Going Beyond Hair: Seven Simple Actions to Help Prevent Major Illness in Hair Transplant Patients

In 2014, Dr. David Josephitis proposed that hair transplant surgeons (HTS) should take a holistic approach to patient care, considering not just hair loss but also the overall health of their patients. He suggested that HTS could play a role in preventative health maintenance, especially for their typical patients, males aged 45-60, who may not have seen a medical professional in years. Josephitis identified seven health areas that HTS could potentially address: annual physical exams, hypertension, prostate cancer, colon cancer, tobacco, alcohol and drug use, skin cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, the document suggested that physicians should use their comprehensive medical training to identify and address potential health risks such as stroke, heart disease, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, severe depression, and domestic violence. This approach was argued to not only benefit the patients but also elevate the standards of the hair restoration surgery profession.