Beard Implant
What is a Beard Implant?
A beard transplant is just that: Hair is taken from one part of the body and transplanted to your jawline and wherever you want your beard to grow.
That sounds simple enough, but it’s a rather involved process:
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Follicular unit extraction (FUE). This approach is done by harvesting complete follicular units one at a time from the donor area. FUE is less painful, which may explain why it’s the more commonly performed procedure.
A follicular unit is a small grouping of several hair follicles that may emerge through the skin through the same exit point.
Both procedures take anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 hair follicle grafts or more from the back of the head, usually level with your ears, or a little lower, and implant them on the face.
A graft is a hair follicle that’s transplanted.
Implantation :
Once the follicles have been harvested from your head, the surgeon will inject a local anesthetic into the area of your face where the implants will be placed. Then, the surgeon will implant each follicle into your facial skin, shaping your new beard the way you and the doctor agreed on prior to surgery.
Recovery :
You’ll need a day to recover from the beard implant surgery. Tiny crusts may form around each newly implanted hair follicle, but these should flake off within a few days.
After about a week to 10 days, you should be able to start shaving normally and trimming your new beard.
A word of warning, however: Your new beard hairs may fall out after 2 or 3 weeks. This is normal, and new hair should grow in to take their place.
Home Care Instructions :
Your doctor will give you home care instructions. These may include the use of antibiotic ointment for your scalp and face.
Some activities to avoid for at least the first several days include:
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swimming
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exposure to direct sunlight
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smoking
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using a sauna or hot tub
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strenuous physical activity, especially anything that’ll cause a sweat
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touching, rubbing, or scratching the harvested or implant areas
You may be advised to not wash your face for a few days or at least avoid scrubbing. Your skin will be sensitive and itchy, but to avoid irritation and infection, try to leave it alone.