Asim Shahmalak

Last updated

Asim Shahmalak
Dr Shahmalak.jpg
Born
Asim Iqbal Shahmalak

(1961-04-02) 2 April 1961 (age 62)
Karachi, Pakistan
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Surgeon and broadcaster
Television Embarrassing Bodies
TitleDr.
Website www.crownclinic.co.uk

Dr Asim Shahmalak (born 2 April 1961) is a British hair transplant surgeon, broadcaster, and proponent of such surgery. He performed the UK's first eyelash transplant in 2009, and has treated a number of British celebrity patients.

Contents

Shahmalak began his career as a general surgeon in the Republic of Ireland in 1990, he joined the National Health Service (NHS) as a specialist doctor in general surgery in 2001, practising until 2011 when he dedicated himself full-time to private hair transplant surgery at his own Crown Clinic. He has appeared as an expert on a number of television and radio programmes, including the Channel 4 show Embarrassing Bodies , talking about his techniques and demonstrating his surgery. He also written and commented on hair transplant surgery and associated issues for a number of UK media publications and blogs.

Early life and career

Shahmalak was born 2 April 1961 in Karachi, Pakistan, the son of Hatimali Shahmalak and his wife Mehfooza Shahmalak. He was educated at St Bonaventure's High School, Sindh, before studying for his medical degree (MBBS) graduating at the Sindh Medical College, University of Karachi, Pakistan, in 1988. He trained as a general surgeon, moving to the Republic of Ireland in 1990 to take up a post as a Senior House Officer in General Surgery. In 1997 he qualified as a Specialist registrar in general surgery. He became a member of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1995 before moving to the UK in 1996. [1]

Shahmalak worked as a specialist doctor in General Surgery for the Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between 2001 and 2011. He worked privately as a hair transplant surgeon for The Hospital Group from 2005 to 2007. He founded his own Crown Clinic in 2007 alongside work for the NHS and The Transform Medical Group (2007–10). In 2011 he left the NHS to devote himself full-time to hair restoration at the Crown Clinic in Manchester [2] and Harley Street.

Shahmalak is a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery [3] and takes an active part in the society's charitable initiative Operation Restore, which provides free surgery for patients suffering hair loss due to disease or trauma. [4]

Surgery

Shahmalak performed the UK's first eyelash transplant in 2009 [5] using techniques pioneered in hair replacement surgery and for the victims of facial burns. He has helped pioneer eyebrow replacement surgery. [6] and commented on the increasing popularity of so-called 'statement eyebrows', modelled on those of Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Shahmalak has treated a number of celebrity patients, including actor David Fleeshman, [7] German soccer professional Dietmar Hamann, [8] Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts, [9]

Shahamalak has spoken about how men should not undergo hair transplant surgery until they are over 25 and their pattern of hair loss has been established, telling the Sunday Mirror in the case of Wayne Rooney, not as patient,

"I'd never recommend surgery before the age of 25. If you start to go bald at a young age, the hair loss is usually more severe. I believe Wayne Rooney had a transplant too early, he'll need further surgery to maintain a good head of hair." [10]

Voluntary work in Pakistan

Since 2013, Shahmalak has been travelling to Pakistan to help the victims of acid attacks. [11] In 2014, Granada Television broadcast a report on the surgeon's self-funded trips to Karachi - with a team from the Crown Clinic - to perform surgery on women disfigured in assaults by ex-lovers, jealous friends or obsessive stalkers. Shahmalak carried out eyebrow restoration and hair transplants in addition to pioneering operations to replace eyelashes. The surgeon - who is reported to be only one of nine professionals in the world qualified to perform the surgery - also provided training for local doctors in order that they, in turn, can support other victims. [12] His work, which is carried out in association with the charitable Smile Again Foundation set up by former beauty therapist Masarrat Misbah, has helped victims such as 27-year-old Kanwal Qayum, who was doused in acid as she slept by a friend envious of her new job as an air hostess. [13] Another victim, Kanwal Ashar, had surgery to replace her eyebrows and eyelashes after being attacked by a man she refused to marry. [14] "I was devastated to hear these stories," explained Shahmalak. "I had tears in my eyes. How could one person do this to another? It is beyond belief." [15] According to the Granada report, prospective patients had travelled hundreds of miles - some on little more than donkey carts - just for the chance to get a consultation. [16] However, Shahmalak found that more than half of the women had to be turned away because their scarring was so bad, surgery would not work. [17] "It is heartbreaking," added the surgeon. [18] Shahmalak's pioneering work in the region has been covered by ITV's Good Morning Britain, ITN News and Granada TV among others. He was voted Man Of The Year at the North West's Fusion Awards in recognition of his efforts. [19] He continues to travel regularly to Pakistan - where there are around 300 acid attacks each year [20] - in order to help victims. Writing in The Times, journalist Carol Midgley described it as an "outstandingly generous, life-affirming act". [21]

