2 Kanpur men die after ‘hair transplant’: How safe is this cosmetic procedure?

A full head of thick, beautiful hair – who doesn’t want that? But for many, it is becoming a fantasy. As hair loss has become increasingly common, it has led many people to opt for hair transplant surgery.

However, combating hair loss turned deadly for two engineers in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. Both died allegedly after getting hair transplant treatment at a private clinic. These incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of the cosmetic procedure.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a procedure that shifts hair to an area of the scalp that is balding or thinning.

Also known as hair restoration or hair replacement, the surgery involves a dermatologist or plastic surgeon taking small pieces of skin from parts of the body with healthy hair – usually the back or sides of the head – and moving it to hairless parts of the scalp.

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The transplanted skin, or graft, is expected to continue to grow hair after healing.

2 Kanpur men die after hair transplant

Two engineers died allegedly after their hair transplant surgeries at Dr Anushka Tiwari’s clinic, Empire, in Kanpur. The incidents came to light after the family of one of the victims filed a complaint on the chief minister’s portal against the private clinic.

According to the complaint of Vineet Dubey’s wife, Jaya Tripathi, her husband had a badly swollen face and was in pain before his death on March 14, a day after undergoing a hair transplant surgery at Dr Tiwari’s clinic, PTI cited Additional DCP West Vijendra Dwivedi as saying.

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The police say Dubey is believed to have developed an infection during the treatment, which remained untreated, leading to a swift worsening of his condition and eventual death.

It was later found that dentists at Dr Anushka Tiwari’s clinic carried out the hair transplant procedure.

An FIR has been lodged in the case under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 106(1) for causing death by negligence.

After Dubey’s case surfaced, the kin of another victim came forward to file a complaint against the private clinic. Kushagra Katiyar told reporters that his brother, Mayank Katiyar, underwent a hair transplant surgery on November 18 at the Empire clinic. Hours later, he complained of chest pain and swelling, leading to his death the next day.

These cases have raised alarms about the safety of the hair transplant procedure.

Is hair transplant safe?

Health experts say that a hair transplant is generally a safe procedure, given that it is done by certified surgeons in reputable clinics or hospitals.

As per the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines, only dermatologists, plastic surgeons or general surgeons with training in hair transplant can perform this surgery.

A hair transplant surgery carries the small risk of complications such as excessive bleeding, infection, and an allergic reaction to the local anaesthetic usually used during the process, says the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).

Other side effects due to a hair transplant include scarring, itching, inflammation of the hair follicles, the risk of nerve damage, loss of native and transplanted hair temporarily, and uneven hair growth, as per the website of Dr Malay Mehta.

Dr Kashish Kalra, MD, Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Surgeon, Head of Department, Dermatology, Max Smart Hospital, at New Delhi’s Saket, told The Week that a death from hair transplant surgery could occur due to the “excessive use of local anaesthesia and the wrong injection technique.”

Speaking about the Kanpur cases, the expert said, “When the injection was given, it probably went deep into the venous system and punctured a vein. Usually, local anaesthesia is given in the subdermal layer where the hair root is present. It is not given in depth. In this case, it seems the injection depth and technique were wrong.”

Dr Kalra also conjectured that the fatalities of the two men could be due to an unqualified doctor or a lack of post-hair transplant care.

Dr Aseem Sharma, dermatologist and director at Skin Saga Centre for Dermatology, told NDTV that a hair transplant can lead to complications when “procedures are conducted by unqualified individuals or in inadequately equipped non-surgical setups. These practices give hair transplantation an undeservedly bad name."

What to know before going for hair transplant?

A hair transplant is mostly for people with permanent baldness and not those who have other types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata.

Those considering a hair transplant should check whether they are even suitable for the procedure. As per Dr Kalra, an eligible candidate must have sugar levels, blood pressure and heart function within the normal range. The expert also said that a sensitivity test should be done a few days before the hair transplant to find out if the local anaesthesia suits the patient.

Speaking to NDTV, Dr Sharma warned the public from “being swayed by cost-driven decisions, quick fixes and overly simplified promises. Verifying credentials and choosing certified specialists in proper surgical environments is the safest way forward.”

Experts emphasise the need to check the qualifications of the doctor, the success rates of the hair transplant surgeries done by them and the follow-up if things go wrong.

With inputs from agencies