Many patients assume they are “stuck with the hair they have” due to genetic hair loss or overharvesting from previous hair transplants. When there is little to no viable donor hair remaining on the scalp, they may believe they are no longer candidates for a hair transplant. This feeling of "hopelessness" translates into other areas, and patients can resort to hairstyles reflecting this mindset.
Advances in hair restoration technology have made beard hair a reliable donor source for patients with limited scalp donor hair. Hair Transplant & Restoration Center has become a destination for beard-to-scalp hair transplant procedures, with patients traveling from across the country for Dr. Gray’s experience and expertise in this specialized technique.
What is a Beard to Scalp Hair Transplant?
A beard to scalp transplant is a surgical procedure that involves extracting healthy hair follicles from the area under the mandible or chin and implanting them onto the bald areas on the scalp.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia with minimal downtime, and results develop gradually over several months.
Why Use Beard Hair for Scalp Hair Transplant?
Each beard hair follicle has nearly twice as many cuticle layers as hair follicles on the scalp. On average, the diameter of each beard hair is 125 microns versus scalp hair, which is 69 microns.
Although we are taking hair from your "beard," the actual donor hair we use is the area "under the angle of the mandible." If you look in the mirror and tilt your head back, the area starting below the chin is harvested "beard hair" for transplant. Some neck hair will remain to shave afterward. Follicles are not taken from the face in case the patient wants to grow facial hair at some point.
Some patients prefer to harvest only from a specific area under the chin, as it aligns with their facial hair style. Depending on the patient and the amount of grafts needed to achieve their stated goals, these parameters may limit what is feasible to accomplish in a single procedure.
If the goal is to harvest the max number of follicles (ie 3000) then all of the area under the chin and angle of the mandible is needed. If the patient will not allow all of that area to be used then fewer grafts are available.
Overall, there are not many limitations as to where you can put beard hair. Beard hair grows in single thick units (unlike scalp hair, which grows in tiny little groups of 1-4 hairs, each called "follicular units"), making beard follicles an exceptional alternative to fill in areas on the scalp. However, using beard hair to totally recreate a new hairline is not feasible as it would not look natural (some fill-in can still be achieved). For patients who wish to create a new hairline, Dr. Gray's rule of thumb is to exhaust scalp donor hair first.
How Beard-to-Scalp Transplant Differs from Traditional Hair Transplant
There are key differences between beard-to-scalp transplant and traditional hair transplant. Understanding these distinctions helps determine if a beard-to-scalp procedure is the ideal option for your goals.
Scalp hair is typically the primary donor source for a hair transplant because its softer texture makes it well suited for creating a natural-looking hairline. Beard hair, which tends to be thicker, can serve as a supplementary donor source and may be especially useful for adding density.
5 Key Benefits of Beard to Scalp Transplant
Compared to scalp hair, using beard hair can offer a few important benefits for candidates.
- Utilizes an additional donor source and benefits candidates with advanced hair loss.
- Beard hair grafts have a thicker diameter, offering more volume.
- Acts as a suitable hair growth solution for candidates with prior transplants.
- Beard hair offers more resistance to DHT, a hormone responsible for pattern baldness.
- Conceals older scars on the back of the head with its thickness.
How We Do It: Follicular Unit Extraction
When taking donor hair from the beard, the beard can provide between 2000 and 3000 single follicular grafts in a single setting for the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) harvesting technique. This method uses dull punches and shallow insertions of up to 2mm deep to extract the follicles. Once everything heals there are usually more grafts that can be harvested,
Harvesting beard hair is different than harvesting hair from the scalp and this can be challenging for a few reasons:
- Change in angles of facial hair-bearing areas means difficulty accessing those areas. Also, hair can exit the beard at a wide variety of angles (as opposed to exiting the scalp) and finding the correct extraction angle is crucial for a successful hair transplant.
- The skin in some regions of the face is much more mobile, which makes stabilizing the skin to extract grafts more difficult.
It is imperative to use a hair transplant surgeon experienced with extracting donor hair from different sources on the body other than the scalp. Since Protein Growth Factors are included in every surgery, healing time and scarring are minimized.
