Every few months I hope against hope, put my razor in a drawer and tell the baby-faced image in the mirror “This time, the beard will really come in!”
It’s a common story for some guys. A week later, with the peach-fuzzed facial growth of a 12-year-old boy or the facial “man-mane” of a radioactive billy goat, I’ll be looking in the same mirror, lathering up with the bitter taste of facial hair failure in my mouth. Like a lot of my fellow follicle-challenged amigos, a manly beard or at least a mustache “” just isn’t in the cards.
Until recently.
Thanks to the popularity of hipster beards, a new growth industry in cosmetic surgery is on the upswing: beard transplants.
Last year, a definite boom in the procedures was noted in New York and in the Pacific northwest. This, after the International Society of Hair Restoration reported that beard transplants were the “it” thing in Britain with more than 4,500 procedures performed in 2013.
How it works. The procedure usually takes between three and five hours, with the doctor meticulously removing hairs and follicles from another part of the body “” usually, the back of your head “” and inserting them into .8 millimeter-sized holes pricked into the receiving area. It’s not as simple as it sounds. Doctors have to take time to match the natural angle of other hairs in the area, or transplanted hairs will be embarrassingly obvious (think “bed head,” but on your face.) A second round may be required.
What happens after. When the procedure is finished, you’re likely to have some temporary itching and redness. After a few days, the transplanted hairs will begin to fall out, but the follicles they leave behind will start growing new, permanent hairs.
Beards to order! Just like going into a hair salon and asking for a specific cut to look like a celebrity, you can order the beard you want, too. From designer stubble look, to soul patches and mutton chops, the facial hair you’ve always wanted can be had for the asking. Eyebrows can be done, too.
It can be pricey. The procedure can cost between $3,000-$10,000. Because it’s an elective, cosmetic procedure, insurance is unlikely to help defray the cost, leaving you accountable for quite a bill.
So, is it worth it? It depends on how much you’ve really got your heart set on a new look. Be warned, though: If you’re doing it to appeal to attract a mate, you could be doing it for the wrong reasons. A 2010 Northumbria University study found that women considered light stubble most attractive in men, and considered it a sign of a compatible mate. Men with full beards were considered more masculine, but also “old” and “aggressive.”
