All that balding Indian television executive Athar Rasheed wanted was to look handsome and get married. But the 30-year-old's seemingly harmless hair transplant went fatally wrong.

Women have been judged on their appearance for millennia, but in an increasingly materialistic Indian society, men are also feeling pressure to look young and presentable for fear losing their social standing.

More and more prematurely balding men are opting for hair transplants as disposable incomes rise and the emphasis on personal appearance becomes stronger. But in a weakly-regulated sector, some operators are amateurs self-trained on Youtube -- with potentially deadly results.