International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

Name

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

Legal name

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

Website

https://ishrs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Association

NAICS

Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKAMAG

Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ENT)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Otolaryngology (ENT)

SECONDARYHSALAAAK

Hair & Wig Replacement Systems (Hairpieces/Toupees)

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Hair Salons & Styling Services

Keywords

• Hair restoration surgery
• Medical association
• Physician education
• Hair loss treatment
• Continuing medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Physician Membership Dues: Non-profit medical association generating revenue through membership dues from physicians specializing in hair restoration surgery. Member categories include fellow, member, associate member, adjunct (researchers), residents, and surgical assistants.
2. Annual Giving Fund Donations: Voluntary donations from members and supporters through the Annual Giving Fund, with giving categories including Trustee Circle ($2,000/year), Leadership Circle ($1,000/year), Supporter's Circle ($500/year), and Contributor's Circle ($250/year).
3. World Congress and Educational Events: Revenue from annual World Congress events, regional workshops, and CME-accredited educational programs for physicians.
4. Operation Restore Pro Bono Program: Pro bono program funded through donations to provide free hair restoration surgery to patients suffering from hair loss due to trauma or disease who lack resources. Has provided over $1,002,000 in pro bono surgery and travel expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association that serves as the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration. It provides physician membership, ACCME-accredited continuing medical education, the ABHRS board certification, an annual World Congress, peer-reviewed publications, consumer advocacy, and a pro bono surgery program (Operation Restore) for hair loss patients. With more than 1,200 members across 80 countries, ISHRS connects qualified hair restoration surgeons with patients and establishes practice standards for the specialty.

Product overview

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association that serves as the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration. Rather than a single unified product, the ISHRS offers a portfolio of programs and services including: a Find a Doctor physician locator service, the Operation Restore pro bono program providing free surgery to trauma/disease victims, the Hair Transplant Forum International publication (6x/year), annual World Congress events, ACCME-accredited CME courses including webinars and hands-on workshops, ABHRS board certification for surgeons, the Annual Giving Fund donation program, and the Fight the FIGHT consumer awareness campaign including World Hair Transplant Repair Day. Patient-facing resources include comprehensive education on hair loss types and treatments. The organization connects over 1,200 members across 80 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Find a Doctor Online physician locator service that lists doctors who have met ISHRS membership requirements, including Fellows of the ISHRS (FISHRS), helping patients find qualified, trained, and licensed hair restoration surgeons worldwide.
• Operation Restore Pro bono program that matches volunteer ISHRS physicians with prospective hair restoration patients suffering from hair loss as a result of trauma or disease who lack resources to obtain treatment. Has provided over $1,002,000 in pro bono surgery and travel expenses to 103 patients since 2004.
• Hair Transplant Forum International The society's official peer-reviewed publication produced 6 times per year, covering clinical research, surgical techniques, and industry news for hair restoration professionals.
• ISHRS World Congress Annual scientific congress for hair transplant surgeons, the largest in the world, featuring lectures, surgical workshops, and educational sessions held in different countries each year.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) Courses ACCME-accredited educational opportunities for physicians including live webinars, on-demand education, didactic courses, surgical observation, and hands-on training courses in hair restoration surgery.
• ABHRS Board Certification Board certification examination for hair restoration surgeons administered by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, including psychometrically validated written and oral components; the only board certification unique to the hair restoration specialty.
• Annual Giving Fund Donation program supporting Operation Restore, the Forum ePUB platform, and the Fight the FIGHT consumer awareness campaign, with tiered giving levels from Contributor's Circle ($250/year) up to Trustee Circle ($2,000/year).
• Fight the FIGHT Consumer Awareness Campaign Consumer awareness campaign against the unlicensed practice of medicine in hair restoration surgery, including public outreach, media relations, and legislative advocacy through international ambassadors.
• World Hair Transplant Repair Day Annual event held on November 11 to raise awareness about dangers of black-market hair transplant clinics and connect victims with volunteer physicians for corrective procedures.
• Physician Membership Annual membership for hair restoration surgeons offered in categories including Fellow (FISHRS), Member, Associate Member, Adjunct (researchers), Residents, and Surgical Assistants, providing access to education, certification pathways, publications, and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1,002,000 in pro bono hair transplant surgery and travel expenses provided to 103 patients since 2004
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ABHRS is the certifying body for hair restoration surgeons, organized in 1996 with ISHRS as a founding organization. ISHRS recognizes and holds ABHRS certification in highest regard as having the most rigorous certification process specific to hair restoration, including psychometrically validated written examination. The ABHRS/IBHRS certification is the only board certification unique to hair restoration surgery.
• Global Council of Hair Restoration Surgery SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHRS formed and leads the Global Council in 2003, comprising 23 national and regional societies including American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, American Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, Arab Association of Hair Transplantation, Asian Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons, Brazilian Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, Chinese Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, and others. The council creates unity in the field and provides a forum for discussing issues faced by various countries.
• American Medical Association (AMA) House of DelegatesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHRS holds a Delegate seat in the AMA House of Delegates, considered 'the House of Medicine' in the United States and one of the most important groups to effect standards and legislation. ISHRS representatives attend two AMA House of Delegates meetings each year.
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHRS is accredited by ACCME, the agency responsible for sanctioning medical education for physician licensure in the United States. Obtaining accreditation by this agency is difficult and demonstrates ISHRS's commitment to high standards in physician education.
• European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Task Force 403coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHRS is a liaison organization member of CEN task force 403 'Aesthetic Surgery Services' where it assists with developing standards for hair transplantation among countries within the European Union.
• The Hair FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHRS announced collaboration with The Hair Foundation to raise funds for the Operation Restore Pro-Bono Program, helping patients in need access hair restoration surgery.
• American Hair Loss Council (AHLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AHLC was instrumental in the origins of ABHRS certification, organizing the initial meeting in 1996 of physician specialty societies to discuss certification development. Presidents of AHLC, ISHRS, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and American Society of Dermatologic Surgery participated.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Direct peers

