- Advice on what patients should consider when choosing a hair transplant surgeon or clinic here.
A more extensive discussion about what patients in the UK should beware of when considering hair transplant surgery can be watched in this video recording.