ABHRS-certified: the shortest list on this site
The ABHRS (American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery) is the one certification specific to hair restoration surgery — voluntary, exam-based, and checkable in a public registry. 3 of the 22 clinics in our ten-city index (14%) state it. The other 19 typically present general plastic-surgery or facial-plastics boards — real credentials, not hair-specific ones. If board-specific certification is your filter, this is the entire list.
The three clinics stating ABHRS certification
| Clinic | Market | What is stated |
|---|---|---|
| We Grow Hair (PAI Medical Group) | Nashville, TN | States its physician is a “Diplomat of ABHRS”; also states active ISHRS membership |
| Cooley Hair Center | Charlotte, NC | ABHRS stated; the only clinic in the index linking directly to its physician’s ISHRS registry profile |
| Carolina Hair Surgery | Charlotte, NC | ABHRS stated for Dr. Vories, described as a past board President; ISHRS and IAHRS logos also displayed |
Statements from each clinic's own pages, checked August 2026. Stated ≠ verified: check each name in the ABHRS registry before booking.
How to verify in one minute
- Open the ABHRS diplomate search at abhrs.org and enter the surgeon's last name.
- If the clinic states ISHRS membership, check the member directory at ishrs.org — one clinic in our index links its profile directly.
- Watch the one-letter trap: IAHRS is not ISHRS — a selective referral organisation, not the society, and neither is the certification board. Two clinics in our index state IAHRS.
The full registry walkthrough, with what each body actually attests: how to verify your surgeon.
What the other 19 clinics state instead
Mostly real, non-hair-specific boards: plastic surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, otolaryngology, dermatology, and in two cases emergency-medicine or other fellowships. Our Transparency Report has the full disclosure statistics; the filterable index shows every clinic's stated credentials side by side.
Common questions
Is ABHRS certification required to perform hair transplants?
No. Any licensed physician may legally perform hair restoration surgery in the United States regardless of specialty. ABHRS certification is voluntary and specific to hair restoration. Its absence is not a disqualification — most reviewed clinics are led by physicians boarded in other specialties — but its presence is a verifiable, hair-specific fact you can check yourself rather than take on trust.
How do I verify an ABHRS claim?
Search the physician’s name in the ABHRS diplomate directory at abhrs.org. If the name is not there, ask the clinic why. Verification takes about a minute; our guide walks through each registry. “Stated on the website” and “verified in the registry” are different things — this page tracks statements.
What about ISHRS and IAHRS?
Three different things, one letter apart. ABHRS is a certification board (an exam and casework). ISHRS is the largest professional society for hair restoration — membership signals engagement, not examination. IAHRS is a selective, invitation-based referral organisation. In our index: 3 clinics state ABHRS, 4 state ISHRS, 2 state IAHRS. Check each claim in the registry it actually names.
Who states the doctor performs the surgery → · Who publishes prices →