In 2017, Shahmalak was interviewed by the BBC's Jane Hill about his charitable work in Pakistan and the spate of acid attacks in the UK. [22]

Early in 2018, Shahmalak returned to Pakistan to operate on more victims of acid attacks and his charitable trip was covered by the BBC on North West Tonight where he was interviewed by presenter Annabel Tiffin. [23] He performed eyelash transplants on two women as part of their facial reconstructions at a hospital in Karachi. [24]

Other projects

Shahmalak has written for newspapers and blogs including the Manchester Evening News , and Huffington Post. [25] Shahmalak is a donor and supporter of Operation Restore, a charitable programme run by non-profit medical association the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) to help burns and cancer victims who cannot afford treatment. [26]

Shahmalak is involved in an ongoing hair follicle research programme in collaboration with staff at the University of Manchester. The research group, headed by Professor Ralf Paus, investigates the biology and pathology of the hair follicle as a microcosmic miniorgan in which many of the fundamental problems of biology can be studied in an exemplary fashion. Current research includes investigations into the neuroendocrine properties of the human hair follicle, their impact on mitochondrial function and hair follicle immune status, and the use of adult stem cells populations associated with human skin appendages for regenerative medicine purposes. [27] In May 2018, the results of Dr Paus's research were published by PLOS Biology showing that a drug originally designed as a treatment for osteoporosis has a dramatic stimulatory effect on human hair follicles donated by patients undergoing hair transplantation surgery. Shahmalak was thanked by the research team for providing scalp hair follicles from more than 40 patients. [28]

He is a frequent media spokesman, and has written about the importance placed in hair over the centuries and the fact that baldness until recently was not recognised as a social or medical issue, despite the sometimes catastrophic impact it can have on confidence and mental well-being. He wrote: "Male pattern baldness (MPB), the main cause of hair loss, affects an estimated quarter of men by the age of 30 and two thirds by the age of 60. Until recently, the impact baldness might have on confidence and well-being was little understood or recognised by the medical profession at large." [29]

Shahmalak has also written about the impact of work stress and pressure on hair colour and density, highlighting the example of US President Barack Obama and leading UK politicians whose lifestyles have been reflected in their looks. Writing in the Huffington Post he concluded: "These very visible physical manifestations of stress are not simply a gift to the world's picture editors, and hair transplant surgeons like myself. They are an outward indicator of the internal difficulties of leadership in the modern world. And Obama is not the first powerful man – and it is mainly men affected in this way – whose hair has suffered and signalled the strains of his job." [30]

Writing in the Manchester Evening News (31 October 2012), Shahmalak praised celebrities such as footballer Wayne Rooney and Calum Best who have spoken publicly about their hair transplants, and decried public criticism of them as "gloomily familiar". He wrote:

"Reading the comments on various newspaper message boards, it struck me how unforgiving many people remain about a young man like Calum who decides to have hair transplant surgery. So why is wanting to save his hair so controversial? And why is the public debate still so blinkered against men like Calum, and Wayne Rooney who admit to having had treatment?"

