Beard and Facial Hair Transplant

Facial hair transplant treatment is a procedure which restores hair to areas where facial hair growth is thin or missing. While this procedure is most commonly performed on the goatee and mustache areas, it can also be performed on beards, sideburns and cheeks. Facial hair transplants can be used to give a more mature, masculine looking appearance and can also be used to conceal acne scars and other types of scars.

Facial Transplant the Wise Way

Historically, hair plugs were used to fill-in beards which consisted of several hair follicles in one, creating a patchy appearance. However, with advanced technology, Dr. Wise can ensure natural appearing facial hair by carefully placing grafts, one follicle at a time, at the correct angle and proper direction. For optimal graft survival after donor harvesting, careful handling of the grafts are essential. At the Wise Institute for Hair Restoration, Dr. Wise uses Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Hypothermosol, and a Cole Chiller device to reduce ischemia reperfusion injury and increase the survival of the hair grafts after implantation. Dr. Wise provides patients with ATPv solution, post procedure, which provides energy to the hair follicles and further increases survival rate of the newly transplanted hair follicles.

What to Expect

The new facial hair typically grows like normal facial hair. The texture and other characteristics of the hair follicle, once grown back can be groomed, shaved or allowed to grow to any length similar to the original or native facial hair follicle. Once transplanted, the new facial hairs are permanent and difficult to distinguish from the original hair.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia with an oral sedative. The procedure roughly takes 2 to 5 hours depending on the number of grafts harvested. The first few days after the procedure tiny crusts form around each transplanted hair. Typically by the second day, patients are to able resume non-strenuous activities. The transplanted hairs will begin to fall out at around 4 weeks, and then start to regrow at 3-4 months. However, this can vary from patient to patient.

The number of grafts required can vary but averages are as follows: 350-500 grafts for the mustache, 600-700 grafts for a full goatee, 200-250 grafts for each sideburn, and 300-700 grafts for a cheek beard. While not very common, some patients may require a second procedure to transplant additional grafts if they desire a very thick density.