VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The president of the Virginia Surgical Center, a hair transplant facility in Virginia Beach, is in hot water after being accused of performing invasive procedures without a license.
Linda Carnazza is the president of Virginia Surgical Center. Court records say she was arrested for performing invasive procedures between 2022 and this year. She's currently facing charges for illegal hair transplants, according to VBPD.
A News 3 crew went to the Virginia Surgical Center on Louisa Avenue in Virginia Beach to see if Carnazza was there and was greeted by a surgical receptionist.
"Unfortunately, she’s not available at the moment. I’m just a surgical receptionist," an employee said.
According to the Virginia Beach Magistrate’s office, Carnazza was also charged in 2007 for performing invasive procedures without a license. However, that charge was reduced to a misdemeanor assault.
Carnazza's attorney, Richard Doummar, declined an interview, but released the following statement:
“My client is not guilty and look forward to proving her innocence.”
News 3 did a story with Carnazza back in 2016 at the Virginia Surgical Center, where she explained hair transplant procedures.
According to the International Society of Hair Restoration, in Virginia, there are disciplinary proceedings for unlicensed individuals who perform hair transplants.
Some states do not require a medical degree or a physician to perform hair transplants.
"This is an invasive procedure. This is not injecting Botox or doing a laser. You’re penetrating the skin. It’s an extension of hair from the back and transplanting the follicles to the front," said Dr. Kevin Blumenthal, a hair transplant surgeon at Natural Transplants Hair Restoration Clinic.
Here's what he recommends:
"If you’re getting a hair transplant performed, it should be under the expertise of a surgeon, a physician or an M.D. or D.O."
