The difference is crucial: salons provide non-invasive services such as styling, while surgical practice involves invasive medical procedures, including hair follicle transplants, requiring anesthesia, sterile conditions, and specialized surgical expertise.
The minimum standards for hair transplant centres, drawn up by the National Council for Clinical Facilities (NCCE) – India’s central statutory body responsible for the quality and safety of healthcare – mandate that only qualified doctors, specifically dermatologists and plastic surgeons with recognized medical training, can perform these procedures.
“The new rules aim to eliminate ghost clinics by specifying that only those with medical training, specifically dermatologists and plastic surgeons, can perform these procedures. Although hair transplantation is often marketed as a simple beauty salon service, it is a surgical procedure involving anesthesia and risks such as severe infection and medical shock,” said one of the three government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The change in classification follows a May 2022 order by the Delhi High Court, which ruled that hair transplantation is a cosmetic surgery that must be performed by qualified dermatologists or trained surgeons with the patient’s informed consent.
However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) will announce the final rules only after the judgment of the Madras High Court on the related petition.
Gray area
According to IMARC Group, the sector is expected to grow from USD 252 million to USD 1.7 billion by 2033. Major chains operating in this space include DHI India, Eugenix Hair Sciences, Dr. Batra’s, Kaya Skin Clinic and VLCC.
With techniques such as follicular unit extraction (FUE) and direct hair implantation (DHI), men account for about 79.5% of the sector’s revenue, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence.
About 350,000 hair transplants are performed in India annually, and at least six patients have died from complications since 2016. Reported causes include anesthetic overdose (lidocaine toxicity), anaphylactic shock, sepsis due to unsanitary conditions, and tissue necrosis.
“Many budget centers currently lack the necessary emergency equipment and qualified expertise. By subjecting these centers to strict medical regulations, the government intends to ensure that the facilities are equipped to handle complications and prevent risks to consumers’ lives,” said a second government official on condition of anonymity.
Legal pressure
A discussion on minimum standards for hair transplant centers took place during the 16th meeting of NCCE on September 9, 2025, chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Sunita Sharma.
“It is learned that the Hon’ble Delhi High Court has directed the MoHFW to formulate national-level medical protocols for hair transplant centers after death due to technician’s malpractice. Minimum standards for hair transplant centers have been finalized as per the court’s directives,” the minutes of the meeting reviewed by Mint showed.
“Meanwhile, the Indian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (IAAPS) has objected to the inclusion of MDS (Maxillofacial Surgeons) for performing hair transplant procedures and the IADVL (Tamil Nadu Branch) has filed writ petitions in the Madras High Court challenging the Dental Council of India (DCI) guidelines dated 02.02.2012 (Maxillofacial, 22.12. Surgery) to perform hair transplants,” it said. registration.
While the standards are being finalized, the NCCE has decided to wait for the Madras High Court verdict before announcing them, the first official said.
“Hair transplantation is not a salon service, it is a medical service. The procedure is standard surgery. The primary problem in India is that the practice has become dangerously trivialized. Internationally, these procedures are highly regulated and provide legal safeguards to prevent the kind of tragic accidents that have recently occurred in India,” said a third government official on condition of anonymity.
Emailed queries to health ministry and DGHS spokespersons went unanswered.
Medical opinion
Medical experts agree with the government’s view.
Dr. Aparna Santhanam, dermatologist and head of medical operations at Kaya Ltd, said the move is timely and absolutely necessary. “Hair Transplantation Has Outgrown India ₹The $1.6 trillion to $1.7 trillion industry performs over 350,000 procedures a year, but has operated in a regulatory gray area for too long. We have seen the rise of ‘ghost clinics’, salons and small facilities where procedures are carried out by technicians or unqualified staff, often without any doctor on site.’
The consequences aren’t just cosmetic, she said, adding that across the industry, doctors are increasingly treating patients with severe infections, poor graft survival, scarring, nerve damage and the permanently disfiguring results of botched procedures. Cases of serious complications and deaths related to unsafe practices have also been documented.
“The rules will protect consumers, restore credibility to the sector and ensure that India’s leadership in medical aesthetics is built on ethical, evidence-based and safe clinical practice rather than price-driven shortcuts,” Santhanan said.
Dr Dinesh Kumar Devaraj, former president of IADVL (Tamil Nadu) and an active supporter of medical regulation in cosmetic surgery, added that transplantation is much more complicated than it seems. “On the surface it looks simple – moving hairs from back to front. But it’s a precise science involving specific extraction techniques and angles. It’s not just taking a plant from the backyard and putting it in the front yard, it requires deep medical knowledge.”
Devaraj further warned of the dangers posed by “charlatans”. “Because of the high profit margins, many untrained technicians and even dentists have entered the field. We are fighting to stop the quackery through written petitions because it is not the domain of those who are educated only in dentistry. It makes no sense to read about teeth and end up with hair surgery.”
Hair transplant companies have identified the regulations as necessary to shift from a “beauty service” mindset to rigorous medical safety.
Dr Manisha Mareddy, founder of Hyderabad-based Shlok Dermatology & Wellness Clinic, termed hair transplant standards as long overdue. “There is an ever-increasing number of non-physicians performing surgery in dangerous environments. Patients are often tempted by bargains without being aware of the risks. Clear rules will finally settle the debate about who is qualified to perform these procedures,” she said.
She added that entrusting dermatologists and plastic surgeons with these roles brings much-needed accountability. “Hair transplantation is not a procedure that can be performed without specialist supervision. Every surgical step – safe anesthesia, strict sterilization and emergency preparedness – must be followed to avoid fatal complications.”
Sowmya Ramasubramanian in Mumbai contributed to this story.