• American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS): Direct peer as a US-based medical specialty society focused on facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, which overlaps with hair restoration surgery. Both organizations provide CME, board certification pathways, annual scientific meetings, and patient education for their respective specialties.
• American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS): Specialty society for dermatologic surgeons, closely aligned with ISHRS as several dermatologic surgeons perform hair restoration. Both organizations offer CME-accredited education, annual congresses, and practice guidelines for overlapping surgical procedures.

Others

• Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS): Umbrella organization for US medical specialty societies. Provides peer collaboration, advocacy resources, and standards support for member societies including potentially ISHRS, serving as an industry-level peer for organizational governance benchmarking.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): Umbrella organization for US medical specialty boards. ISHRS's ABHRS certification exists outside ABMS recognition, and ABMS represents both a model for ISHRS's certification framework and a potential pathway for greater legitimacy if ABHRS achieves ABMS recognition.

Regional players

• Asian Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons (AAHRS): Regional society serving hair restoration surgeons across Asia, also a Global Council member under ISHRS. Provides regional CME, conferences, and member services paralleling ISHRS's offerings but with Asia-Pacific geographic focus.
• British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS): UK-based national society for hair restoration surgeons and a Global Council member of ISHRS. Operates a similar model of professional membership, education, and standards-setting but limited to the British market.
• Brazilian Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABCRC): Brazilian national society for hair restoration surgeons, part of ISHRS's Global Council. Operates parallel membership, education, and certification functions for the Brazilian market, one of the largest hair restoration markets globally.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Dermatology (AAD): Major dermatology specialty society whose members include dermatologists performing hair restoration. AAD provides CME accreditation, annual meetings, and patient education comparable to ISHRS, but at a much larger scale covering all dermatologic conditions.
• International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS): International aesthetic plastic surgery society with global reach comparable to ISHRS. Both organizations host international congresses, provide member education, and develop practice standards, though ISAPS covers a broader aesthetic surgery scope.
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS): Larger medical specialty society covering plastic surgery broadly, including hair restoration as a subspecialty. ASPS operates similar educational, certification, and advocacy functions at greater scale, serving as a competitive umbrella organization for hair restoration surgeons.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISHRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ishrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery