Almost every man wants to grow a beard. However, growing a beard is not that simple as it sounds. If you are lucky enough, you might have good beard hair growth and you can style it the way you want. However, if you fall on the other side of it, that is, you have patchy facial hair, you can try a beard transplant, instead of just losing hope and sinking your heart in your boots. 

For those who don’t know, a beard transplant means transferring hair from one part of the body to your jawline or the areas around your mouth where beards are generally grown. This process is often best achieved by either of the two processes:

• Follicular unit extraction (FUE): This process involves harvesting one follicular unit at a time from one area of the body to another. A follicular unit is a collection of several hair follicles. FUE is considered to be relatively painful and therefore, it is one of the most chosen options by men.
• Follicular unit transplantation (FUT): In this process, a small tissue from the back of your head will be extracted and added to the parts where you need them.

Under normal circumstances, 2000 to 5000 hair follicle grafts are extracted from the back of your head and transplanted on your face. 

What Exactly Happens in a Beard Transplant?

Here is the detailed process of beard transplant

1. Harvesting

No matter which method you choose between FUE or a FUT, the foremost step is harvesting which involves shaving the area on your head. Before beginning this process, you will be given a local anesthetic which will prevent you from feeling the pain of it. 

2. Implantation

After the harvesting process is finished, the surgeon will then inject a local anesthetic to the area of your face where you want the hair follicles to be implanted. 

3. Recovery

When these two primary processes are finished, you will require a day or two for complete recovery, under normal circumstances. You will observe the formation of tiny crusts around hair follicles which will eventually flake off after a few days.  Gradually, after 10 to 15 days, you can start your normal beard maintenance routine like shaving and trimming. In addition, you might also observe these beard hairs falling out after 2 to 3 weeks. But don’t panic, new hair will eventually grow.  

The entire process is only possible when you have healthy hair growth at the back of your head to ensure proper harvesting and implantation process. Generally, the back of your head is the last place on your head to go bald. Therefore, you are eligible to get a beard transplant even if you are balding from the top. In addition, your surgeon might also inspect your scalp and reckon if there are enough healthy follicular units to be transplanted. 

Do Beard Transplants go successful all the time?

After the entire procedure is completed, you will have the desirable beard growth within 5 to 10 days. But it wouldn’t be less than 3 to 4 months for the hair follicles to finally settle in place and promote regular hair growth. Within 8 or 9 months, you will realize that the procedure is successful when you will have a fully-grown beard.

Pro-tip: Although FUE is often the commonly chosen one, FUT will provide a relatively fuller beard growth. The reason behind this is that more follicles get harvested by removing a strip of skin. 

Seldom you might hear of a case of beard transplant failure which is the result of improper harvesting and implantation. Therefore, it is advisable to pay a visit to a more experienced hair transplant surgeon. 

Are there any Side Effects of Beard Transplants? What are its precautions?

After the surgery, both the harvest area and implanted areas will require special attention and care. If they are not given proper care, it might lead to some serious side effects and complications. Make sure that you use the antibiotic ointment provided by the surgeon on your scalp and face as per the prescribed timings.

Make sure that you avoid direct exposure to sunlight, smoking, using a sauna, swimming, intensive physical activity, and frequent touching at least for the first several days. In addition, avoid washing your face altogether for a few days to prevent itchiness and dryness in your skin. There are certain side effects of beard transplants that are completely normal unless they continue after a certain amount of time. These include redness, tightness, swelling, numbness, and scabs. In addition, you will also experience some scarring in the back of your head which is quite normal. 

Pro tip: The FUE method does not leave indelible scars. These are quite unnoticeable. However, when it comes to the FUT method, certain long singular scars are quite noticeable. 

The implanted area will not face significant scarring. There will be some crusts here and there as mentioned earlier, but it will dry off. Be that as it may, if the side effects continue for a couple of weeks and certain other abnormal complications arise, do not hesitate to go to a doctor.

How much does a Beard Transplant cost?

Sorry to break the news, but unfortunately, beard implants are expensive. The maximum cost of a beard transplant is $15,000 which approximately equals 11, 00, 000. A partial transplant is relatively cheaper than the first one. They cost around $3000 to $8000. However, these are not the fixed prices because depending on your grafts, they can fluctuate.  

Be that as it may, before the procedure begins, your doctor will examine your scalp which will cost you not-very-cheap consultation fees. Therefore, it is advisable to inquire about the consultation fees before you make your appointment. 

However, beard transplants are cosmetic procedures that are not covered by insurance. Therefore, be careful while making your decision and keep several factors in mind. 

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