Committees

Credentialing Committee

This committee is responsible for reviewing the applications of physicians wanting to take the written and oral ABHRS Certification Exams. It ensures that all requirements have been met and verified, and most importantly, that the applicant’s skill, knowledge and surgical judgement and medical ethics are at the highest level.

Georgios Zontos, MD, MSc, PhD, FISHRS (Board Member) Chair
Epameinondas Bonaros, MD
Maxim Chumak, MD
Nishat Fatima, MBBS
Muhammad Jawad, MD
Daniel Lee, MD (Board Member)
Harshit Ranpara, MD, DVD
Thirumalai Vasan, MBBS, MS
Dimitrios Ziakas, MD

Oral Exam Committee

This committee’s role is to assist the oral exam chairperson in the creation and revision of original and contemporary oral exam protocols that allow the ABHRS to assess the ability and knowledge of candidates and their safe practice of hair restoration surgery.

Dr. Kapil Dua (Treasurer) Chair
Daniel Lee, MD (Board Member) Co-Chair
Jason Dudas, MD
David Josephitis, DO, FISHRS
Luciana Takata Pontes Arruda, MD

Written Examination Committee

The committee, in close cooperation with the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), solicits, organizes, and psychometrically validates ABHRS exam questions to be used in the intellectual and clinical evaluation of its candidates for certification, while also continually upgrading clinical references to reflect current principles and practices supporting the highest standards for the diagnosis and treatment of hair loss conditions. Comprised of ABHRS diplomates specifically trained by the NBOME in constructing valid and clinically substantiated exam questions, this committee is tasked with designing clinical scenarios that replicate common medical and surgical presentations as reflected in modern hair transplant surgery practices today. Additionally, it is responsible for designing exam questions to evaluate clinical and ethical competence in aspiring physician candidates to the board.

Karl Hekimian, MD (Board Member) Chair
Randa Erfan, MD, MRCS, PhD, Co-Chair
Timothy Carman, MD, FISHRS (2022 President)
Steven Gabel, MD, FACS, FISHRS (2024 President)
Seema Garg, MBBS, MSc
Aditya Gupta, MD, PhD, FISHRS (Board Member)
Sharon Keene, MD, FISHRS (Board Member)
Sara Wasserbauer, MD, FISHRS (2020 President)

Maintenance of Certification Committee

This committee, in close cooperation with the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), solicits, organizes and psychometrically validates ABHRS exam questions to be used in the intellectual and clinical evaluation of its Diplomates for re-certification. It is also tasked with continually upgrading clinical references to reflect current principles and practices supporting the highest standards for the diagnosis and treatment of hair loss conditions. Diplomates are eligible for re-certification every 10 years.

Robert T. Leonard, Jr. DO, FISHRS (Board Member) Chair
Haitham Abdelhamid, MD, Co-Chair
Shady El-Maghraby, MD, MSc, FISHRS (Secretary)
Shalini Malhotra, MBBS, DNB
Mayank Singh, MBBS, MS, MCh (Board Member)

Ethics Committee

This committee is responsible for monitoring compliance with ethical guidelines established for our diplomates. When a complaint is received regarding a possible violation of the ABHRS Code of Ethics, this committee implements clear and definitive procedures to thoroughly investigate and address each occurrence. Recommendation by the committee for any disciplinary action is taken to the ABHRS Board of Directors for a vote to implement definitive action.

David Perez-Meza, MD, FISHRS (Board Member) Chair
Vance Elliott, MD, FISHRS
Sharon Keene, MD, FISHRS (Board Member)
Robert Niedbalski, DO, FISHRS
Mayank Singh, MBBS, MS, MCh (Board Member)

ABHRS Awareness Committee

This group of committees oversees the organization and communication of ongoing efforts to increase public awareness of the clinical standards of excellence ABHRS requires of its diplomates, in our goal to provide patients suffering from hair loss access to competent and ethical medical care as provided by our ABHRS Certified Physicians.

Video Production

Subcommittee

WhatsApp Group

Subcommittee

Website Committee

Subcommittee

Ratchathorn Panchaprateep, MD, PhD, FISHRS (Board Member) Chair

2025 Awareness Committee members coming soon.

2025 Committee Member coming soon.

Luciano Sciacca, MD (Board Member) WhatsApp Group Chair
Aditya K. Gupta, MD, PhD, FISHRS (Board Member) Website Committee Chair

Global Outreach Committee

This Committee is dedicated to educating and engaging the global hair restoration community to bring greater awareness of the mission of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS).

