Cosmetic boom outpaces oversight

Pakistan's booming, multi-billion-rupee cosmetic procedures industry, driven by an image-conscious urban elite and growing at an estimated 40 per cent annually, presents a stark contrast to a country where preventable childhood malnutrition and waterborne diseases continue to claim tens of thousands of young lives each year. If industry estimates of 200,000 regular aesthetic clinic clients and 10,000 cosmetic practitioners are accurate, the aesthetic sector effectively has one practitioner for every 20 clients, a striking illustration of the country's uneven healthcare priorities. None of the federal or provincial health authorities, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), healthcare commissions or professional bodies disputed the post-Covid surge in aesthetic clinics or the soaring demand for cosmetic procedures. Yet Pakistan still lacks unified standards for licensing practitioners, approving procedures and monitoring products. As image-conscious clients spend heavily on beauty treatments, many clinics continue operating with limited oversight of practitioners' qualifications, procedures or substances used, raising growing patient safety concerns. Many clinics continue operating with limited regulations of practitioners' qualifications, procedures or substances used HydraFacial, laser hair removal, platelet-rich plasma therapy, glutathione skin-brightening drips and hair transplants are among Pakistan's most sought-after aesthetic treatments. Botox, dermal fillers, high intensity focused ultrasound treatment for skin tightening, chemical peels and carbon facials are also increasingly popular, driven by quick results and minimal downtime. Pakistan's leading aesthetic clinic chains include 3D Lifestyle, SL Aesthetics and AlKhaleej Clinics, Skin Bliss Aesthetic Clinics, with multiple branches in Karachi and other major cities. Procedure costs vary by city, surgeon and complexity. Generally, the price of hair transplants ranges between Rs60,000 to 400,000, rhinoplasty Rs150,000 to 450,000, and liposuction Rs60,000 to Rs1m. According to a pharma leader, Botox treatment of eight weeks is priced between Rs80,000 and Rs2m. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal was approached for comment. His response was awaited when this report was filed. Prof Rizwan Taj, President of the PMDC, said a specialist board for aesthetic medicine has been constituted to regulate the sector and address complaints. The proposal, delayed by legal scrutiny, has cleared the Law Division's queries and now awaits formal notification by the ministry. Commenting on the suspension of the 2022 guidelines, he said the government had sought revisions, which have since been incorporated. The revised draft is now before the council for approval before being sent to the government for formal notification. Dr Obaidullah, CEO, Drap, was asked for data on registered and imported aesthetic drugs and chemicals. He shared a difficult-to- interpret chart showing only Botox imports. According to shared material, Pakistan imported 8,204 units in three consignments over the past year. He did not disclose their value or provide details of other registered aesthetic products. Dr Sheikh Kaiser Waheed, former chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, confirmed a sharp rise in demand for cosmetic drugs and chemicals, met partly by local manufacturers and imports. He also pointed to an informal market for cheap, substandard products but said no reliable data were available. Zainab Hasan, Director, Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), said the commission has launched a registration and licensing drive for aesthetic clinics alongside an anti-quackery campaign, stressing that low public awareness of risks posed by unqualified providers remains a major concern. 'To date, only 26 aesthetic facilities have been registered with the SHCC,' she said, adding that the commission regularly receives complaints about botched cosmetic procedures and has taken up several maintainable cases. However, the absence of a notified scope of practice of aesthetic services by the PMDC and lack of a competency assessment framework continue to hamper enforcement against unlicensed practitioners and the use of substandard products. Sajid Gondal, Joint Director at the SECP, said the regulator could not provide data on aesthetic companies because it does not classify them separately, instead grouping them under the broader healthcare sector. A concerned officer privately shared his concerns over the sector's regulation in Islamabad. He said a mushrooming of unlicensed aesthetic clinics is exposing clients, particularly women, to serious health risks. Under the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Act (IHRA), 2018, all aesthetic, cosmetic and hair transplant clinics must obtain an IHRA license, yet many continue to operate without registration or qualified staff. He alleged some are investor-owned, employ untrained technicians to perform invasive procedures, and evade oversight despite penalties of up to Rs1m and closure under the law. Dr Wasif Ali Memon, Chairman of the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB), said cosmetic and plastic surgery services have been subject to Sindh sales tax since July 2016. The SRB has so far registered 350 service providers, collecting an average of Rs80m in monthly sales tax. He identified key challenges as distinguishing cosmetic from curative procedures, widespread cash-based undocumented transactions, and misclassification of businesses. Despite these hurdles, the sector delivered 40pc revenue growth in FY26. The SRB plans to expand registration, improve documentation and strengthen compliance to bring more providers into the tax net. Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 17th, 2026