John P. Cole, MD
Founder / Hair Transplant Surgeon
Dr. John P. Cole, MD, is the founder of Forhair and a hair restoration surgeon who has practiced in Atlanta since 1990.
He developed the Cole Isolation Technique (CIT®), the method that shaped how follicular unit extraction is practiced today. Dr. Cole personally performs every procedure at Forhair’s clinics in Atlanta and New York. No technician steps in for the surgical work he trained to do himself
About Dr. John P. Cole
Dr. Cole introduced the Cole Isolation Technique (CIT®) between 2002 and 2003. The technique keeps mean follicle transection rates under 3%, a benchmark Dr. Cole has documented across published case series. He began his hair restoration career in 1990, focused then on total follicular unit transplantation and microscopic graft dissection, years before FUE existed as a defined surgical method.
The modern era of FUE is generally credited to a small group of surgeons (Woods, Rassman, Bernstein, Cole, Harris, and Rose) who each contributed distinct extraction approaches between 2002 and 2005.
A 2021 review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology identifies CIT as a separate technical lineage within that group, crediting Dr. Cole specifically for pioneering motorized, sharp-punch extraction.
In 2005, Dr. Cole developed the Powered Cole Isolation Device (PCID), the first motorized system built specifically for FUE, letting surgeons program rotation, oscillation, and depth of penetration to match each patient’s scalp.
A depth-stop mechanism on the handpiece limits how far the punch travels into the scalp, reducing the risk of damage to deeper follicular structures.
Cole Instruments, the company Dr. Cole founded in Alpharetta, Georgia, still manufactures the device and its successors, the Mini-PCID and the Cole Vortex.
Dr. Cole holds seven U.S. patents covering these instruments, including punch designs that other manufacturers have continued to adapt into their own devices.
Dr. Cole has chaired 13 major international conferences on hair restoration, including the 10th annual meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) in Chicago in 2002, and has served as scientific director for more FUE-focused conferences than any other physician in the field.
He began teaching FUE to other surgeons in 2003 and opened the first FUE-dedicated clinic in Europe that same year, followed by the first in Asia in 2007. In 2014, he opened an FUE training center in Ankara, Turkey, with Dr. Ozgur Oztan.
Dr. Cole entered regenerative medicine research in 2007. In 2015, he developed a method that uses ultrasonic sonication rather than chemical activators to prepare platelet lysate from a patient’s own blood.
In a study he co-authored, “Alopecia and Platelet-Derived Therapies” (Stem Cell Investigation, 2017), grafts placed alongside this platelet lysate reached a 99% regeneration rate at four months, compared with 75% for chemically activated platelet-rich plasma and 71% for a saline control.
Dr. Cole is currently editing the first textbook devoted to regenerative medicine for hair loss and serves as vice president of the Academy of International Regenerative Medicine & Surgery Societies (AIRMESS), where he co-authored the organization’s 2021 clinical recommendations on stem cell-based therapies for androgenetic alopecia.
He continues to see patients and perform CIT® hair transplants at Forhair’s clinics in Atlanta and New York.
Memberships
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) – 1993-2017
- International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS)- 2023
- American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) – Associate Member for over 20 years
- American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) (Earliest to become board certified and was certified from 1997 through 2010.)
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- European Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ESHRS)
- American Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ASHRS)
FUE Hair Transplants in Atlanta
Dr. Cole personally oversees every FUE hair transplant performed at Forhair’s Atlanta clinic, along with the full range of restoration techniques the practice offers.
As the physician who defined CIT®’s surgical principles, he trains every member of the surgical team in the technique and continues researching treatments that stimulate stem cell activity to improve graft yield.
Beyond CIT®, Dr. Cole performs No-Shave FUE for patients who want to avoid shaving the recipient area, and handles hair transplant repair for patients correcting plugs, scarring, or unnatural results from procedures performed elsewhere.
Hair Transplant Techniques Used by Dr. John Cole
Dr. Cole specializes in numerous hair restoration procedures. An innovator in the field, he also emphasizes precision and artistry. Forhair is his flagship clinic. There, Dr. Cole personally oversees training in CIT®, his groundbreaking FUE technique, and other hair transplant procedures. Dr. Cole continues his innovative research as well. This includes exceptional hair restoration treatments that stimulate stem cells to accelerate growth and foster yield.
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Credentials and Awards
Dr. Cole’s credentials span more than three decades of board certification, active licensure in four states, and recognition from the field’s leading professional societies.