Our Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Procedure:
- Local anesthesia is used on the beard and scalp to provide the patient with the most comfortable experience possible.
- Small, circular punch incisions are made around a follicular unit in the donor area.
- The single follicular units are extracted from the beard and soaked in Growth Factors.
- Tiny incisions in the scalp are made for recipient sites of the hair follicles using a fine blade.
- Individual follicular units are placed into the recipient sites in the areas of hair loss.
- Long-acting local anesthetic is injected for prolonged pain relief after the procedure.
Recovery Timeline
Because all harvesting is executed below the chin and mandibular angle, no noticeable donor site is visible after the first week (as patients often shave this particular donor area), the skin is typically just a little pink.
Patients may experience temporary shedding within two to four weeks. Early new growth may begin around three to four months, with increased density developing between six and nine months and final maturation occurring around 12 months for many patients.
Less Painful: Easier Anesthesia Application
The anesthesia for beard harvesting is not difficult to achieve. Dr. Gray has used a superficial Marcaine .25% plus epinephrine to create a long-acting block. This is supplemented with a drug called Exparel, which is a very long-acting local anesthetic providing many hours of pain relief to cover travel time after the procedure.
>> Note to out of town patients: We usually start at 7:30 am on procedure day and many patients fly/travel home the same day. The length of the case depends on the number of follicles moved, so the case could end between 1pm and 4pm. Because we are not harvesting hair from the back of the head, traveling home after the procedure can be a little more comfortable, as there are no incisions in the traditional donor area to be mindful of while sitting.
Who is a Candidate for Beard to Scalp Transplant?
Beard to scalp is an excellent option for those who have already had one or more hair transplants and want to add density in different areas. Or, if you've never had a transplant but don't have great natural donor hair, you can still achieve some fill-in with beard hair. The only limitation is the number of grafts that can be harvested from the beard. Dr. Gray generally harvests up to 3000 grafts from a very dense beard and 1500-2000 grafts from regular density. There is beard hair left, so the patient has the option for future transplantation.
Who is Not a Suitable Candidate for a Beard to Scalp Hair Transplant?
An unsuitable candidate for a beard to hair transplant are people with:
- Plenty of healthy hair in the donor area of their head as scalp hair looks more natural than beard hair.
- Need for hairline restoration as beard grafts give unnatural appearance in the front hairline or temple areas.
- Different hair texture of their beard hair.
As an Out-of-Town Patient, What Should I Expect?
Many patients fly in from other states to have a beard to scalp procedure done. Depending on traffic, we are about an hour and a half south of the Atlanta airport. We recommend flying in the evening before, renting a car, and arriving in Macon around dinner time. There are a few hotels seconds away from our office. We usually start at 7:30 am on procedure day, and most patients fly/travel back the same day.
Traveling home is generally not a problem. You can wear a hat home on top of the dressing we provide post-op, and a standard facemask over the ears should not be uncomfortable to wear while on the plane. Dr. Gray injects a long-lasting numbing agent before you leave our office, so as far as pain goes, your head should be numb well into the next day. Also, there is no incision in the back of the scalp where the typical "donor area" is, making traveling while seated more comfortable.
FAQs
1. What are the main differences between beard to scalp and traditional hair transplants?
The major differences between beard to scalp and traditional hair transplants are based on donor source, hair characteristics, and purpose. Scalp hair is typically the primary donor source for a hair transplant, with its softer texture making it ideal for creating a natural-looking hairline. Beard hair is generally used as a supplementary donor source, as its thicker texture can be beneficial for adding density to areas of the scalp.
2. How effective is a beard to scalp hair transplant?
A beard-to-scalp hair transplant is highly effective for improving overall hair density when the scalp donor area has limited donor grafts. Key benefits this procedure offers include;
- Thicker grafts
- Secondary donor source for plenty of supply
- Permanent growth for long-term
3. How much does a beard to scalp transplant cost?
The cost for a beard to scalp hair transplant depends on the number grafts harvested from the beard.
