Dr. Michael B. Wolfeld is the only physician in the United States certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS). He earned ABPS certification in 2010, then ABHRS certification in 2017.
At his boutique hair restoration practice in New York City, that combination sets Dr. Wolfeld apart from nearly every other hair transplant surgeon in NYC. Rather than repeat the claim from memory, Wolfeld Hair verified it directly, cross-referencing every physician ABHRS lists as a diplomate between 1997 and 2017 against ABPS's own certification records. Dr. Wolfeld is the only one of the 71 physicians on that list who holds both.
What Does It Mean to Be Double Board-Certified in Plastic Surgery and Hair Restoration?
Board certification means a physician has completed a defined training pathway and passed a certifying board's written and oral exams, not simply that they hold a state medical license. The two boards behind Dr. Wolfeld's credentials certify different things entirely:
ABPS
ABPS certifies the specialty of plastic and reconstructive surgery, covering reconstructive procedures as well as facial and body aesthetic surgery. It is one of the 24-member boards of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the umbrella body that accredits physician specialty training in the United States.
ABHRS
ABHRS certifies a separate, narrower skill set: the surgical and medical management of hair loss, including graft harvesting, recipient-site design, and transplantation technique.
It is not an ABMS member board. Instead, it's the certifying board that hair restoration's own professional societies, including ISHRS, recognize as the field's certification standard, administering what it describes as the only validated exam dedicated specifically to hair restoration surgery.
Neither exam covers the other board's material, which is why the two credentials are almost always held by different specialists rather than combined in one physician. Holding both means meeting the bar set by general medicine's specialty system and by hair restoration's own specialists.
Dr. Wolfeld's Certification Timeline
Dr. Wolfeld's path to dual certification tracks two distinct phases of his career: a full plastic surgery training pathway, followed by years of focused hair restoration practice.
- 2003: Graduates SUNY Downstate College of Medicine.
- 2003 to 2009: Completes general surgery training and an integrated plastic surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
- 2010: Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
- 2013 to 2018: Practices as an associate to Dr. Robert Bernstein at Bernstein Medical, PC, performing hundreds of hair transplant procedures and thousands of PRP treatments.
- 2017: Certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, becoming the first U.S. physician to hold both credentials.
The seven-year gap between certifications reflects how different the two pathways are. ABPS certification follows residency directly, while ABHRS certification requires a separate track record of hair restoration cases built after residency ends.
How Rare Is This Combination, and Why?
To verify the "first and only" claim rather than repeat it, Wolfeld Hair reviewed ABHRS's official diplomate directory, which lists every physician the board has certified. Next, we cross-referenced each of the 71 physicians certified as ABHRS diplomates between 1997 and 2017 against ABPS's public certification records. That search turned up just one match: Dr. Wolfeld, whose 2017 certification year is confirmed directly on his own ABHRS listing.
The other 70 physicians on that list reached ABHRS certification from a different starting point than Dr. Wolfeld, which is a large part of why the combination is so rare.
Their credentials fall into a few recurring categories:
- Dermatology or osteopathic dermatology boards, reflecting hair restoration's roots in medical, non-surgical care of hair loss
- Otolaryngology or facial plastic surgery (ABFPRS) boards, typically reached through facial reconstructive training rather than a plastic surgery residency
- Family medicine, general surgery, or other non-aesthetic-specialty boards, with no plastic surgery credential attached
- Non-ABMS cosmetic surgery boards, which don't require an accredited plastic surgery residency to obtain.=
None of the 70 carry ABPS certification alongside their ABHRS status, and the reverse combination is just as rare. Two separate barriers work against it:
- From the ABHRS side: A completed plastic surgery residency, the prerequisite for ABPS certification, is a substantially longer and broader surgical training pathway than any of the 70 physicians' routes required, which likely explains why they rarely add it after the fact.
- From the ABPS side: Physicians who complete that longer, ABPS-eligible pathway typically build a general aesthetic or reconstructive plastic surgery practice rather than narrowing their focus to hair restoration, since meeting ABHRS's requirements afterward means spending additional years building a hair-restoration-specific case history on the surgeon's own schedule, not as part of a formal fellowship.
Dr. Wolfeld crossed both barriers: after establishing his plastic surgery credentials, he chose to specialize almost exclusively in hair restoration, building the required case history over five years as an associate to Dr. Robert Bernstein at Bernstein Medical before sitting for the ABHRS exam.
What Each Certification Required of Dr. Wolfeld
ABPS certification required Dr. Wolfeld to complete an accredited plastic surgery residency, which he did through Mount Sinai's integrated plastic surgery program, with an acceptance rate of under 1%.
From there, ABPS certification required two further steps:
- A comprehensive written examination testing core plastic surgery knowledge
- A comprehensive oral examination evaluating clinical judgment and surgical decision-making
ABHRS certification required a documented history of hair restoration cases performed after residency, built during Dr. Wolfeld's years as an associate to Dr. Robert Bernstein. ABHRS's certification pathways call for:
- A minimum number of documented hair restoration cases performed as the primary surgeon
- Submitted operative reports detailing surgical technique and outcomes
- A set number of continuing education (CME) hours from approved sources
- Passing both a written exam and an oral exam administered by the board
Why This Distinction Matters for Patients Considering Hair Restoration in New York City
When comparing hair transplant surgeons in NYC, it's important to understand the two main certifications: ABPS and ABHRS. ABPS certification ensures safety, adherence to anesthesia protocols, and aesthetic judgment, while ABHRS focuses on technical skills in graft harvesting and hairline design.
Choosing a surgeon with either credential means working with a qualified specialist, but selecting Dr. Wolfeld offers the unique advantage of both certifications. His dual training enhances the consultation and procedure, blending his plastic surgery background with hair restoration expertise for seamless care from a single, accountable surgeon.
Dr. Wolfeld's path from Mount Sinai's plastic surgery residency to ABHRS certification in 2017 is why Wolfeld Hair can make this claim with a citation attached, not as marketing language alone. Patients considering a hair transplant in New York City can schedule a consultation with Dr. Wolfeld to discuss which combination of surgical and non-surgical options fits their hair loss pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ABPS and ABHRS? ABPS certifies the broader specialty of plastic and reconstructive surgery. ABHRS certifies the narrower specialty of surgical and medical hair restoration. They are separate boards, each with its own training requirements and exams.
Is Dr. Wolfeld really the only physician certified by both boards? Among the 71 physicians ABHRS lists as diplomates certified between 1997 and 2017, Dr. Wolfeld is the only one also listed as ABPS-certified in ABPS's public records. This reflects the period reviewed, not a claim about every physician ABHRS has certified since 2017.
How can I verify this myself? Search Dr. Wolfeld's name directly in ABPS's Verify Certification tool and view his listing in ABHRS's diplomate directory.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Outcomes, risks, and suitability vary from patient to patient.
Sources
- American Board of Plastic Surgery – Verify Certification
- American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery – Diplomate Directory
- Dr. Michael B. Wolfeld, M.D. – ABHRS Diplomate Listing
- American Board of Medical Specialties – Member Boards
- ABPS Booklet of Information – Certification Requirements
- ABHRS – Certification Pathways