Over the last couple of years, facial hair restoration (particularly beard transplants) has grown in popularity. Various media outlets have noticed this growing trend.
(1) Facial hair restoration can be used to create natural appearing facial hair where hair is sparse or completely absent. This can include restoring hair to the eyebrows, beards, goatees, moustaches, and sideburns.
(2) Hair may be sparse or absent due to genetics, prior laser hair removal or plucking, trauma, or previous cosmetic surgery. (2)
The principle behind facial hair restoration is the same as scalp hair restoration. (3) The donor’s hair comes from either the back or sides of the scalp, depending on which location matches the facial hair the best. If the patient is bald, donor hair from the body (e.g. chest) may be used. Hairs are transplanted using either strip-follicular unit grafting or follicular unit extraction (FUE).
(2) The number of grafts required can vary depending on the area being restored. For example, a moustache restoration may require 350-500 grafts whereas a full goatee can require 600-700 grafts.
(4) The hairs are carefully placed at the correct angle and in the right direction to create a natural look. Overall, facial hair restoration generally takes about 2-8 hours to complete and is performed under local anaesthesia.(4) The transplanted hair is permanent and can be shaved just like regular facial hair. If you are considering facial hair restoration, please contact one of our qualified doctors for more information.
Article by: M.A. MacLeod, MSc., Mediprobe Research Inc.
References
- Dalal M. Beard transplants a growing trend [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2015 Nov 18]. Available from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/beard-transplants-a-growing-trend-1.2592967
- Epstein J. Facial hair restoration: eyebrows, beard, sideburns, and eyelashes. Facial Plast Surg Clin N Am. 2013 Aug;21(3):457–67.
- Gandelman M, Epstein JS. Hair restoration to the eyebrow, eyelashes, and other parts of the body. Facial Plast Surg Clin N Am. 2004 May;12(2):253–61.
4. Facial Hair restoration [Internet]. Foundation For Hair Restoration. [cited 2015 Nov 17]. Available from: http://www.foundhair.com/pages/facial-hairtransplant.shtml
