The Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) on Tuesday welcomed the State government’s recent order regulating aesthetic, cosmetology and hair transplant clinics.
Addressing a press meet at the Chennai Press Club, office-bearers of the association thanked the State government for issuing G.O. (Ms) No. 41 dated February 13, 2026, under the Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishments Act, mandating registration and regulation of clinics offering aesthetic and hair transplant procedures.
The association said the order aligns with guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in September 2022 and prescribes minimum standards for facilities that perform such procedures. Under the guidelines, hair transplant surgeries can be carried out only by qualified dermatologists with recognised postgraduate degrees such as MD, DVL, DDVL or DNB, or by MCh-qualified plastic surgeons.
Clinics performing such procedures must also maintain operating theatre standards, ensure the availability of emergency equipment, and provide anaesthetist support during surgeries.
IADVL representatives expressed concern over the increasing number of unqualified individuals offering medical aesthetic procedures. They said treatments such as laser therapy, injectables, dermatosurgery, hair transplant procedures and ear-lobe repair were being performed by personnel, including physiotherapists, makeup artists and staff at cosmetology salons.
Such procedures fall under allopathic medical practice and require specialised dermatology training, they said, warning that unqualified practice amounts to medical quackery and could pose risks to public health.
The association urged authorities to take strict legal action against illegal practices and advised the public to seek skin, hair and aesthetic treatments only from dermatologists registered with NMC or the State Medical Council.
Published – March 10, 2026 08:12 pm IST
