Beards and facial hair are something that more and more men around the world are opting for to accessorise or compliment their face. Whether it’s someone that you’ve bumped into on the street or a character in one of your favourite TV shows, chances are that nowadays they’ve decided to grow a bit of facial hair (even if it is just some stubble). It’s something that is reinforced everywhere we look, from social media to real world interactions, but not every man is capable of growing thick and luscious facial hair.
Whilst some hit the jackpot with their genes and hormones, others at the opposite end of the spectrum go for a clean shaven appearance, either because they’re fed up of the patchy look or without the need to shave at all. Luckily, for those who want a full beard, beard transplant surgery is a thing that they can choose to undergo to assist in something that your body is not able to do by itself.
Beard transplant surgeries are very quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of hair transplant surgery in men, partly in thanks to TV and film stars or social media influencers, and have given thousands of men across the UK the confidence to grow a full beard and wear it out in public.
What is a beard transplant?
A beard transplant is pretty much what it says on the tin, it’s the transplantation procedure of hair from a donor area from another part of your body (generally the scalp) and transplants it directly onto the face to create a beard.
The follicles are extracted from the scalp using either the FUE or FUT method and are then carefully implanted at a normal angle to reflect the growth pattern of the original facial hair. During the beard transplant procedure, it’s possible that the surgeon will use two hair grafts at a time instead of individual grafts to help to mimic the thickness and fullness of a full beard as realistically as possible.
Why does my facial hair look patchy?
Whilst it could be down to genetics, there are a number of other reasons that your beard is lacking. If you’re sick and tired of seeing weak of missing patches of hair, then you could be a viable candidate for a beard transplant.
Whilst it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause, there are a number of reasons why you may be suffering such as;
Hormones
Hormones are a good starting place when it comes to figuring out why your facial hair isn’t growing how you want it to. The two main hormones at work when it comes to this are testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone is the main hormone at play as men go through puberty and is key to the growth of facial hair, the lower the testosterone levels, the more difficult it can be to grow a beard. Dihydrotestosterone Is created by testosterone and if there’s little amount to work with, then the DHT levels will also be much lower and this is what defines many male characteristics such as facial hair.
Genetics
A huge factor in the growth of facial hair is genetics, and your beard growth tends to come from your father and paternal grandfather. In the same way that taller parents tend to have taller children, facial hair (or the lack of it) is something that runs in the family as well. The big downside to this is the genetics is something that we can’t really control, we all get what we’re given.
Alopecia
Alopecia Areata is something that won’t effect the majority of men, but if you are looking into the reasons why your beard isn’t quite growing right then it is something to consider. If you’re experiencing baldness in other areas (such as the scalp) then this could be a sign of alopecia. Thankfully, alopecia is treatable and in some cases can even go away by itself.
Lifestyle
Although it isn’t the most prevalent factor out of the four we’ve listed, your lifestyle also needs to be factored in and can influence the way in which your body operates. Even small things such as not getting the right amount of sleep, being stressed and not exercising enough or having the right diet can all be connected to patchy facial hair. The big difference between this and the other options though is that this is all in your control and can be changed immediately.
So, the big question is, is a beard transplant permanent?
Just like the way that a hair transplant is permanent, a beard transplant is completely permanent too. As long as you don’t suffer from anything genetic that will cause the newly transplanted hair to fall out, a beard transplant procedure will be everything that you need to fill in the patchy areas that you have been plagued with.
Providing you undergo the correct aftercare and look after your newly transplanted hair, your new beard should begin to grow through in a few short months and you’ll finally be able to have the beard you’ve always dreamed of.