Hair Transplant Network

Patients, colleagues, associates and friends I write to address the nature of some misleading material published on the website, Hair Transplant Network, including the inaccurate and generalised statement on Hair Transplant Network that there are no quality hair restoration professionals in Australia. Operated by Media Visions, www.hairtransplantnetwork.com is one of several interconnected websites claiming to provide unbiased information about hair restoration physicians and treatments. Media Visions does not employ any medical doctors and is not affiliated with or approved by any medical specialisation board or certification organisation. The website derives its income from sponsorship fees – fees which I paid during my membership of Hair Transplant Network between 2000 and 2006. I accepted an invitation to join Hair Transplant Network in 2000 and in accordance with that invitation I paid an annual fee of approximately $20,000 to $30,000. This fee was for the promotion of my services as a hair restoration surgeon on the site. I remained a member until 2006; however, at that time I chose to allocate the money spent with Hair Transplant Network, towards creating awareness and education about hair restoration surgery and hair loss issues across a broader variety of media, professional and public education forums. I advised Hair Transplant Network that I intended to utilise my $30,000 in other ways, however representatives of the company continued to pursue my business for the following three years. Although I chose to withdraw my financial support, reports on the site suggest that I was ‘removed’ from recommendation on the website and was no longer qualified to be in the ‘coalition’ of doctors. I am a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), the Australasian Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, a faculty member of the European Society of Hair Restoration Surgery and an honoured member of the Argentina Association of Medicine & Cosmetic Surgery. The ISHRS is a member of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates (HOD) and the ISHRS is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). In my capacity of President of the Australasian Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, Program Chair for the ISHRS meeting in Sydney and President of the ISHRS I have worked for greater education and awareness about hair loss and the medical treatment available for people affected by it. This work has generated coverage reaching millions of readers and viewers across a variety of media including newspapers, magazines and digital media. I have been acknowledged for my contributions to scientific research and have presented lectures in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. I was the first Australian and first woman to receive the highest honour in the field of hair restoration surgery, being awarded the ISHRS Platinum Follicle Award in New York, 2003. I am also the recipient of the Italian Society of Hair Restoration Milestone Award and the ISHRS Research & Development Grant – 1999 & 2000. In further acknowledgement of my contribution to scientific research I earned international prominence for studies on damaged hair and for developing the snail track method to develop a natural looking hairline. My involvement in the list of medical associations mentioned in this article has given me the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated, compassionate and highly accomplished hair restoration professionals - all located right here in Australia.