He added: "Of course there is nothing wrong with baldness. I know many men, friends of mine in fact, who are proud to be bald. They wear their shaven heads as a badge of masculinity. But choice is everything."[ citation needed ]

Shahmalak is a director for UK & Northern Europe for FUE Europe. In May 2017, at the sixth FUE Europe Congress in Ankara, Turkey, he performed live surgery on a patient. [31] Shahmalak will be hosting the 8th annual FUE Europe Conference in Manchester, including a live surgical workshop at Crown Clinic, in 2019.

In May 2018, Shahmalak was appointed President of The Trichological Society, dedicated to orthodox hair science and hair specialisms, for a two-year period. [32]

Broadcasting

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair loss</span> Loss of hair from the head or body

Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarring is not usually present. Hair loss in some people causes psychological distress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyebrow</span> Facial feature

An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, communication through facial expression, and second, prevention of sweat, water, and other debris from falling down into the eye socket. It is common for people to modify their eyebrows by means of hair removal and makeup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair follicle</span> Organ found in the dermal layer of the mammalian skin that regulates hair growth

The hair follicle is an organ found in mammalian skin. It resides in the dermal layer of the skin and is made up of 20 different cell types, each with distinct functions. The hair follicle regulates hair growth via a complex interaction between hormones, neuropeptides, and immune cells. This complex interaction induces the hair follicle to produce different types of hair as seen on different parts of the body. For example, terminal hairs grow on the scalp and lanugo hairs are seen covering the bodies of fetuses in the uterus and in some newborn babies. The process of hair growth occurs in distinct sequential stages: anagen is the active growth phase, catagen is the regression of the hair follicle phase, telogen is the resting stage, exogen is the active shedding of hair phase and kenogen is the phase between the empty hair follicle and the growth of new hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyelash</span> Facial feature

An eyelash is one of the hairs that grows at the edges of the top and bottom eyelids, spanning outwards and away from the eye. The lashes grow in up to six layers on each of the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelashes serve to protect the eye from debris, dust, and small particles, and are highly sensitive to touch, thus providing a warning that an object is near the eye. The eyelid margin from which lashes grow is among the most sensitive parts of the human body, with many nerve endings enveloping the roots of the lashes, giving it sensitivity to very light tactile input via the lashes, enabling it to trigger the blink reflex when touched. Eyelashes are also an important component of physical attractiveness, with prominent lashes drawing attention to the eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Face transplant</span> Medical procedure to replace a persons face using donor tissue

A face transplant is a medical procedure to replace all or part of a person's face using tissue from a donor. Part of a field called "Vascularized Composite Tissue Allotransplantation" (VCA) it involves the transplantation of facial skin, the nasal structure, the nose, the lips, the muscles of facial movement used for expression, the nerves that provide sensation, and, potentially, the bones that support the face. The recipient of a face transplant will take life-long medications to suppress the immune system and fight off rejection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alopecia universalis</span> Medical condition

Alopecia universalis(AU), also known as alopecia areata universalis, is a medical condition involving the loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, armpit hair, and pubic hair. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata. People with the disease are usually healthy and have no other symptoms and a normal life expectancy.

The management of hair loss, includes prevention and treatment of alopecia, baldness, and hair thinning, and regrowth of hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair transplantation</span> Surgical operation to relocate hair follicles

Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body, called the 'donor site', to a bald or balding part of the body known as the 'recipient site'. The technique is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. In this minimally invasive procedure, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to the bald scalp.

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is a hair restoration technique, also known as the strip procedure, where a patient's hair is transplanted in naturally occurring groups of 1 to 4 hairs, called follicular units. Follicular units also contain sebaceous (oil) glands, nerves, a small muscle, and occasional fine vellus hairs. In follicular unit transplantation, these small units allow the surgeon to safely transplant thousands of grafts in a single session, which maximizes the cosmetic impact of the procedure.