Mayank Singh, MS, MCh (Board Member) Chair
Rana Irfan, MBBS, FISHRS (President)

Nomination Committee

This committee oversees the nominations process for the Board of Directors.

Georgios Zontos, MD, MSc, PhD, FISHRS Credentialing Committee Chair
Christopher D’Souza, MBBS, FISHRS (Vice President)
Karl Hekimian, MD, Written Exam Chair (Board Member)
Rana Irfan, MBBS, FISHRS (President)
Dr. Kapil Dua, Oral Exam Chair (Treasurer)

ABHRS/IBHRS Code of Ethics Policy Statement

WHEREAS, the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) is a surgical certifying board organized to examine physicians in the area of hair restoration surgery; and

WHEREAS, the ABHRS is a surgical certifying board organized to promote the safe practice of hair restoration surgery;

NOW, THEREFORE, the ABHRS has established the following policy: As a Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, I pledge myself to…

Use every opportunity to improve public understanding of the role of the Hair Restoration Surgeon.

Cooperate in every reasonable and proper way with other physicians and work with them in activities contributing to the advancement of quality patient care.

Maintain the confidentiality of privileged information entrusted or known to me by virtue of my role as a hair restoration surgeon within the constraints of the law.

Accept no personal compensation from any party that would influence or require special consideration in the provision of care to any patient.

Provide patient care impartially, provide no special privilege to any individual patient based on the patient’s race, color, creed, sex, national origin or handicap.

Use only legal and ethical means in the provision of care to my patients and strive to expose those physicians deficient in character or competence, or who engage in fraud or deception.

Maintain the highest standard of personal conduct.

Abide by the highest ethical standards in activities designed to attract patients to my practice including recognition and enforcement of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery advertising policy which requires Diplomate status should not be embellished, to utilize truthful advertising, and to designate my ABHRS membership as ABHRS Diplomate as opposed to “Board Certified” by the ABHRS.

Maintain loyalty to the goals and objectives of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery as stated in the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery By-Laws.

Promote and encourage the highest level of medical ethics in providing competent medical service with compassion and respect for human dignity.

Recognize and discharge my responsibility and that of the Medical and/or Osteopathic profession to uphold the laws and regulations relating to the practice of hair restoration surgery.

Strive for excellence in all aspects of medical practice.

Continue to study, apply and advance scientific knowledge, make relevant information available to patients, colleagues and the public, obtain consultation, and use the talents of other health professionals when the best interests of a patient so indicates.

The ABHRS Guidelines For Truth in Representation And Advertising have been established to help members avoid what can be universally considered as misleading or unacceptable messages.

We have encouraged ABHRS/IBHRS members to review their individual as well as group practice websites and marketing materials to assure that misleading or ambiguous language as defined in the following infractions are not included. Members of the public who are seeking professional services from a hair restoration surgeon should consider these terms as “red flags”. If they are used in a doctor’s marketing material or website, the consumer should beware.

The following issues/concepts are considered misleading or inappropriate:

False Statements and Copyright / Trademark Infringement

Including inaccurate credentials. E.g., claiming ABHRS (American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery) Diplomate status or IBHRS (International Board of Hair Restoration Surgery) status when the individual has not earned this designation, or claiming inaccurate expertise in hair restoration surgery in general.

The use of other physicians’ before & after photos as their own.

Violating the copyright of others with the illegal use of photos or text.

Ambiguous use of the ABHRS Logo which implies non-ABHRS/IBHRS diplomates are also diplomates.

Inappropriate Use of Staff

Specifically, the surgical act of creating extraction incisions for removal of live tissue, whether during follicular unit transplantation (FUT), or follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedures, is a non-delegable act, and must be performed by the physician of record. In addition, the creation of incisions for placement of grafts is also non-delegable, and must be performed by the physician of record. Evidence of unlicensed, non-physicians performing surgical procedures clearly outside of legally enforceable standards of care is in clear violation of ABHRS ethical guidelines.

Inappropriate, Misleading, Inaccurate Terminology

The use of the following, or similar terminology that misrepresents the physical realities of high quality hair transplant surgery:

“Scarless surgery”

“No incision”

“No touch”

“No cutting”

“Cloning”

“Hair multiplication”

“Non-invasive”

“Guaranteed results”

“Unlimited grafts”

“No risk”

“Pain free”

“Eliminates the need for additional procedures”

Quick Links

Credentialing Committee

Oral Exam Committee

Written Examination Committee

Maintenance of Certification Committee

Ethics Committee