The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is the global and leading hair restoration surgery society. In an effort to unify the field, the ISHRS Board of Governors formed the ISHRS “Global Council of Hair Restoration Surgery Societies” in 2003.
| PURPOSE |
| The purpose of the Global Council is to create unity in the field amongst the leaders of the national hair restoration surgery societies. The Global Council provides a forum for exchange to discuss issues in hair restoration surgery that various countries face. The Global Council is used as a sounding board to ask advice, and as a support for the member societies. The ISHRS may use the Global Council to assess specific member needs of a particular country, to assess trends, and to determine ways to attract new members from the various countries. The member societies may wish to work together on future educational programs or help each other in promoting their meetings (e.g., swapping mailing labels, listing each other’s meetings in society newsletters and website, exchanging website links). Member societies can also work together to schedule hair meetings so they do not conflict with one another. The Global Council is treated as an ISHRS committee, as far as being listed in the ISHRS directory and meeting annually at the ISHRS annual meeting. The Global Council is overseen by the ISHRS. |
| MEETINGS |
| The first meeting of the Global Council was held in conjunction with the ISHRS’s 11th Annual Scientific Meeting in New York, October 2003. Thereafter, an in-person meeting has been held each year at the time of the ISHRS World Congress except in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Global Council now meets a second time per year via video conference call. |
| COMPOSITION |
| The Global Council is comprised of the presidents of the national/regional hair restoration surgery societies with the president of the ISHRS serving as the Chair. Presidents of the national societies need not be members of the ISHRS to be included, although it is encouraged. Immediate past-presidents and president-elects of the national societies are welcome to attend meetings for overlap and consistency year-to-year. |
| BENEFITS TO NATIONAL SOCIETIES |
| 1. Sharing of experiences. One national society may have solved a problem facing another national society. 2. Helping to regulate the calendar of yearly meetings sensibly coordinating, avoiding clashes. 3. Publication in Forum of national society meetings 4. Uniform educational and certification system 5. Strength in numbers for negotiations with other medical societies and government bodies, e.g., restrictions of practice |
| BENEFITS OF A NATIONAL SOCIETY |
| 1. Awareness of one another 2. Less denigration 3. Sharing of knowledge, exchange of ideas 4. Speaking with an organized voice 5. Handling challenges 6. Dealing with practitioners or clinics who continuously produce bad work 7. Education/Certification of new members 8. Maintaining a culture of CME in that country 9. Hosting national or international conferences and live surgery workshops to continuously raise standards  |