Raleigh doctor stars on new TLC series to shine light on ‘significant’ issue of hair loss

As a child, Dr. Angie Phipps never suspected her father’s hair was artificial, until one night, sitting with him watching TV, she noticed him peel all his hair off his head and scratch his bald scalp.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed. “You gotta teach me how to do that.”

Decades later, Phipps works as a hair restoration surgeon in Raleigh, and her work is now the subject of TLC’s newest show, “Bad Hair Day.”

Over six episodes, “Bad Hair Day” will follow three medical hair regrowth and restoration professionals as they attempt to treat difficult hair loss cases from across the country. It premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. and also stars Dr. Meena Singh and Dr. Isha Lopez.

Phipps, from Raleigh, specializes in hair restoration surgery, a procedure that transplants hair from elsewhere on the body (typically the scalp) to areas affected by balding and hair loss.

Her work can be transformative for those, like her father, who deal with the devastating impacts of hair loss.

“He suffered in silence for 30 years,” Phipps said.

Witnessing her father’s struggle first hand, Phipps was inspired, and motivated, to dedicate her life to restoring patients’ hair. Her father eventually became one of those patients.

“I put you through med school’” Phipps recalls her father telling her. “You better find a way to put hair on my head.”

As her training progressed, Phipps was eventually able to restore her father’s hair, who was overjoyed at the results of his procedure.

Cast on TLC show

In 2020, Phipps’ office received a call from a TV show producer who was interested in talking to Phipps for a new TLC show about her field of medicine. Phipps said she thought it was a scam and moved on. But the calls persisted, and she eventually realized the show’s interest was genuine.

“Oh my gosh, it’s real,” Phipps said, laughing with disbelief.

She was chosen for her cutting edge work and approachable personality. Phipps said the show was not looking for someone whose persona screamed “doctor.” Instead, they wanted a deeply relatable female doctor. Phipps matched that description.

Compared to her peers, Phipps said, she’s “a little bit eccentric,” making her more appealing to patients and audiences alike.

This kind and quirky personality lends itself well to Phipps’ work. She said many of her patients are at the end of their rope, having often been given the run-around by other medical professionals who don’t always take hair loss seriously.

“This is an extremely significant mental and emotional health issue,” Phipps said.

Phipps treats a variety of conditions in her practice. Oftentimes, hair loss is a symptom of a medical issue, many times an autoimmune disorder. It can also be a result of burns, male pattern baldness or trichotillomania, which is caused by “compulsive pulling and bending of the hairs,” according to Bosley, the website of Phipps’ hair restoration practice.

While many of these conditions do not have a cure, she does her best to treat the hair loss that accompanies them.

When it is not surgically possible for patients’ hair to be restored, such as in Phipps’ first case airing Wednesday, HairClub, an international hair solutions company, steps in. They can provide clients with regrowth and alternative hair options.

Although Phipps’ 13-year-old daughter initially met the show with groans and sighs of teenage embarrassment, she quickly came around once she saw the impact her mother is making on her patients’ lives.

Wednesday, surrounded by about 20 family members and friends, Phipps will celebrate the show’s premiere.

“I hope it’s a real educational process,” Phipps said.

Phipps is eager for the show to connect with the public and open the door of communication about the frequent reality of hair loss.

“Nobody ever talked about it because they never saw their mother or grandmother without hair,” Phipps said. “They always wore wigs.”

She hopes her participation in the show will give viewers a sense of community and let them know that they are not alone in dealing with hair loss.

“I will be there to hold their hand through this process and we will find a solution,” Phipps said.

“Bad Hair Day” premieres Wednesday on TLC at 10 p.m. It also can be streamed on discovery+.