Pakistan surgeons warn on cheap hair transplant clinics

Hair transplant tourists to Pakistan warned that cheap treatment from unqualified providers could be dangerous.

Specialist, qualified hair transplant surgeons in Pakistan have warned that people should contact a qualified cosmetic surgeon instead of going to low priced unqualified providers.

Most of Pakistan’s 100 or so qualified surgeons are in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad and 30 are members of the Hair Restoration Society of Pakistan.

200 or more unqualified providers are active in hair transplantation are alleged to be spreading skin diseases, face distortion and hepatitis.

The cost of proper treatment varies from Rs40,000 to Rs125,000 compared to unqualified practitioners charging Rs20,000 to Rs25,000.

While surgeons want the government to promote medical tourism to Pakistan, and particularly hair transplantation, they are concerned quality must be controlled.

An estimated 200 medical tourists from Gulf countries, Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia visit Pakistan every month for hair transplants due to the very low prices.

For information about other treatments offered to medical travellers to Pakistan, visit the IMTJ Country Profile.