Dr. Bernardino Arocha Participates in World Hair Transplant Repair Day
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HAIR RESTORATION SURGERY HOSTS “WORLD HAIR TRANSPLANT REPAIR DAY", NOVEMBER 11, 2024
HOUSTON, TX – When performed by a qualified physician trained in the art and science of hair transplantation, hair restoration surgery is an excellent procedure for treating hair loss safely and effectively. In the wrong hands, hair transplants performed illegally on the black market can have devastating results. To help people who have been victims of incorrectly performed of hair transplant surgeries done illegally by unlicensed technicians, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) -- the world's leading medical authority on hair loss and hair restoration -- hosted its second "World Hair Transplant Repair Day" on November 11, 2024.
The event was part of the ISHRS's Fight the FIGHT global consumer awareness campaign that launched in 2019, in response to this widespread problem and the substantial risks posed to patients. Fight the FIGHT is an acronym for Fight the Fraudulent, Illicit, and Global Hair Transplants. ISHRS member Dr. Bernardino A. Arocha of Arocha Hair Restoration & Transplant Center participated in World Hair Transplant Repair Day by providing a free surgery to a patient who was in need of a repair.
"Each year, countless patients around the world suffer irreparable results due to hair transplants performed in the wrong hands,” said Dr. Arocha.
“I have seen firsthand how permanent visible scarring, infection, thin patches of hair, patches of bald spots and over- harvested donor areas can be devastating on patients. By participating in the ISHRS’s World Hair Transplant Repair Day, my goal is to help local victims of incorrectly performed hair transplants done by unlicensed technicians by providing them a chance to receive corrective surgery at no cost.”
Dr. Arocha explained that many clinics around the world promote themselves as hair restoration experts -- luring vulnerable patients with cheap prices and false advertising presented with misleading information -- but are operating illegally and fraudulently and without the proper knowledge or training. In many cases, physicians are not even present to perform the surgery. According to the results of a new member survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), 51% of ISHRS members reported there are black market hair transplant clinics in their cities. In 2021, 5.4% of hair restoration patients sought treatment to repair previous surgery from offices where the physician did not perform the surgery, up from 4.2% in 2019. The ISHRS is committed to patient safety and continually strives for the best outcomes for all patients, offering physicians superior education and training to improve their techniques.To help ensure patients have the information needed to make informed decisions about who performs their hair restoration surgery, the ISHRS urges potential patients to ask the following questions, as well as questions regarding costs, risks and short and long-term benefits and planning:
- Who will evaluate my hair loss and recommend a course of treatment?
- What is their education, training, licensure, and experience in treating hair loss?
- Who will be performing my surgery, what role will they play, and what is their education, training, licensure, and experience performing hair restoration surgery?
- Other than the licensed physician, will anyone who is not licensed by the state (or country) be making incisions or cutting my scalp to obtain grafts during my surgery?
- If so, please identify this person, explain his or her specific role and why this person is legally permitted to perform surgery without a license.
- Is everyone involved with my surgery covered by malpractice insurance?
"The best advice I can offer patients to avoid being a victim of black-market hair clinics is to do their homework when selecting a physician to perform their hair transplant," said Dr. Arocha.
Arocha Hair Transplant Repairs
View this gallery of hair transplant repairs that Dr. Arocha has performed on patients over the years. Arocha Hair Restoration is here to help you. Please fill out our contact form if you are interested in learning additional information about undergoing a corrective hair transplant repair with Dr. Arocha.
About Dr. Bernardino A. Arocha
Since 2002, Bernardino A. Arocha, M.D. has been providing patients throughout Houston and beyond with customized hair restoration procedures and truly transformative results. His interest in hair restoration began in his 20s when he started to experience hair loss himself. He understands the psychological and emotional toll hair loss can have on an individual, which is why he has dedicated his career to helping patients experience the same elevated quality of life that hair transplantation has provided him.
About the ISHRS
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration with 1,000 members throughout 70 countries worldwide. Above all, the ISHRS is dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standards of medical practice, medical ethics, and research in the medical hair restoration industry. The ISHRS also provides continuing medical education to physicians specializing in hair transplant surgery and is committed to delivering the latest information on medical and surgical treatments to consumers suffering from hair loss, and most commonly from androgenetic alopecia – male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. It was founded in 1993 as the first international society to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of hair restoration surgery.
About the Survey
Conducted by Relevant Research, Inc., of Chicago, IL, USA, the ISHRS 2022 Practice Census is a compilation of information provided solely by participating physicians. The information published in this survey was developed from actual historical information and does not include any projected information. The margin of error for the sample is within plus or minus 6.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. For a full reprint of the ISHRS 2022 Practice Census Report, visit Hair Restoration Statistics.