ISHRS 20th Annual Scientific Meeting in the Bahamas

It’s good to be home! I recently participated in the International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery’s 20th Annual Scientific Meeting in Nassau, the Bahamas. I have participated in all 20 meetings since the first one held in Dallas in 1993, when I became the Founding Secretary of this wonderful association!

This year’s meeting was once again chock-full of excellent scientific sessions.  I led a discussion titled: Minoxidil:  Use It or Lose It and Other Facts that Patients Need to Know.  It amazes me that, even though this very effective medication has been available for more than 20 years, many physicians are still unaware of its benefits, how to use it, as well as other nuances to discuss with patients.

As you can imagine, there was also a lot of talk about hair restoration surgery technique! This included discussions on various methods, including flap rotation, FUE harvesting, transplanting into scars and hairline design for Asian patients. I was privileged to moderate a symposium on how to select the best hair restoration technique for each individual patient. It was very well attended, included many excellent presentations, and I was happy to be a part of it.

I also attended a fascinating workshop on Scalp MicroPigmentation. This is a tattooing process that can provide a bald patient with the look of a shaved head -- sort of like a five o’clock shadow. It can also be utilized to camouflage various types of scars.

It was an educational, informative, and exciting trip. I can’t wait to share more with many of you, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s gathering!

Doc