Is A New Hairline Worth Your Lifeline? Inside Kanpur's Growing Epidemic Of Botched Transplants

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Last Updated:May 15, 2025, 15:45 IST

Kanpur has reported back-to-back fatalities linked to hairsbreadth transplant procedures. At the bosom of these tragedies are unqualified practitioners and unregulated clinics

Photos of Mayank Katiyar earlier and aft the botched hairsbreadth transplant country connected November 18, 2024. He died the adjacent day. (News18/Special Arrangement)

The quest to reconstruct a receding hairline is progressively turning fatal for young Indians, with aggregate cases wherever the tendency for a youthful quality has ended not conscionable successful disappointment, but successful death. In a disturbing trend, Kanpur successful Uttar Pradesh has precocious reported back-to-back fatalities linked to hairsbreadth transplant procedures. At the bosom of these tragedies are unqualified practitioners operating successful unregulated clinics, starring to life-threatening complications.

Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Dr Vijay Kumar, Head of the Plastic Surgery Department astatine King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, blamed untrained practitioners and unchecked clinics. “This surge successful fatal hairsbreadth transplant cases is simply a nonstop effect of ignoring basal aesculapian information norms," helium said.

A Growing Trend With Deadly Consequences

The allure of a fuller, youthful caput of hairsbreadth is driving galore young Indians toward hairsbreadth transplants. However, this increasing inclination has taken a tragic turn, particularly successful cities similar Kanpur, wherever respective deaths person been reported.

Case 1: Vineet Dubey’s Death After Surgery

Vineet Kumar Dubey, a 37-year-old adjunct technologist astatine the Panki Power Plant successful Kanpur, died wrong 24 hours of undergoing a hairsbreadth transplant. His wife, Jaya Dubey, alleges gross aesculapian negligence, claiming the session had nary qualified dermatologist oregon integrative surgeon.

“His look was truthful swollen, it looked similar a balloon. His eyes were bulging out. I couldn’t adjacent recognise him," she recounted. Vineet had undergone the process connected March 13, 2025, astatine Empire Warahi Clinic. At the time, Jaya was visiting her parental location successful Gonda with their duplicate toddlers.

“He had conscionable completed his PhD and received a occupation connection from a apical US firm. He wanted to astonishment maine with his caller look," she added.

Following the procedure, the doctor, Anushka Tiwari, allegedly fled—shutting her session and switching disconnected her phone. Despite repeated appeals, constabulary filed an FIR lone aft Jaya submitted a ailment via the CM portal, backed by supporting evidence. “Later, we discovered she wasn’t adjacent a certified hairsbreadth transplant doctor," said Vineet’s uncle.

An probe is present underway. ACP Abhishek Pandey stated, “We volition apprehension the accused soon."

Case 2: Another Engineer Died After Hair Transplant by Same Doctor

Just months earlier, 32-year-old Mayank Katiyar, an technologist from Farrukhabad, besides died pursuing a hairsbreadth transplant astatine Kanpur’s Empire Clinic, tally by the aforesaid Dr Anushka Tiwari.

Mayank underwent the process connected November 18, 2024. “He came location astatine 5pm but was crying successful symptom by midnight. His look swelled and darkened. By morning, helium couldn’t spot and was struggling to breathe. He died successful my thigh the adjacent day," said his mother, Pramodini Katiyar.

She claimed Dr Anushka became unreachable. “She blocked my number. I privation her arrested—otherwise, she’ll instrumentality distant idiosyncratic else’s lad tomorrow."

Mayank’s younger brother, Kushagra, added, “He was excited. He thought he’d look better. But the symptom started soon after. The doc gave proposal implicit video calls—then vanished."

Kushagra has preserved integer proof, including receipts, prescriptions, and WhatsApp chats. “She’s not adjacent a existent doctor. She hires untrained unit to execute these procedures," helium alleged.

The household filed a ailment connected May 13, 2025—six months aft Mayank’s death. An FIR is yet to beryllium registered.

What Do the NMC Guidelines Say?