Follicular unit extraction is one of two primary methods of obtaining hair follicles, naturally occurring groups of one to four hairs, for hair transplantation. The other method is called strip harvesting. In 2018, Mejia published the updated guidelines adopted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. This name change came about to accurately describe the procedure which involves surgically cutting or incising a full thickness hair follicle skin graft with a circular scalpel, punch or motorized drill and subsequently carefully extracting it from the scalp to be placed in the donor balding scalp. Due to the new developments of incision punches and devices and a variety of different extraction techniques, it was necessary to more accurately define the procedure. Additionally, many places were incorrectly marketing the extraction procedure as a simple plucking of hairs and deceiving the public.

Eyebrow restoration is a surgical procedure to reposition the eyebrow. With advancing age, a common occurrence is descent of the eyebrow, or brow ptosis. A similar condition is eyelid ptosis. Eyebrow repositioning is a commonly performed procedure in cosmetic surgery. The brow is repositioned, optimally, for the wishes of the patient as well as to correct the descent.

Madarosis is a condition that results in the loss of eyelashes, and sometimes eyebrows. The term "madarosis" is derived from the ancient Greek "madaros", meaning "bald". It originally was a disease of only losing eyelashes but it currently is the loss of both eyelashes and eyebrows. Eyebrows and eyelashes are both important in the prevention of bacteria and other foreign objects from entering the eye. A majority of patients with madarosis have leprosy, and it was reported that 76% of patients with varying types of leprosy had madarosis.

Eyelash implants are a form of cosmetic surgery involving transplanting additional eyelashes around the eye. The process typically involves removing a section of hair from the patient, typically from the back of the head, and grafting the hair to the eyelids, replacing the existing eyelashes. The procedure typically involves 60 to 70 hairs per eye, and after removal and a thorough cleaning of the oil on the hair, they are reattached to patient by delicately sewing the lashes back on. Maintenance of the eyelashes is needed thereafter, as the hair continues to grow at the same rate as on other parts of the body.

The growth of human hair occurs everywhere on the body except for the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, the inside of the mouth, the lips, the backs of the ears, some external genital areas, the navel, scar tissue, and, apart from eyelashes, the eyelids. Hair is a stratified squamous keratinized epithelium made of multi-layered flat cells whose rope-like filaments provide structure and strength to the hair shaft. The protein called keratin makes up hair and stimulates hair growth. Hair follows a specific growth cycle with three distinct and concurrent phases: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Each phase has specific characteristics that determine the length of the hair.

<i>Saving Face</i> (2012 film) 2012 film

Saving Face is a 2012 documentary film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge about acid attacks on women in Pakistan. The film won an Emmy Award and the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, making its director, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistan's first Oscar winner. The film was inspired from the life of acid victim Fakhra Younus, who died by suicide in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jinnah Sindh Medical University</span> Medical university in Karachi, Pakistan

Jinnah Sindh Medical University, formerly known as Sindh Medical College, is a medical university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It gained university status in June 2012.

Alan J. Bauman is an American hair transplant surgeon and hair restoration physician. He is the Medical Director and CEO of Bauman Medical Hair Transplant and Hair Loss Treatment Center in Boca Raton, FL. Bauman is a Fellow of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (FISHRS), a certified diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS), and member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgery (IAHRS). He is the founder of the non-profit 501(c)(3) Bauman Philanthropic Foundation, which provides pro bono hair restoration, surgical hair transplants, and medical treatments to patients in need.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair tattoo</span>

A hair tattoo or scalp micropigmentation (SMP) is a non-surgical, superficial cosmetic tattoo that gives the illusion of a close buzz cut hairstyle on a bald head or density to a thinning crown. The procedure can also be used to conceal scars from hair transplantation and hide the visual impact of burns or scars on the head. Scalp micropigmentation can be performed on all ethnicities. This procedure does not involve local anesthesia during the procedure. In contrast to traditional tattoos, this treatment is superficial in that it penetrates the epidermal level of the skin, and ink is deposited in the upper dermal level of the skin in order to avoid macro impressions. The advantages of this procedure is that the hairline can be adjusted or touched up with relative ease.

Scalp reduction is a surgical procedure in which the hairless region of the scalp of a bald man is reduced. This procedure can reduce the area of the scalp in which hair transplantation is needed, or even eliminate the need for hair transplantation.

