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CA

California Hair Transplant
Regulations

Regulatory body: Medical Board of California

Who Can Perform

βœ“

Physicians (MD/DO)

Can perform hair transplant surgery

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Physician Assistants

May assist under direct physician supervision; cannot independently perform surgical steps

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Nurse Practitioners

California does not grant full practice authority to NPs for surgery; must work under physician supervision for surgical procedures

βœ•

Technicians

PROHIBITED from performing surgical steps

Key Regulations

Delegation Rules

Medical Board of California issued a formal warning (Summer 2019) that hair restoration surgery is the practice of medicine and may only be performed by properly trained, licensed physicians and surgeons or licensed allied health care providers authorized to perform such procedures within their scope of practice.

Specific Prohibitions

  • βœ•Physicians may NOT delegate hair restoration surgery to medical assistants (unlicensed individuals)
  • βœ•Medical assistants may NOT perform invasive procedures such as creating holes or slits in a patient's scalp
  • βœ•No unlicensed person may perform these procedures regardless of title (hair restoration technician, surgical technician, etc.)
Penalties

Violation of Business and Professions Code section 2052 can result in a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment, or imprisonment in county jail for up to a year, or both

Facility Requirements

Accreditation Required: Required for office-based surgery using more than local anesthesia or minimal sedation
AAAHCJoint Commission (JCAHO)IMQ (Institute for Medical Quality)AAAASF

Most hair transplants use local anesthesia with oral sedation; accreditation may not be required for local-only procedures but is recommended

Informed Consent

Informed consent is required for hair transplant procedures in California.

File a Complaint

If you believe a hair transplant provider has violated medical practice regulations in California, you can file a complaint with the state medical board.

Medical Board of California β†’

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