To modulate the booming hairsbreadth transplant manufacture and forestall specified tragedies, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued broad guidelines connected September 20, 2022. Hair transplantation is defined arsenic a surgical process that indispensable beryllium conducted lone by Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) formally trained successful modern medicine—specifically, qualified dermatologists oregon integrative surgeons with acquisition successful hairsbreadth restoration.

The guidelines mandate that each signifier of the surgery—from valuation and donor harvesting to post-operative care—must beryllium carried retired by a trained RMP. It is unethical for immoderate RMP to licence unlicensed individuals, specified arsenic technicians oregon beauticians, to execute oregon assistance with the surgery.

Clinics indispensable besides person a decently equipped day-care cognition theatre, anaesthesia backup, exigency resuscitation equipment, and post-operative betterment rooms. Strict sterilization, biomedical discarded disposal, and exigency protocols indispensable beryllium followed. ‘Ghost surgeries’, wherever patients are unaware of who performed the procedure, are classified arsenic malpractice.

NMC Advisory to Patients: Verify Before You Trust

The NMC besides issued a beardown advisory for patients considering aesthetic procedures. It urges individuals to verify a doctor’s qualifications and acquisition earlier undergoing hairsbreadth transplant surgery. Patients should personally conscionable the surgeon, cheque their credentials, and guarantee that due facilities—including anaesthesia enactment and exigency equipment—are available.

The advisory warns that aesthetic surgeries travel with superior risks that lone trained RMPs tin manage. Watching online tutorials oregon attending workshops is not a substitute for ceremonial aesculapian training. Clinics should beryllium registered with wellness authorities and support elaborate records and diligent photographs.

‘Not A Cosmetic Convenience, But A Serious Surgery’

Dr Vijay Kumar of KGMU, Lucknow, emphasised the wide violations plaguing the industry. “Many surgeries are conducted without investigations oregon anaesthetic backup. Some clinics run retired of parlours, with doctors vanishing aft surgery, leaving patients helpless," helium said.

He noted that non-MBBS individuals, oregon unqualified staff, are progressively performing these procedures—sometimes aft simply observing a fewer surgeries. “This is unsafe and wholly against aesculapian guidelines," helium said.

Hiring MBBS doctors for name’s involvement without due surgical grooming is different alarming trend. “Hair transplants are invasive procedures. They necessitate exigency preparedness and indispensable beryllium conducted successful registered aesculapian setups. The deficiency of infrastructure and oversight is putting lives astatine risk," Dr Kumar warned.

Do’s And Don’ts Before Considering Hair Transplant Surgery

According to Dr Kumar, present are cardinal precautions for anyone considering a hairsbreadth transplant:

Do:

• Consult a board-certified integrative oregon dermatologic surgeon.
• Choose a infirmary oregon well-equipped session with exigency facilities.
• Undergo afloat aesculapian evaluation, including allergy and humor tests.
• Verify the clinic’s hygiene standards and sterilization protocols.
• Ask for the credentials of the full aesculapian team.

Don’t:

• Fall for low-cost packages offered by unqualified practitioners.
• Visit salons, parlors, oregon unregistered clinics for hairsbreadth transplants.
• Ignore post-operative attraction instructions.
• Hide aesculapian past oregon ongoing medications.
• Expect contiguous results oregon acquisition repetition sessions without capable recovery.

A Grim Pattern Over The Years

Since 2016, India has recorded astatine slightest 4 different confirmed deaths related to hairsbreadth transplant surgeries:

• 2016: A final-year aesculapian pupil successful Chennai died from an allergic absorption aft a transplant astatine an unlicensed salon.
• 2019: A Mumbai businessman died owed to excessive grafting successful 1 sitting.
• 2021: A Gujarat antheral succumbed to anaphylactic daze post-surgery.
• 2022: A young antheral successful Delhi died from sepsis and multi-organ nonaccomplishment aft a botched transplant.

These tragedies service arsenic stark reminders: hairsbreadth transplants are not cosmetic conveniences—they are superior surgical procedures, and cutting corners tin outgo lives.

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