Bessam Farjo

Career

Farjo qualified as a doctor of medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1988. He then spent the next five years training in general surgery at NHS hospitals across the UK and Ireland.

In 1992, he completed a training course in hair restoration surgery at the office of Dr Laurence Fremont, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Upon completion of this course Farjo founded the Farjo Hair Institute in 1993 with his wife, Dr Nilofer Farjo. The Farjo Hair Institute exclusively offers hair transplant surgery and hair restoration medicine with offices in Manchester and London, and is one of the world's leading hair transplant clinics.

In 1996, Farjo co-founded The British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, and held the position of President from 2002–04.

Farjo is a registered member of the Institute of Trichologists (est. 1902), and in 2000 he was appointed as a Board Governor and medical director.

In 2001, The International College of Surgeons granted Farjo a fellowship and, two years later, he met the requirements and subsequently passed the examination of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS). Farjo served as Board Director of the ABHRS 2006-12.

Farjo has been a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) since its foundation in 1993, from 2002–09 he served on the society's Board of Governors and was the first European doctor to be elected ISHRS President in 2007–08. He serves as Lead ISHRS Ambassador. Farjo is also one of only 10 doctors to have attended every annual meeting since the society's creation.

Farjo was closely involved with the European Society of Hair Restoration Surgery and, in 2002, he was the host, congress organiser and program chairman for the society's fifth annual conference in London, England. He also served as Board Governor and Vice-president until 2005.

Farjo is also a member of the European Hair Research Society, Board Trustee of the Hair Foundation and Founder member of the Trichological Society.

Research

Farjo is affiliated with a number of hair research projects. These include collaborations with University of London (including hair and oxidative stress), University of Bradford (including Minoxidil mechanism of action), University of Manchester, Durham University, Intercytex plc (hair cell cloning and cell therapy) and Unilever plc.

Recognition

Over the past 21 years Farjo has performed over 6500 transplant procedures and given over 25,000 consultations. He is considered to be an expert in the field of hair transplant surgery and hair restoration medicine, and is regularly quoted in the media. Farjo has over 70 different hair and scalp presentations/publications to his name, and has attended more than 70 workshops, meetings and conferences worldwide. Both Bessam and Nilofer Farjo are recognised by their peers as the only British hair transplant surgeons to make regular, educational contributions at international congresses and meetings.

In recognition for his involvement in research and field advancements, in addition to his other contributions, Farjo was awarded the accolade of Fellow of the Institute of Trichologists in 2006. He is also the editor of the Institute's Trichologists journal.

Amongst all his achievements, perhaps Farjo's proudest career moment came in 2012 when he was awarded jointly with Dr Nilofer Farjo, the ISHRS Platinum Follicle Award for outstanding achievement in basic science or clinically-related research in hair pathophysiology or anatomy as it relates to hair restoration. The only time in its 21 years of existence has this been awarded to a UK recipient.

Farjo has a client list that includes sportsmen, actors, business and political leaders from across the world. Individuals such as Kyran Bracken, Micky Gray, Clayton Blackmore, Gaizka Mendieta, Shaun Williamson, Alistair Petrie and Duncan Bannatyne OBE have all received treatment from Farjo.