VOLUNTEER HAIR RESTORATION PHYSICIANS HELPING PATIENTS RESTORE HAIR THROUGH A UNIQUE PRO BONO PROGRAM
Operation Restore offers free hair transplants for patients in need
GENEVA, IL – January 12, 2016. Hair loss that occurs at any age and under any circumstance can be disheartening. But for those experiencing traumatic hair loss due to an injury or as a result of a medical condition, the unexpectedness can be particularly devastating.
Those affected by traumatic hair loss come from all walks of life. The firefighter had anything but a typical day at the office when a fire he battled left him with extensive burns, resulting in a large section of permanent hair loss on his scalp and the back of his head. The young cancer survivor was left to deal with permanent hair loss as a result of aggressive doses of radiation and chemotherapy that saved his life. The young girl who severely injured her scalp following a fall suffered extensive hair loss that she kept a secret with wigs and weaves for years. The young boy whose attempt to help his dad refuel a lawn mower resulted in severe scalp burns and permanent hair loss.
Their stories are all too familiar to volunteer physicians of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s (ISHRS) Operation Restore program, a pro bono program designed to match prospective hair restoration patients suffering from hair loss as a result of an accident, trauma, or disease with a physician willing to help those who lack the resources to obtain treatment on their own. Currently, 97 ISHRS volunteer physicians from around the world donate their services to Operation Restore—giving patients of all ages not only their hair back but in many cases their self-esteem.
“What we hear time and time again from Operation Restore patients is that their hair loss affected their emotional well-being and overall quality of life more than they ever would have expected,” said Edwin Epstein, MD, FISHRS, chair of the ISHRS Pro Bono Committee. “When a person’s self-esteem or self-image is damaged, this can negatively affect everything from personal relationships to work and professional growth. Restoring a patient’s hair reverberates to other aspects of their lives that have suffered as a result of the unexpected hair loss. When we give patients their hair back, we essentially give them their lives back.”
Since its inception in 2004, Operation Restore has provided more than $630,000 worth of free hair restoration surgery and expenses for 65 patients suffering from hair loss due to an injury or a medical condition.
While heredity is the most common cause of hair loss, cases of hair loss due to injury, trauma, or disease are not uncommon and typically occur from such things as burns, dog bites, accidents, or following radiation therapy to treat certain types of brain cancer. Dr. Epstein noted that, unfortunately, hair loss that results from injury, trauma, or a medical condition is usually permanent. For most patients, hair restoration surgery is an option to restore this type of hair loss and typically requires several reconstructive surgeries.
How Operation Restore Can Help
Patients suffering from hair loss due to disease or trauma and who cannot afford hair restoration surgery are encouraged to apply to the ISHRS’s Operation Restore program. Anyone can apply for a free hair transplant. The application form can be downloaded here. All the submitted applications are reviewed by the Pro Bono Committee of the ISHRS. Selected patients are matched with an ISHRS physician volunteer and every effort is made to match patients with physicians in their geographic area. In cases where travel is necessary, the program covers these expenses for the patient.
Since in many cases selected Operation Restore patients are matched with a physician they have never met, the ISHRS included a mechanism in the approval process whereby patients are encouraged to ask the matched physician questions and view their before and after photos of other patients. The ISHRS wants patients to be as comfortable with their matches as if they had selected the physicians themselves.
The Operation Restore program is made possible by the generous donations of its individual and corporate donors who provide monetary or medical and surgical services. To volunteer as a physician please fill out this form. To donate and support ISHRS’ different initiatives please visit here.