National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD); (Urdu: نيشنل انسٹيٹيوٹ آف كارڈيو ويسكيولر ڈيزيزز) in collaboration with the Government of Sindh are a chain of health care centers located in Sindh, Pakistan.

References

  1. ↑ “About Asim Shahmalak” Crown Clinic. Unknown. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  2. ↑ Staff Reporter. "Hair transplant clinic gets exclusive launch" Manchester Evening News. 10 April 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Asim I. Shahmalak, MBBS, FRCS | Hair Loss Doctor Manchester | ISHRS". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Pro Bono Foundation". 19 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Surgeon first to perform eyelash transplant" Manchester Evening News. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Crook, Amanda. "'£3,500 eyebrow transplant changed my life', says Manchester dental worker" Manchester Evening News, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Palmer, Alison. "The full bald truth about hair transplants" Daily Mirror. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  8. ↑ “Liverpool FC hero Didi Hamann shows off Wayne Rooney-style hair transplant” Liverpool Echo. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  9. ↑ “BBC1’s Martin Roberts on his £6k hair transplant: Bald spot was destroying my self-esteem” Sunday Express. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Hyland, Lynne. "'I Had a hair transplant... And I'm still going bald' – Dancing On Ice star and father-of-three Kyran Bracken, 37, explains why the much-hyped fix for a thinning thatch isn't always a miracle cure" Sunday Mirror. 17 June 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Cheadle surgeon returns to Karachi, helping the disfigured victims of horrific acid attacks" Manchester Evening News. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Cheadle surgeon returns to Karachi, helping the disfigured victims of horrific acid attacks" Manchester Evening News. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Cheadle surgeon returns to Karachi, helping the disfigured victims of horrific acid attacks" Manchester Evening News. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  19. ↑ “Fusion salutes the 2015 winners and finalists in glittering ceremony” Asian Image. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Manchester surgeon helps acid attack victims in Pakistan" ITV Report. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  21. ↑ “The man who treats acid-attack victims” The Times. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  22. ↑ “Hair transplant surgeon Asim Shahmalak on BBC News discusses helping acid attack victims” BBC. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  23. ↑ “Dr Asim Shahmalak helps acid attack victims in Pakistan” BBC. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  24. ↑ “"Hero" British surgeon rebuilds women's faces after they were brutally scarred by vicious acid attacks” Mirror. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  25. ↑ Shahmalak, Dr Asim. "Blogger Profile" Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  26. ↑ ISHRS Archived 29 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Operation Restore. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  27. ↑ "Professor Ralf Paus" University of Manchester. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  28. ↑ "Fringe Benefits: Drug Side Effects Could Treat Human Hair Loss" University of Manchester. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  29. ↑ Shahmalak, Dr Asim "Prince William will be bald by the time he's 40 – but not if he follows Wayne Rooneys' example" Huffington Post. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  30. ↑ Shahmalak, Dr Asim. "Barack Obama's greying hair tells the story of his presidency so far" Huffington Post. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  31. ↑ "Crown Clinic surgeon Asim Shahmalak performs live surgery at FUE Europe" Crown Clinic. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  32. ↑ https://www.hairscientists.org/about-tts/the-president "The President 2018-2020" The Trichological Society. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  33. ↑ "Episode 2 - Thailand - Intersex | Health | Embarrassing | Channel4.com/Bodies". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  34. ↑ "Asim Shahmalak's new mercy mission in Pakistan". 9 March 2015.
  35. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. ↑ "BBC World Service - Outlook, Child Poverty in the US".
  37. ↑ "Asim Shahmalak's new mercy mission in Pakistan". 9 March 2015.
  38. ↑ BBC Asian Network [@bbcasiannetwork] (22 February 2017). "Dr Asim Shahmalak and a team of doctors from @CrownClinicUK have been going to Pakistan for the past 3 years to hel…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ↑ "British surgeon Asim Shahmalak wept after hearing acid attack stories".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.