ONE 30-year-old man in Delhi dies after overturning hair transplant last year. This incident was the third such incident reported in the country since 2019. How come India has experienced multiple deaths after a procedure that statistically boasts one of the lower death rates in the world? The answer lies in unregulated processes.
Similarly, a woman in Mumbai recently filed an FIR against a beauty parlor after a HydraFacial that resulted in burns and permanent skin damage. The salon’s use of non-standard products was cited as the cause of the deformity.
To understand why India has turned a blind eye to these senseless deaths and injuries, we must recognize the rise of new-age therapies, the inadequate training of professionals and the still-thriving very unruly industry.
For example, hair transplants, according to the Indian Clinical Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations 2002, are considered surgical procedures. Only qualified physicians with degrees in pharmacy and surgery, with a valid medical license, are authorized to perform them. In addition, these procedures must be carried out in licensed hospitals or clinics equipped with the required infrastructure and medical facilities. Clinics licensed to perform hair transplant surgery undergo a rigorous accreditation process set by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI). These associations set guidelines for patient protection and guarantee the expected minimum standards of safety.
This is the primary flaw in the current Indian system: hair transplants are not only performed by non-medical professionals but also by technicians who have no medical background. In addition, luxury salons and beauticians advertise hair transplant surgery as an attractive proposition without having to worry about any censorship by the regulatory body. The creation of a National Medical Registry listing qualified dermatologists and plastic surgeons capable of performing hair transplant procedures would be a critical step toward patient awareness and advocacy.
Likewise, salons offering new-age treatments such as “vampire face” (PRP therapy using the client’s plasma) and other facial treatments require specialist understanding and training qualifications from beauticians to ensure safe and hygienic procedures. As a dermatologist, I have lost count of the number of patients who have sought treatments to improve their appearance, only to leave with physical and mental damage.
Read also: Hair transplant surgery can give you allergies, shock and even sepsis. Get to know your doctor first
The gray area
The Clinical Establishment Act was a sigh of relief for dermatologists. It was the first step to ensure that clinics set up for specialist treatments maintain minimum standards of care and safety for their patients. This would mean that any process that requires technical know-how can be alone are performed by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, limiting the chances of having a technician intervene for a dermatologist, a common practice in some clinics.
A gray area persists in the beauty industry. Treatments such as laser acne treatment, laser hair removal, blackhead or whitehead removal, etc., require a level of expertise and understanding that can only be met by a medical professional. However, in the absence of a regulatory body, any beauty salon with sufficient funds and advertising reach can lure its clients into procedures that, if they go wrong, carry risks of permanent disfigurement. Not only for treatment, but a proper list should be established regarding the purchase and use of this equipment, with warnings requiring a valid medical license from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to purchase.
For a country making major strides in space, we’ve overlooked key steps on Earth. The machines used in the clinics are either manufactured in China or assembled there, even though the potential of a domestic machinery industry remains untapped. However, even with improved machines, we must seek to ensure that they are used only by trained and certified individuals. One way to bridge this gap would be for the government to create a standardized certification course to train beauticians and technicians to help them perform skin treatments and understand the risks involved.
Until we crack down on the unruly flood of procedures done at any institute within walking distance or clinic without qualms, we will continue to hear heartbreaking reports of women and men who go in for a confidence boost but come out with their lives dramatically changed— Knowing all this as long as it could be avoided, we made sure that no one who compromised the safety and well-being of people could get away with it.
Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj is a dermatologist, allergist, laser surgeon and internationally trained esthetician. He tweets @dermatdoc. Opinions are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
https://theprint.in/opinion/hair-transplant-vampire-facial-india-unregulated-clinics-treatments/1889170/
