A beard transplant can be a great solution for men who want to improve their appearance. In most modern cultures, a beard is associated with masculinity and is also considered an adornment for a man. That is why men who experience problems with facial hair (the beard and mustache do not grow, they do not grow thick enough) strive to find a solution to this.
Features and indications of the procedure
According to reports from the Society for Hair Restoration Surgery, about 70 thousand men underwent transplantation in a year. The transplantation process itself is not complicated, but requires certain knowledge in the field of facial anatomy and physiological characteristics of the body.
First, the man is examined, tests are taken and a series of studies are carried out to make sure there are no contraindications. The operation is performed if there is partial or complete absence of hair on the lower part of the face, under the lip and where the sideburns are located.
The transplanted bulbs take root well, thanks to which the man has the opportunity to grow a beard and mustache of the required thickness and length throughout his life.
There are the following indications for performing a surgical procedure:
- Lack of hair where the beard grows.
- The presence of scars on the face, due to which the hair follicles are damaged.
- Skin injuries and appearance defects.
If the listed indications exist, the doctor examines the patient, selects a transplant option and sets a date for the operation.
What is a beard and mustache transplant?
Hair follicle transplantation involves transplanting hair shafts from an area of active growth to a place where vegetation is completely absent or grows very slowly. Such an intervention, despite being called surgical, does not pose a danger to human health or life. Moreover, a timely operation can restore a man’s lost level of self-esteem.
Such an intervention is carried out when there are mechanical damage to the face, excess scar tissue, or an area after a burn has healed. In short, surfaces where follicles do not work.
The operation is highly effective, has minimal risks of complications, and is affordable. The possibility of transferring vegetation is possible after 20 years.
Despite the relative simplicity of the procedure, it requires the surgeon to have excellent knowledge of facial anatomy, as well as the physiological characteristics of the male body. The appointment of the operation is made only after a visual inspection of the affected area, research, and tests.
Surgery is possible if there is no hair on the lower part of the face, under the lip, or in the area where the sideburns are located.
The level of survival of the bulbs differs in height, which makes it possible to grow a mustache or beard for the rest of your life without problems.
Indications
Indications for transplantation manipulation are:
- complete or partial absence of vegetation where men have a mustache and beard;
- the presence of facial scar tissue, which does not allow hair growth due to damage to the hair follicles;
- appearance defects;
- injury to the skin surface.
The above conditions may be indications for the procedure. First, the specialist must study the patient’s health status and whether he has any contraindications to this type of exposure.
Contraindications
Transplantation is not permitted for all categories of people; there is a list of conditions when such exposure is prohibited.
Contraindications to the transplant procedure:
- disruption of the normal blood clotting process;
- infectious, inflammatory diseases in the acute stage;
- disorders of the hematopoietic organs;
- oncological neoplasms;
- hormonal disorders;
- autoimmune diseases (diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus).
These conditions prevent the surgeon from performing surgery. However, putting them into remission may be the reason why a specialist will allow a beard transplant operation.
Transplant methods
Beard hair transplant surgery can be performed in different ways, which can only be determined by a plastic surgeon.
FUT
This is a follicular unit transplantation technique, which is also called a flap transplant option.
In this case, a strip of skin up to 25 cm long is cut out in a certain part of the back of the head. A suture is placed at this place, which may subsequently leave a scar. The resulting material is cut into grafts, which the doctor moves to areas that need additional vegetation. But scars will remain throughout the area where the hairs are located. In addition, during the procedure there are difficulties in controlling the angle of inclination, which is why the beard will look unnatural. The disadvantages of the method also include painful sensations on the back of the head, which will bother the patient during the rehabilitation period.
The advantages of the procedure can be considered:
- price. On average, the operation will cost up to 115 thousand rubles;
- low risk of damage to the bulbs;
- 100% survival rate of grafts.
But this method has more negative sides.
FUE
Beard extension using a seamless transplant method has become a new stage in transplantation. With this option, there is no need to cut out areas of the skin, so no scars are left. Mechanical systems and even robotic equipment are used to extract follicular units. At the site of the fence, round marks no larger than 5 mm in size remain. These areas heal within a month.
Thanks to the use of this technique:
- There are no scars left at the site of follicle collection, and the skin at the transplant site is slightly damaged.
- There will be virtually no discomfort felt in the postoperative period.
- If there are not enough follicular units from the head, other donor areas can be used.
- Hair can be taken from the legs, chest, and groin area.
- Several bulbs are present in the extracted follicular units.
The disadvantages of the operation include the following:
- This transplant operation takes much longer than others.
- Recovery may take about 6 months.
- The average price for surgery is 200 thousand rubles.
The procedure requires great precision and care from the doctor. This technique is quite suitable for beard hair transplantation, but it is important to observe the direction of hair growth, otherwise they will look unnatural, which will worsen the aesthetic result.
