Meet Dr. Robert Leonard and Dr. Matthew Lopresti of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Robert Leonard and Dr. Matthew Lopresti.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Leonard and Dr. Lopresti. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was blessed to have met the late Dr. CP Chambers, who had the second-largest hair transplant surgical practice in the country, during my internship year at the University of New England in 1986. Dr. Chambers trained me in my chosen field. I worked for him during and after my residency. I performed surgeries in three different states and established my own practice, Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, in 1989.

In 1993, I was elected to be the founding secretary of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery and became its president in 1995. I continue to be extremely involved in this important medical association. In fact, I am one of only ten members to have attended all of the annual meetings since their inception. 2018 will mark my 25th consecutive year!

Four years ago, after practicing solo for 27 years, I trained a young doctor who had been a medical student with me many years before, Dr. Matthew Lopresti, who is a native of Malden. Adding Dr. Lopresti to the practice has added some flexibility to my schedule and allows our practice to take care of the hair loss needs of many more patients. Dr. Lopresti, in fact, performed my hair transplant three years ago! I trust him implicitly to treat people as I have done for so many years. – Dr. Robert Leonard

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I am truly fortunate to have had a smooth career path. As in any business I have encountered some obstacles I have a fabulous team that works hand-in-hand assisting me in performing our procedures. Some of the most challenging situations for a medical practice such as ours occur when someone calls in sick or if the weather is such that we have to cancel office hours.

Additionally, a rather unique and significant challenge in my field of surgery is that men, in particular, are often extremely private about having anyone know about their hair restoration. Because of that, our word-of-mouth referrals are far fewer than with other surgical specialists. As a result, I have to invest a great deal of money in advertising to educate people about which we can do for them.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Leonard Hair Transplant Associates – what should we know?
Leonard Hair Transplant Associates was established in Providence, RI. I realized quickly that Rhode Island had a rather limited population base for my practice, so I branched out to open my first office in Massachusetts in 1991. Over the next 25 years, my practice grew to four additional locations in the Bay State, including Boston, and one in New Hampshire.

My practice grew very quickly in our first few years due to that fact I offered and performed the latest surgical techniques. It was newer than other procedures being offered by other hair restoration surgeons in the northeast at that time. For example, I sutured the surgical sites, which allowed my patients to leave the office without bandages—something unique and desirable during that time.

Dr. Chambers taught me the importance of public relations and marketing, which I implemented immediately upon founding the practice. I actively contacted the media to inform them about what I was doing and about new topics in the treatment of hair loss.

Whenever I perform a new technique or purchase a new device, I am interviewed by local television, radio, and print outlets. I’ve also received national and international coverage over the years. Our practice maintains a blog on our website, www.hairdr.com.

I am active on social media, using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn in and more to connect with patients and prospective patients and share information about the practice and the field. I must admit, though, the business aspects of a practice like mine are far more complicated today than they used to be when there was far less technology!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
As I mentioned before, I owe a lot to Dr. Chambers, my instructors, my colleagues, my family, my staff and Dr. Lopresti. I have been fortunate to surround myself with a wonderful team who is hard working and supportive, and without them, none of this would have been possible.

Contact Info:

• Address: Our Locations
  Cranston
  922 Reservoir Avenue
  Cranston, RI 02910

  Newton
  1400 Centre Street, Suite 108
  Newton Centre, MA 02459

  Braintree
  340 Wood Road
  Braintree, MA 02184

  Hyannis
  540 Main Street, Suite 14A
  Hyannis, MA 02601

  Boston
  20 Park Plaza, Suite 450
  Boston, MA 02116

  Worcester
  255 Park Avenue
  Worcester, MA 01609

  Salem
  130 Main Street, Suite 201A
  Salem, NH 03079

• Website: www.hairdr.com
• Phone: I-800-GetHair
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeonardHair
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/drrobertleonard
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC92rqFAIYvciuI0zhU_D6iQ

Image Credit:
Leonard Hair Transplant Associates

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