The first thing you think of when you hear the word hair transplant is surgical hair restoration of the hair on your head. While scalp restoration is a majority, facial hair transplant including moustache and beard transplant is growing in popularity.

An increasing number of men are today embracing facial hair and beards as it is a global craze and sign of masculinity and not a clean-shaven look. As it takes some time to grow a beard and it can be a challenge for some to even grow it denser, this transplant can be the solution if you are keen at having more facial hair. However before you head to your hair restoration surgeon, here are some important things you need to know.

Similar to a hair transplant

A beard transplant’s process and technique is rather similar to a scalp hair transplant which involves extracting donor hair from the back or sides of the head. Your surgeon chooses the hair which closely matches your facial hair and then carefully transplants it to the recipient site.

The only difference between the two is that smaller incisions are used while transplanting a beard than a scalp transplant. In cases of those with a balding head, your surgeon may extract donor hair from body hair, typically chest hair.

Takes time

This transplant procedure takes about 3 to 5 hours to complete, depending on the area covered and the beard density you are looking for.

Hair growth is like facial hair

If you worry if the new transplant facial hair will grow like the hair on your head, don’t. Your facial hair will grow like any facial hair with similar texture and characteristics as your surgeon will ensure the extracted hair closely matches your facial hair.

Not only beards

Facial transplants do not mean only transplanting of beards. You can use it to get a moustache, sideburns or just to fill in scattered facial hair and patchiness. If the transplant is to fill out patches, your surgeon will carefully place all donor hair at the right angle and thickness.

Practically no pain

Like any scalp hair transplant, the procedure is practically painless. Most of the time, it is conducted using the FUE hair transplant technique where the surgeon Hand-picks the required follicles for the procedure. There is no need of making large donor site incisions like in traditional FUT technique.

Varied reasons for a beard transplant

Most of the time, a beard transplant is conducted mainly for aesthetic reasons. However, there are cases where it is conducted because of lack of facial hair growth due to injury or surgical scars.

Shaving?

It is better to not shave the transplanted hair for the first 6 months after the surgery. This is when the transplant hair looks more like stubble. Transplanted site can be cut with scissors. Similar to a normal hair transplant, the transplanted beard hair will fall during the 1st month, to start regrowing after the 3rd month. Full result may be shown after the 7th or 8th month, or after 1 year.

Permanent solution

A very important feature and benefit of any type of hair transplant is that it gives permanent results. Thus the transplanted beard hair is not at risk of falling again.