Everybody’s heard of hair plugs, but did you realise you could get a full beard transplant? A growing number of men are catching on. It’s apparently becoming a very popular thing to do.
DNA Info recently spoke to a few plastic surgeons who say they’ve been performing an increasing number of facial hair transplant surgeries. Epstein said that he now averages three beard implants a week, which is a huge spike in popularity compared to a decade ago when he did only a handful per year. It’s just become fashionable.
“Whether you are talking about the Brooklyn hipster or the advertising executive, the look is definitely to have a bit of facial hair,” said Dr Jeffrey Epstein who performs the surgery in his Midtown office. He added, “I get a lot of detail-oriented people — artists, architects.”
The procedure itself is relatively simple and, actually, not too expensive. Hair is removed from the scalp or sometimes the chest with tiny incisions and then grafted onto the face. Once the roots take hold, the patient can shave his new beard as if it were normal hair, and it will grow back. The cost of the procedure ranges from $US3000 for partial beard implants for patients with patchy beards to $US7000 for full beards for patients who can’t grow a beard at all (read: this blogger). You can even take in a photo of your favourite celebrity beard to provide the doctor with some inspiration.
Of course, it’s not just the vain who would be interested in beard implants. Everyone from people undergoing sexual transitions to Hassidic Jews get the surgery. And, actually, it doesn’t look half bad. [DNA Info]
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After:
Pictures: Shutterstock/Dr Jeffrey Epstein