- ISHRS Golden Follicle Award, 2013 – the society’s highest clinical honor
- Lifetime Achievement Award, FUE Europe, 2019 – making Dr. Cole the first surgeon to hold both a Golden Follicle Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award
- ISHRS Scientific Research Grant and Award
- ISHRS Ten Year Attendance Pen
- ISHRS Five Year Attendance Pen
- Michelangelo Award, Italian Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (corrected spelling)
- Archimedes Award, Italian Society of Hair Restoration Surgery
- DHI Bronze Medal, 2000
- DHI Gold Medal, 2002
- BS in Chemistry and Biology (Summa Cum Laude), Mercer University (1981)
- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine (1985-1986)
- MD, Medical College of Georgia (1985)
Dr. Cole holds active medical licenses in:
- Georgia (GA) – License Number:
229052– Verified by the Georgia Composite Medical Board - New York (NY) – License Number: 530 2420
- Florida (FL)- License Number: ME 66460
- California (CA) – License Number:
G 84836
- International Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, January 1, 1998
- American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, January 1, 1998
- American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery – Diplomate, Board of Directors, and Examination Committee
- ISHRS – Beginners Program Chairman; Scientific Committee Chairman
- ISHRS Annual Meeting – Program Chairman
- Aegean Meeting for Hair Restoration Surgery – Chairman
- ISHRS – Beginners Course (98, 99, 2000, 2001)
- Italy 1997 – Beginners Course
- European 2000- Beginners coursee
- Korean Live Surgery Workshop, 2001
- Faculty of the WHRS (1999 and 2002)
Dr. Cole has published on the mathematics of donor harvesting, follicular unit density measurement, and platelet-derived therapies, including:
- “Alopecia and Platelet-Derived Therapies,” Stem Cell Investigation (2017)
- “Status of Individual Follicular Group Harvesting,” Hair Transplant Forum International (2009)
- “Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP): Pseudoscience or Fact,” Hair Transplant Forum International (2015)
- “The Optimal Holding Solution and Temperature for Hair Follicle Grafts,” Hair Transplant Forum International (2012)
- “The Potential Role of Minoxidil in the Hair Transplantation Setting” Dermatol Surg. (2002)
- “An Analysis of Follicular Punches, Mechanics, and Dynamics in Follicular Unit Extraction,” Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America (2013)
- “A Comparison of Reticle Size to Determine Follicular Unit Density in Hair Restoration,” Dermatologic Surgery (2015), co-authored with Chiara Insalaco and Jamie Reiter
- “Evaluation of Not-Activated and Activated PRP in Hair Loss Treatment,” International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2017)
He also co-authored the “Donor Harvesting” chapter in Hair Transplantation with Dr. Walter Unger.
Dr. Cole is a man of many interests. Over and above his dedication to the field of hair transplantation, his interests include, snowboarding, computers, flying, water skiing, baseball, snow skiing, saltwater fishing, tennis, golf, wake boarding, dressage and he loves raising his children.
Where Dr. Cole Practices
Dr. Cole treats patients at two Forhair locations: the practice’s headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, and a clinic in Midtown Manhattan. Both locations offer in-person consultations, and patients outside the Atlanta or New York area can start with a free video consultation.
New York Clinic
DR. JOHN PETER COLE, MD
Forhair Hair Transplant Clinic – NYC
Atlanta clinic
DR. JOHN PETER COLE, MD
Forhair Hair Transplant Clinic – ATL
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. John P. Cole?
Dr. John P. Cole, MD, is the founder of Forhair and the surgeon who developed the Cole Isolation Technique (CIT®), a refinement of follicular unit extraction (FUE). He has practiced hair restoration surgery since 1990, holds seven U.S. patents for surgical instruments, and treats patients at Forhair’s clinics in Atlanta and New York.
What is the Cole Isolation Technique (CIT®)?
CIT® is Dr. Cole’s method of follicular unit extraction, using sharpened, thin-walled punches and a calibrated depth-control mechanism to remove each follicular unit with minimal surrounding damage. The technique keeps average follicle transection rates under 3% and is designed to preserve donor-area density for future procedures.
Is Dr. Cole the surgeon performing my procedure?
Yes. Dr. Cole personally performs the surgical steps of each hair transplant at Forhair rather than delegating harvesting or recipient site creation to a technician. He evaluates every case individually during consultation and outlines the technique and outcome that fit each patient’s hair loss pattern.
Where is Dr. Cole's hair transplant clinic located?
A non-shaven procedure is more expensive than a shaven procedure. Hair in a non-shaven donor area must be trimmed prior to extraction, the physician then must constantly comb and extract the hair as well as comb and place the hair. A no-shave procedure is more labor intensive and requires a more experienced physician. These no shave factors increase the cost of an FUE procedure.
Where is Dr. Cole's hair transplant clinic located?
Dr. Cole practices at Forhair’s headquarters at 1070 Powers Place, Alpharetta, Georgia, and at a second clinic at 200 West 57th St., Suite 403, in New York, NY. Both locations offer in-person and video consultations.
What awards has Dr. John Cole received?
Dr. Cole received the ISHRS Golden Follicle Award in 2013, the society’s highest clinical honor, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from FUE Europe in 2019, making him the first surgeon to hold both. He has also received the Michelangelo and Archimedes awards from the Italian Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.
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