America's First Comprehensive Hair Transplant Center
California Hair MD is different; we are not your typical hair restoration practice. We bring together two physicians from complementary, board-certified specialties. Dr. Susan Stuart is a board-certified dermatologist with expertise in the diagnosis and medical treatment of hair and scalp disorders, while Dr. Richard Chaffoo is a triple board-certified plastic surgeon whose role focuses on surgical hair restoration. Hair restoration itself is not a recognized board-certified medical specialty, so proper treatment relies on a physician’s education, credentials, and understanding of the nuance and interplay of root causes, anatomy, hormones, treatment options, and more.
Dermatology provides the foundation for diagnosing and medically treating hair loss, while plastic surgery provides the surgical training, aesthetic judgment, and reconstructive principles necessary for natural-looking, long-lasting hair transplantation.
As a husband-and-wife team sharing the same practice, Drs. Stuart and Chaffoo are able to work as specialists in their academic, multidisciplinary medical center. A patient whose hair loss is primarily a medical or dermatologic problem may see Dr. Stuart, while a patient who is an appropriate candidate for hair transplantation can be referred to Dr. Chaffoo. Most commonly, their combined expertise and collaborative management provides patients with the best outcomes. Because they share the same practice and their interests are aligned, Drs. Stuart and Chaffoo build off of each other; patients are referred to one or the other when their case will be better served with a certain expertise.
Another core pillar of our practice is our regenerative approach to hair loss. California Hair MD does not look at hair restoration as simply medical therapy versus transplantation. We also incorporate evidence-based regenerative treatments and remain actively involved in research aimed at understanding hair follicle biology and developing new approaches to hair growth and restoration. This ongoing research allows the practice to evaluate emerging therapies from a scientific standpoint and, when appropriate, bring new treatment options to patients in the San Diego area rather than simply following established trends.
At California Hair MD, we reject the "one-size-fits-all" approach. We believe treatment must follow a precise diagnosis, not the other way around. By integrating Dr. Susan Stuart’s extensive knowledge of dermatologic hair and scalp disorders with Dr. Richard Chaffoo’s skill as a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, we offer a uniquely multidisciplinary and ever-advancing model of care. Patients achieve exceptional outcomes through our ability to combine our specialities and apply the right expertise to root causes.
