You can’t always get what you want. For some men who want to grow a beard, genetics keeps them from getting one. Similar issues which stop hair from growing on the scalp can prevent the growth of whiskers on the face. But as beards have literally grown in popularity over the past few years, so too has a procedure which allows men who desire a beard to have a full, robust one.
Beard transplants facilitate the growth of facial hair in men who can’t grow a full beard on their own. The technique used for doing so is similar to hair transplants on the scalp and uses the same donor area as is used in hair transplant surgery.
Here’s how it works. Donor’s hair is extracted from the back and sides of the scalp using Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). FUE, perhaps the world’s most popular hair transplant method and one pioneered by our very own Dr. Paul Rose, is a minimally invasive way to remove and transplant individual hair follicles for natural-looking results. FUE involves harvesting using a circular needle called a “punch.” The “extraction” part of FUE involves removing follicular units from the donor area with a 0.8-1-millimeter circular tool in a scattered pattern to eliminate the linear scar associated with traditional donor strip harvesting.
A full beard will require a significant number of hair grafts from the donor area – somewhere between 2,500-3,000 individual grafts. Fewer grafts are needed for goatees or to fill in limited, patchy areas.
Once the donor’s hair is extracted, your hair transplant surgeon will make small incisions throughout the beard area. These incisions will determine the density, direction, and angle of your beard growth. As the quality and appearance of your beard will depend largely on the quality of these incisions, the skill of your surgeon in making them is of the utmost importance.
Once the follicles are transplanted, a procedure which should take less than a day, you will leave your surgeon’s office with a beard. But don’t get too fond of those whiskers just yet. The transplanted hairs will likely fall out within two to three weeks after your transplant surgery. This is perfectly normal and expected. But soon after that, within a couple of months, those hairs will grow back permanently.
Those permanent whiskers, once grown in, can be treated as if they were grown naturally because they were. You can shave, trim, and clean your beard as if it had been there for years.
As with any hair transplant surgery, beard transplants require a sufficient number of donor’s hairs, so patients who are considering a beard transplant need to consult with their surgeon to determine whether they are a good candidate. But for those men who do have sufficient donor areas, a beard transplant is a great way to put their best face forward.
Unmatched Experience and Unparalleled Results in Hair Restoration
At The Hair Transplant Institute of Miami, Drs. Nusbaum and Rose are experts in the art and science of hair restoration, internationally acclaimed and bringing more than 40 years combined experience to their patients. To learn more about beard transplants or to receive a personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.