Beard Transplant 

A beard transplant is also known as a beard implant. The process of planting hair grafts in the beard skin line on the face is called beard implant. The hair is removed from any part of the body and transplanted into the beard space namely jawline, neckline, chin, cheek, and sideburns. 

Beard transplantation is a good solution to patchy beard and beard ingrowth. As long as the beard line skin is healthy and free from oily moisturizer, dandruff, dirt, bacteria, virus, and other infections, a beard transplant is a viable possibility to achieve facial hair goals.

In general, a patient who visits a surgeon for beard implantation would suffer either uneven hair distribution or complete hair ingrowth. The surgeon would normally divide the face into two sections for a beard transplant – the lateral section that includes jawline, cheeks, and sideburns, and the frontal section that includes goatee and moustache. 

The doctor then estimates which area needs to be first taken care of, which area needs utmost hair implantation, which section of the beard needs the highest number of hair follicles to be grafted. As the beard is huge in space covering most of the facial area, this sectional division helps doctors to thoroughly handle every itch of the skin beneath the beard.

The foremost care we need to consider during beard transplantation is density. The density of hair follicles stranded deep down into the roots submitted in the skin cells is specially crafted to beard hair growth. The space between one hair follicle to another hair follicle is extraordinarily minute else the patches would form up resulting in an ugly look. 

The gaps circulating or freestanding in and around the existing hair strands are supposed to be filled with new hair follicles with the hair transplantation procedure. A beard looks solid and dense when the gaps are hunted down.

In an average estimation, hair transplants get about 4,000 to 7,000 follicles grafted onto the beard. Most of the time though, 2,500 hair follicles are necessary for a full beard.

Beard Implant Techniques

1. Follicular Unit Transfer (FUT)

Most beard transplants are performed using a technique called follicular unit transfer (FUT). In this procedure, hair grafts are removed from the donor area and harvested using a small circular incision and transplanted to the area where the beard hair is to be built or filled. The taken grafts are implanted in a larger area with a small scar that is barely visible.

2. Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)

DHI hair transplantation is similar to FUI but there is little difference in the technique of how hair is implanted. DHI is also called Robotic Follicular Unit Extraction for its accurate in-depth angular hair implantation. This is perfectly suitable for the Alopecia Barbae kind of disorder.

DHI is suitable for small area hair transplantation whereas FUT is feasible for a large number of hair graft transplants.

Direct hair Implantation is a transplant technique used to treat Alopecia Barbae.

Do's & Don'ts of Beard Transplantation

There are various cosmetic risks associated with beard implants. The beard skin becomes red-tight right after the transplant. As it undergoes surgery with anaesthesia, the process is definitely painful after the implantation.

Hair shedding is also known as shock loss which is quite normal after a beard transplant. The transplanted hair falls out for two to three weeks after the procedure. shock loss, which means that all the transplanted hair falls and grows back worries a lot.

Cysts appear as small skin-coloured swellings around the transplanted hair follicles, which can become erythematous and painful. 

Due to vascular disruption and surgical trauma, the donor area and the receptor area have induced side effects.

The rare condition of skin bleeding happens after beard implantation. As the hair follicles rooted in the skin's upper layers are pierced with tiny sharp tools to remove hair from the donor area and to implant hair in the receptor area, there are chances for skin to break into the tool and start bleeding.

A rapid heartbeat that may be regular or irregular occurs due to beard implantation. This fast heart rate is the result of two causes during a hair transplant. One is the use of anaesthesia. The other is the curiosity of the patient. Two causes lead to more bleeding from the site of the donor area and receptor area if there are any spot holes.

The inflammation, the infections, and the bleed out altogether irk the skin to peaks. One to two months after beard transplantation feels like carrying a baby in the womb. One must control the pain and the irritation caused due to beard transplant.

Small crusts appear around transplanted hair after the surgery. To not disturb the hair grafts in order to achieve the desired transplant, one should not wash the face until the skin becomes dry. It takes quite a long time for the bleeding skin to become dry.

There is a risk of scars with the beard hair transplant technique. As it is rough and tough handling of skin cells, the skin layers could swell due to the pain induced through transplant.  

Take Away

The beard transplant cost in India generally follows the cost per graft (CPG) method to estimate the overall cost figured out to treat a beard transplant. The grafts implanted vary from a minimum of 1000 grafts to a maximum 8000 number of grafts. 

If the grafts implanted are minimum or less than the minimum, the cost per graft would be as near as $750 if the hospitalization is a seven star. In India, it is possible with low amounts starting from 50 rupees per graft. 

If the grafted hair follicles are maximum, they would calculate a wholesome equation estimating less amount per graft. However, in India, it would cost at least one lakh rupee to enjoy a beard transplant. 

Therefore, the overall estimated average cost for beard transplant in a country like the US and Europe is $5000 ranging between $1500 and $10,000. The same treatment cost in India may vary between fifty thousand rupees and ten lakh rupees.