Family of man who died after a hair transplant warns others to avoid cowboy clinics

The family of an Indian man who died from a hair transplant (HT) urges others to avoid cowboy clinics offering too good-to-be-true low-cost procedures.

Balding Indian television executive Athar Rasheed decided to get an HT last year only for it to end fatally.

The 30 year old wanted to improve his appearance, boost his confidence, and look younger, as many prematurely balding men do. Unfortunately, the seemingly harmless HT procedure went fatally wrong at a clinic in Delhi last year after he developed sepsis.

Rasheed’s mother, Asiya Begum, revealed he was the family’s sole breadwinner and aspired to a better life, Bangkok Post reported. He wanted to own a house, help his two sisters get married, and get married himself.

The 62 year old told the press his head began to swell after it became infected and died in agony.

“My son died a very painful death. His kidneys stopped functioning and then all his other organs collapsed.”

Asiya showed reporters photographs of Rasheed’s bloated face and black rashes that broke out all over his body in his final hours.

Rasheed’s family filed a complaint with the police and four people, including the two men who performed the surgery, have been arrested and are awaiting trial.

“I remember my son every day. He died a slow death.

“I lost my son but I don’t want any other mother to lose their child because of the fraudulent practices of a few people.”

Indian doctor Mayank Singh performs about 15 surgeries a month at his upscale clinic in a New Delhi neighbourhood. He said his procedure costs about 350,000 rupees (US$4,300, 150,000 baht) but added there are clinics manned by untrained staff offering cheaper procedures.

Dr Singh, who is also the secretary of the Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons of India, said these cowboy clinics are giving the industry a bad name.

“People have this myth that this is a minor procedure, whereas the duration of the surgery is pretty long, running into some six to eight hours.

“A lot of local anaesthesia has to be administered over time. If someone does not have the knowledge about what we need to do, then it can become an unsafe procedure.”

India’s National Medical Commission issued a warning in September after it became aware of the rise of clinics offering HTs at discounted prices.

A spokesperson said…

“Watching in workshops or on YouTube or similar platforms is not adequate training to start aesthetic procedures including hair transplantation.

“Only properly trained doctors should perform such procedures.”

Singh insists it is important that health and safety guidelines are strictly adhered to.

Overall, there are dozens of reputable HT clinics throughout the world offering safe procedures at a reasonable price. Not all of them offer horror stories as one of Sing’s customers revealed, doctor Lakshmi Narayanan.

The 29 year old confessed that he avoided going to social gatherings because of his baldness.

“My hair loss started when I was just 18. I used to avoid taking pictures of myself or even looking in the mirror.

“But not anymore. I can interact confidently with people now and I am looking for a life partner.”