Bringing International Standards to Sri Lanka’s Hair Restoration Industry
Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa
Hair Restoration and Hair Transplant Physician
Dr Hair by Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa
Bringing International Standards to Sri Lanka’s Hair Restoration Industry
Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa
Hair Restoration and Hair Transplant Physician
Dr Hair by Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa
Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa-Asia's 40 Under 40 2026
Before a patient can believe in a hair transplant, they have to believe in the system delivering it. That has been a difficult proposition in Sri Lanka, where the hair restoration market for years included small, loosely regulated clinics and limited visibility into the medical governance behind procedures. The result was a trust gap that could not be solved simply by promising better-looking hair. Dr Tharindu Hasinthaka Ramyanath Soamarajeewa decided to confront that gap differently. As a hair restoration and hair transplant physician at Dr Hair by Dr Tharindu Samarajeewa, he built his practice within a fully equipped hospital, with anaesthetist support and emergency backup. Its centre at Ninewells Hospital is also ISO-certified, establishing a clinical framework designed to give patients greater confidence in the environment where treatment takes place.
Then comes the surgeon’s role. Dr Tharindu personally carries out every part of the procedure, from the first incision through graft extraction and implantation. He has deliberately chosen not to separate the surgeon from the hands-on work that determines the final result. For patients, particularly those travelling from abroad, that distinction can be decisive: they know who is performing the procedure before they enter the operating room.
When speaking with TradeFlock, Dr Tharindu described earning patients’ confidence as one of his biggest challenges. The lesson was as important as the solution. Patients, he believes, do not need perfection promised to them; they need clarity. By discussing limitations alongside possibilities and setting expectations honestly, Dr Tharindu has made transparency one of the defining principles of his practice. In this exclusive interview, he shares insights about his journey, the case that had the greatest impact on him, and future opportunities and more.
What drew you to hair restoration, and what keeps you motivated?
My path to hair restoration wasn’t a straight line. It grew out of ten years in some of medicine’s most demanding corners: the neonatal ICU, the emergency unit at Base Hospital Akkaraipattu, and the Neurosurgical Emergency Unit at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Those years, especially through the pandemic and Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis, taught me precision and composure under pressure.
Hair restoration let me combine that clinical discipline with something I’d carried since childhood: an eye for artistry and proportion. A hairline isn’t just a medical outcome; it’s a design decision that has to work with someone’s face for the rest of their life. What keeps me motivated is simpler than that. Watching a patient see themselves again, often after years of hiding under caps and camera angles, is a sight to behold.
How have mentors and professional relationships influenced your growth?
Being one of the youngest specialists in this field meant I had to actively seek out mentorship rather than wait for it. I trained under leading surgeons in India, Turkey, Dubai, and Germany, and those relationships shaped both my technique and my standards.
More recently, my involvement with the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), including working toward Full Membership, has connected me with senior colleagues internationally. I build those relationships the old-fashioned way: showing up at congresses in person, asking for feedback on real cases, and staying in touch long after the event ends, rather than relying on social media alone.
The case that has had the greatest impact on you, and why do you remember it?
Every case leaves a mark, but the ones that stay with me most are the patients who arrived having already tried and been let down by other clinics. Rebuilding not just their hairline but their trust in the process is a different kind of responsibility. Those cases are why I insist on a staged, long-term, hospital-based approach rather than a quick fix; especially for a patient who has already been disappointed once, doing it right the second time matters enormously.
What milestone are you working toward next, and where's the greatest opportunity for innovation?
Having already secured ISO certification for the centre, I’m now in the process of becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve ISHRS Full Membership. This milestone matters to me not just personally, but for what it represents for Sri Lanka’s standing in this field internationally.
Beyond that, I see the greatest opportunity in positioning Sri Lanka as a genuine medical tourism destination for hair restoration, offering the same international standards as Turkey or Dubai but with a more personalised, doctor-led model, where the surgeon performs the procedure rather than a team of technicians. The next frontier for the field itself is combining better long-term donor management with more advanced regenerative treatments like PRP/PRF, rather than treating transplant as a one-time fix.
POWER PROFILE CARD
Age: 38 years
Country: Sri Lanka
Industry/Sector: Healthcare — Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration
Years in Leadership: 2+ years as founder of Dr Hair (since 2024); 10+ years in medicine overall
Leadership Philosophy: Do the right thing consistently, even when no one is watching. The results will follow.
Motivation: To raise the standard of hair transplantation in Sri Lanka to a genuine international level and to become the first Sri Lankan to achieve ISHRS Full Membership.
All Magazines -
