Hipster Beard Hair Restoration, A New Trend For More Facial Hair

Beard hair restoration is when hair is surgically taken from the head or other parts of the body and placed in the beard area to restore or augment its fullness. The term hipster beard hair restoration is driven by pop culture. While follicles from the beard can be used as a source of new grafts for bald and thinning areas on the head. Many of our patients here at Dermhair Clinic have undergone this type of procedure to achieve improved forms of coverage on their scalp.

Beard hair transplant for scalp coverage — Beard hair can be used to add greater coverage to a patient’s head in a transplant procedure*

But now there is a new trend in cosmetic procedures which is to do the exact opposite. In most instances of beard hair restoration, hair is taken from the head and inserted into the beard regions. Many clinics across the country are performing an increased number of these procedures.

The look of today is to have facial hair, as opposed to being completely clean shaven. This seems to have been inspired by the Brooklyn hipster subculture, sometimes referred to as “lumberjack chic.” But it has now grown in popularity to also include red carpet A-listers such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves,Robert Pattison and Ryan Goseling. It is these pop idols that have driven the hipster beard hair restoration demand.

Hipster beard hair restoration has become popular in part driven by facial hair trend and celebrities — Celebrities like Ryan Gosseling have helped to inspire the renewed popularity of beards. Image from Wikipedia

Why Have Beards Become So Popular?

“The beard is the mark of the man.” – Saint Clement of Alexandria

Men who shave every day admit to doing so because they believe that women like this aesthetic. In Time magazine, a Harris poll reported that only one third of female participants reported that they think beards are attractive. Implicitly, this also means that about two thirds of them don’t.

But another study by Northumbria University says that women considered men with “light stubble” to be more attractive.

Also there is the issue of self expression. A more rugged looking appearance sets one apart from mainstream convention, where in more recent years, men seem to have been adopting more feminine standards in their personal grooming. According to GQ, cultivating a beard is about “clinging” to older times.

According to author and beard expert, Allen Peterkin, “Men are trying to prove that they are no corporate slave.”

Cosmetic Procedures For Denser Beards and Sideburns

Besides adding density and thickness to the face and neck areas, men are also choosing surgery to insert hair above their lips (mustache region) and their sideburns as well.

Follicles are taken from the back of the head and inserted into facial areas. Although this can be done with strip surgery, it will leave a permanent linear scar . And this, of course would restrict a patient’s hair styling choices to longer layers. Therefore, Follicular Unit Extraction which uses tiny punches to remove hair is probably the best long term choice for harvesting follicles used for the facial hair regions.

For more info on Follicular Unit Extraction, click here