Last Updated:June 03, 2025, 16:05 IST
Hair transplants are complex medical surgeries not beauty treatments and must never be performed in salons or by unqualified hands.
The patient developed an infection during the procedure, causing facial swelling and rapid decline. Treatment to save him began too late. (News18)
The recent tragic deaths of a couple of young men in Kanpur due to a hair transplant procedure have once again brought to the forefront the urgent need to regulate cosmetic medical surgeries and practices in India. This incident, reportedly caused by a combination of medical negligence and lack of patient awareness, is a grim reminder that hair transplantation is not a routine beauty treatment—it is a complex surgical procedure that demands qualified medical expertise and clinical infrastructure.
Dr. Kavish Chouhan, Dermatologist (AIIMS) & Hair Transplant Surgeon, Director, DermaClinix and Secretary, FUEASIA, shares all you need to know.
What makes this tragedy even more alarming is that it is not an isolated case; several such incidents have occurred in the past. In 2016, a student in Chennai died the day after undergoing a hair transplant performed by two doctors who were not qualified to conduct such procedures. The so-called “clinic” was only licensed to perform haircuts and styling. More recently, in 2022, a 30-year-old man in Delhi died following a botched hair transplant, leading to multiple organ failure. At the time, during the hearing of the case, the Delhi High Court took serious note of the incident, expressing concern over the mushrooming of salons and unauthorized clinics offering hair transplants without proper medical supervision. The court rightly emphasized the need for central and state governments to regulate these practices, educate the public about the risks, and establish national medical protocols.
Unfortunately, the regulatory response has been sluggish, and such unsafe practices continue unchecked. Unqualified practitioners and salons are still performing medical procedures like hair transplants in unsanitary, ill-equipped settings—often putting the lives of unsuspecting patients at risk. While patients bear some responsibility for verifying the qualifications of their doctors, the primary onus lies with the authorities to ensure that medical procedures are only carried out in licensed, regulated, and safe environments.
According to the guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), hair transplants should only be conducted by qualified dermatologists or plastic surgeons. The procedure must be performed in a properly equipped operation theatre with emergency care facilities. The medical team should be trained in basic life support, and thorough pre-operative assessments—including allergy testing and medical history evaluation—must be done before surgery. Key aspects of the procedure such as anaesthesia administration, hairline design, slit creation, and graft extraction must all be performed by a trained and certified surgeon—not by technicians or support staff.
And yet, in many parts of India, hair transplantation is being conducted by unqualified individuals in salons or beauty parlours. This alarming trend stems from a critical misunderstanding: that cosmetic or aesthetic procedures are somehow less serious than other types of surgery. This is not just medically inaccurate—it is dangerous. Any form of surgery, no matter how minimally invasive, carries risks ranging from infection to systemic complications. These risks are compounded exponentially when procedures are carried out in unsanitary conditions by individuals lacking the necessary qualifications and experience.
The irony is that hair transplant surgeries, when performed by certified professionals in accredited clinics, are among the safest cosmetic procedures with very low complication rates. Modern techniques such as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) have high success rates and are largely risk-free—when conducted under proper clinical supervision. It is only when these procedures are hijacked by unlicensed practitioners looking to make a quick profit that tragic outcomes like the one in Kanpur occur.
It’s time we treat hair transplants—and all similar cosmetic interventions—with the seriousness they deserve. These are not routine beauty services that can be safely outsourced to anyone with a needle and a steady hand. They are medical procedures that require trained surgeons, sterile environments, and stringent adherence to clinical protocols.
The government, medical regulatory bodies, and civil society must come together to enforce strict regulations on who can perform hair transplants and under what conditions. Simultaneously, public awareness campaigns must be launched to educate people on the dangers of undergoing such procedures at unauthorized facilities. Patients must also be vigilant and verify the credentials of the doctor, the clinic’s licence, and the safety standards in place before going ahead with a procedure.
The Kanpur incident should serve as a wake-up call. Until stricter regulations are implemented and the public becomes more aware, lives will continue to be at risk—not just from hair transplants, but from the broader issue of unauthorized medical procedures being passed off as cosmetic services. No one should lose their life in the pursuit of self-improvement. Let’s ensure we don’t let this tragedy repeat itself.
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl…Read More
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl… Read More
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