Facial Hair Transplants Are Growing in Popularity

For balding men, hair transplants can be a dignity saver. But now, according to Serena Solomon at DNAinfo New York, those transplants are migrating south — not to Florida, but to chins. Beard hair transplants are growing in popularity, as beards come back into fashion.

Solomon reports:

Whether they're filling in a few gaps or doing a complete beard construction, New York City doctors who specialize in the procedure said they're seeing a growing number of men paying as much as $7,000 to pump up their beards.

According to Jeffrey Epstein, a facial plastic surgeon, the procedure has gone from a rare occurrence to a regular one. He does about three beard implants a week, where he once only did a few a year. Another doctor told Solomon that his patients tend to be “detail-oriented people — artists, architects.” But it’s not just hipsters with beard envy that are turning to help with the whiskers — everybody from Hasidic Jews to people undergoing gender transitions to men who simply have always wanted a beard come in for the procedure. 

The hair for these transplants usually comes from the patient’s head, and is planted like little trees on their face. If there’s not enough hair on their heads for the procedure, sometimes doctors turn to chest hair. The procedure takes about eight hours and can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000. But for some men it’s worth it. "I couldn't believe how much I had changed over the years and that I no longer looked like myself," one New Yorker told Solomon in an email.  

Once the beard is successfully transplanted, it can be grown out or shaved according to the person’s desires. According to science, beards are more attractive, so it’s a good thing you can buy one at the doctor’s office. 

Rose Eveleth | | READ MORE

Rose Eveleth was a writer for Smart News and a producer/designer/ science writer/ animator based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Scientific American, Story Collider, TED-Ed and OnEarth.