Name
Job Title and Company
Hair transplant surgeon and owner of Crown Clinic in Manchester
What made you get into this line of work?
I worked for many years as a general surgeon in the NHS but I was keen to branch out and specialise in hair transplantation. It is so rewarding to see how men and women’s lives can be transformed through a successful procedure. As well as hair transplants, I do more unusual procedure such as eyebrow, eyelash and beard and sideburn transplants. I performed the UK’s very first eyelash transplant on a young woman from Greater Manchester in 2009.
Tell us about being honoured by the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
I was honoured to be given a Point of Light Award by Boris Johnson in 2020 for the charity work I have carried out on acid attack victims in Pakistan over the last decade. Boris Johnson said: “I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you are providing life-changing surgery to rebuild the faces of people in Pakistan who have experienced devastating acid attacks.”
How long have you been doing it? How long with this company?
I set up Crown Clinic in 2007 in Manchester. We are one of the world’s leading hair transplantation centres and we have a brand new clinic with the best equipment very close to Manchester Airport in Bailey Lane, M90. I have been working in hair transplantation since 2006. Before that, I was a general surgeon for almost 20 years – working first in Ireland before switching to the NHS.
How did you get the job? Can you remember your interview?
I got my first job as a doctor after leaving medical school. I was keen to study medicine because it is the most rewarding job in the world. I have always had a passion for it and I think that has come across in all the interviews I’ve had over the years.
Give us a two sentence summary of what your job involves?
Providing the very best hair transplantation for men and women suffering from hair loss. The procedures can significantly boost a patient’s self-esteem and well-being.
What do you love about your job?
The ability to make a tangible difference to my patients’ lives with a relatively straight-forward procedure. Calum Best said that he felt five years younger after having hair transplants with me. Jack P Shepherd from Coronation Street said his mental health improved as a result of his two procedures with me and he would be available for more roles as an actor. I do a lot of charity work and have travelled to Pakistan to perform free hair, eyebrow and eyelash transplants for the victims of acid attacks.
And what do you hate about your job?
It was very upsetting to hear some of the stories from the patients I helped in Pakistan. There were women horrifically scarred for life because they had turned down a man’s marriage proposal. The police did nothing and the acid could be bought for as little as 15p a bottle. A TV crew from Granada travelled to Pakistan to film their stories an. It was the most professionally satisfying project I have ever been involved with.
What qualifications, skills and personal qualities do you need for the job?
You need to be a fully qualified doctor before you can run a hair transplant clinic. I had extensive training in hair transplantation after previously working as a general surgeon. Hair transplantation is highly technical – the transplanted grafts need to be placed in a way that blends with the existing hair. That is all down to the skill of the individual surgeon. For personal qualities, you need to be good listener and to love people.
Any advice for those wishing to join the profession?
Only do it if you are passionate about helping people and really keen to make a difference.