There are a lot of guys nowadays who cannot grow a beard just by letting nature do its job. Beard does not always grow uniformly on the face, which results in patchy hair instead of a stylish beard. Some people cannot grow a type of beard they want just because of their genes.
Most probably you have heard about hair transplant where your own hair is transplanted to the top of your head to tackle a receding hairline. A lot of people do not even know that there are also beard transplants that are extremely effective if your hair follicles are not cooperating properly.
Doctors state that just like in any other cosmetic procedure, there is not a 100 percent guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with the outcomes of a beard transplant surgery. The most common risk of this type of cosmetic procedure is scarring. This article goes into detail about beard transplant surgery.
What is a beard transplant?
A beard transplant surgery is a procedure where the hair is taken from one part of the body and transplanted to your jawline or wherever you want your beard to grow. Even though it sounds relatively simple, this cosmetic procedure is very complex requiring extensive experience and expertise of a facial plastic surgeon. In general, there are two main approaches a surgeon might make use of and they are as follows:
- FUE: it stands for a follicular unit extraction, which involves harvesting complete follicular units one at a time from the donor area. This approach is considered less painful, thus, more commonly used.
- FUT: its abbreviation stands for follicular unit transplantation. This approach involves a surgeon cutting a small strip of tissues from the back of the head and removing the hair follicles from that tissue.
How does a beard transplant procedure work?
This cosmetic procedure entails several steps and they are depicted below:
- Harvesting: despite the chosen approach, your facial plastic surgeon will first shave the area on your head that is being harvested. This is done for the purpose of having a clear view of the hair follicles. Before the harvesting process, your doctor will give you a local anesthesia so you do not experience any pain during harvesting or implantation.
- Implantation: the next step of beard transplant surgery is injecting a local anesthetic into the area of your face where implants are going to be placed. After that, a surgeon will implant each follicle into your facial skin, shaping the beard the way your doctor and you agreed on before the surgery.
- Recovery: a beard transplant procedure requires recovery. During the first few days after the surgery, small crusts might form around newly implanted hair follicles. Approximately 10 days following this cosmetic procedure, you will be able to shave normally and trim your new beard.
Who is a good candidate for beard implants?
It is extremely important to have healthy hair follicles on the back of your head. This area is among the last locations to go bald. Therefore, even if you start losing some hair on top you can still have healthy growth on the back of your head. Before the surgery takes place, your surgeon will assess the area and determine whether there is a sufficient amount of hair follicular units to transplant. In case there are not enough hair follicles to harvest, your facial plastic surgeon will recommend an alternative solution.
According to a leading Plastic Surgeon in Dubai, using your own body hair for beard implants is the best possible solution. In most cases, this is the best workable solution. However, if you are light on top, your surgeon will recommend other natural hairs from different parts of your body. Many surgeons are also ok with using natural hair that is available for sale in the market for cosmetic reasons.
What are the side effects and complications of a beard transplant surgery?
Just like any other cosmetic procedure, a beard transplant surgery carries several risks and they are as follows:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Numbness
- Tightness
Scarring is also common but your natural hair will cover it up. When comparing FUE and FUT approaches, FUE leaves many small scars whereas FUT leaves a long singular scar on the back of the head. You should not experience any scars on the implant areas but there could be some temporary scabs. It is recommended to visit your surgeon if the aforementioned side effects remain for several weeks.
What is the cost of a beard implant?
You need to be aware that beard implants are relatively expensive and their price can be $15,000. In addition to that, the cost of a bear transplant procedure highly depends on the number of grafts required. For instance, if you want to fill in facial areas that do not grow hair, you will have to pay between $3,000 to $7,000. All these details need to be discussed with your facial plastic surgeon prior to the surgery.
Before the surgery takes place, your doctor will assess your face and scalp and let you know whether you are a good candidate for this cosmetic procedure. Do not forget that a beard transplant surgery is a cosmetic procedure, which is done solely for cosmetic purposes. Thus, it is not covered by medical insurance. Some clinics might allow you to pay in installments so make sure you ask about different financing options.
How to find a professional provider?
As was mentioned above, an experienced and board-certified facial plastic surgeon might limit the chances of infections. Therefore, it is vital to work only with a qualified hair restoration provider. Do not attempt to save money on this procedure by working with an inexperienced surgeon. Believe it or not but it is not worth it. You can end up with inflamed hair follicles.
There are different tools that you can make use of in order to find the right specialist. You need to also check whether a doctor is certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgeons. Certification can ensure you that a surgeon has spent significant time practicing and learning the craft. It would also be great if you have a family member or a friend who has already undergone this type of cosmetic surgery. They can give you more detailed and trustworthy information about the doctor and the procedure itself. Moreover, you will be able to see the actual results.
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