Hyderabad: The Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) has identified several cases of specialised dermatology and hair-loss treatments being administered by unqualified practitioners across the city as it cracks down on alleged medical malpractice in the rapidly expanding hair, skin and aesthetic treatment sector.According to the TGMC, around 60 inspections have been conducted since late 2025, including nearly 30 this year alone. The inspections covered a range of clinics and online treatment providers, including major brands. Over 10 FIRs have been registered against clinics where unqualified practitioners were allegedly performing procedures, while several establishments have been sealed by district health authorities.During these inspections, the council allegedly found practitioners of alternative systems of medicine providing specialised skin, hair and aesthetic treatments despite lacking recognised qualifications in dermatology.Experts say the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) 2019 guidelines clearly specify who is authorised to perform such procedures.“Specialised skin, hair and aesthetic treatments require dedicated training in dermatology or plastic surgery. Practitioners without such qualifications may lack the expertise needed to independently diagnose and treat these conditions, raising patient-safety concerns. Only qualified dermatologists with an MD or DNB degree in dermatology and plastic surgeons with MCh qualifications are authorised to undertake specialised skin, hair, aesthetic and hair-transplant procedures,” said Dr Jalagam Vijay, dermatologist and former co-opted member of the legal and anti-quackery committee of TGMC.Several clinics inspected by TGMC over the past months were allegedly operating with practitioners who did not possess these qualifications. “These people are not eligible to provide specialised dermatology, hair-loss or aesthetic treatments,” Dr Vijay said.Moreover, the council has also raised concerns over online hair-loss consultation models adopted by some companies. According to inspection findings, treatment recommendations were in certain cases being generated based on uploaded photographs and questionnaire responses, without any direct video interaction between patients and qualified specialists.“Some centres employed non-medical personnel as hair coaches who conducted preliminary assessments, collected photographs and generated reports before forwarding them to doctors. In some cases, the reviewing doctor was a remotely located MBBS practitioner rather than a dermatologist or plastic surgeon,” said Dr A Sunny Davis, chairman of TGMC’s legal & anti-quackery committee.Furthermore, experts said that treatment plans and prescriptions were being generated without qualified specialists conducting a physical examination. They highlighted that such practices raise concerns about adherence to telemedicine guidelines.According to the TGMC, some centres were also functioning more like ‘retail outlets’ than healthcare establishments, raising questions about licensing and regulatory compliance. “Certain facilities lacked the necessary registrations and were operating without clearly defined clinical oversight,” said Dr Karthik Nagula, who accompanied the TGMC during inspections as a witness.Moreover, many centres were also prescribing ‘hair kits’ — a mix of ayurveda and allopathy medicines for hair-loss treatment. “Under the Clinical Establishments Act, a facility must be registered under a specific system of medicine. It cannot simultaneously function as both an Ayurveda and allopathy clinic without complying with the respective regulations,” said Dr Vijay.After receiving further details and due verification process, the TGMC will now issue notices to these centres and take appropriate action. It will also write to the Telangana Drug Control Administration (DCA) seeking an inquiry into hair-treatment kits and products being marketed by such companies. “We will ask DCA to examine whether the products contain a combination of ayurvedic and allopathic ingredients, whether the required approvals and clinical evidence exist, and whether the products are being marketed in accordance with scientific and regulatory standards,” said Dr Davis.