HFE
To perform this operation, the follicles are removed manually. In this case, a special needle is used, which allows hair transplantation without incisions or tissue trauma. Thanks to this, the rehabilitation period takes only a few days. During this operation, it is possible to increase beard growth to any desired thickness.
Since all manipulations are performed manually, this requires considerable experience of the surgeon. The procedure takes 2-3 hours, but when you need to completely restore your beard and mustache, it will last from 5 to 8 hours. Healing takes place without problems within 5 days.
The advantages of the technique are as follows:
- Healing lasts up to two weeks.
- An implanted beard looks natural.
- Any part of the body can be used to extract follicular units.
- There are no scars or adverse reactions.
The procedure has no disadvantages, except for the cost of the service, which reaches 400 thousand rubles.
BEARD TRANSPLANT STEP BY STEP
Nowadays, beard and mustache transplant can be the ultimate solution for such men due to advanced modern technologies and the availability of highly qualified specialists in this field. Let's take a closer look at this procedure.
How many grafts are needed?
In fact, it is difficult to say the exact number of transplants, since it varies in each individual case:
- If there is no hair at all in the beard area, 4,500 - 5,000 grafts will be required.
- If it is necessary to increase hair density in this area, 3,000 - 3,500 grafts will be required.
- If the transplant is aimed at filling empty areas of the beard, 1,000 - 2,000 grafts will need to be transplanted.
How long does a beard transplant surgery take?
Due to the nature of the facial skin, which is more elastic than the scalp, grafting is slower, which allows for better control of the bulbs. beard transplant operation takes 3-4 hours, depending on the area to be covered and your wishes regarding the thickness of the beard.
What are the stages of beard and mustache transplant surgery?
This procedure is similar to a hair transplant on the scalp. First we'll determine your beard line - it depends on your face shape and personal preference. The combination of these two factors will achieve a natural result.
After this, you will be given a pain reliever and doctors will begin to remove the bulbs from the donor area, which is at the back or sides of your head. At this stage it is very important to select hairs that resemble hair growing on the face. After this, doctors will begin to open the canals in the transplant area - just as they do during a hair transplant on the head.
After this, the extracted hair follicles will be transplanted into a new area, taking into account the angle of hair growth, so that the result looks natural and aesthetically pleasing.
Carrying out
Beard extensions are performed in several stages:
- First, the man is prepared for the intervention. Before surgery, he must avoid alcoholic beverages and smoking, and stop taking medications that affect blood clotting.
- An operation is performed, which, depending on the area of treatment, can take from 1 to 8 hours.
- They undergo a rehabilitation period, during which the damaged tissues are completely restored.
If you strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations, facial hair transplantation will take place without the slightest complications. The speed of healing and the man’s health depend on the professionalism of the surgeon and the correct execution of all stages.
Necessary tests and measures
Appropriate preparation is required before transplantation. To obtain a detailed picture of the patient’s health status, tests are prescribed. Typically, preparation consists of:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- general urinalysis;
- coagulograms;
- studies for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus in the body and determination of the Rh factor.
You will also need to consult an endocrinologist who will check whether there are hormonal disorders in the body.
For each patient, a different method of obtaining donor material and implantation technology can be used. Only thanks to many years of experience and practice is the surgeon able to select the only correct and appropriate treatment methods, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.
Algorithm
The operation itself begins with the administration of painkillers, which are selected in advance. Most often, anesthesia is administered intravenously. For hair transplantation to the facial area, material is taken from the back of the head. After surgery, the hair may grow long enough for hair and beard.
During surgery, small pieces of donor skin containing several hair follicles are transplanted into the desired areas of the face. This is a rather difficult process, since only a small number of skin cells are taken at a time. The amount of work depends on the frequency of installation of hair follicles. Over several hours, the surgeon must use all his experience, care and follow the sequence of actions to ensure a natural appearance.
The procedure for implanting hair follicles is carried out taking into account the following points:
- The follicles are set to a certain depth so that the hairs grow evenly over the entire surface.
- Hair follicles are set at a certain angle so that hair growth is as close to natural as possible.
- The vision of the doctor performing the surgery is constantly monitored so that this type of intervention is as effective as possible.
Long hair transplant into a beard (before and after photos)
To get the desired result, you must follow all the specialist’s recommendations. It is important to choose the right doctor, taking into account his experience, knowledge of facial anatomy and ability to competently perform the transplant.
Contraindications
Before performing beard surgery, the patient is checked for contraindications that prohibit such interventions. It is not advisable to carry out the procedure:
- If the blood clotting process is disrupted.
- If an infection has entered the body or an inflammatory process develops in the form of a cold, acute respiratory viral infection, or acute respiratory infection.
- In case of serious disruptions in hematopoiesis.
- If there are pathological neoplasms of a malignant nature in the body.
- In case of an allergic reaction to the painkillers used.
- If you are under 25 years of age.
- If there are no healthy donor hair follicles.
- For hormonal imbalance and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus.
If during the examination one or more contraindications are revealed, then hair extensions are recommended after treatment of existing diseases.
