Beard transplant
A beard transplant places grafts taken from the nape with micro punches into the jaw line and cheeks one at a time, at the angle facial hair naturally leaves the skin — 15–20 degrees.
- Procedure time
- 5–8 hours
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthetic
- Recovery
- 7–10 days of crusting · no razor for 10 days
- Sessions
- One session; a second after month 12 if gaps remain
- How long it lasts
- Permanent; result settles at 9–12 months
What the technique is — the angle decides it
Technically a beard transplant is the same operation as a hair transplant: grafts are taken one at a time from the nape with 0.7–0.9 mm micro punches. The difference is in the placement.
On the scalp, hair leaves the skin at 40–45 degrees. On the face that angle drops: 15–20 degrees on the cheek and jaw line, 25–30 at the chin. If the channel is not opened at that angle the hair stands up, and the result does not look natural even when it is trimmed.
That is why the channel stage is slower in beard work than in scalp work. The direction map is drawn before the graft count is decided.
The graft budget and how it is distributed
How many grafts are needed is set by the square centimetres of skin where hair does not grow. The area is measured at examination and the target density is agreed with you rather than assumed.
Every graft moved to the beard is one that cannot later be used for the scalp. In a patient who is also losing scalp hair, both areas are planned inside a single budget.
- Jaw line and chin only — 800–1,500 grafts
- Full beard including the cheeks — 2,000–3,500 grafts
- One-sided cheek gap — 400–800 grafts
- Single-hair units at the outer border, two-hair units in the interior
The day of the operation
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic and takes 5–8 hours depending on graft count. You are awake; there are breaks and a meal.
After the anaesthetic there is a sensation of pressure. The nape is shortened in the donor area; the face itself is not shaved.
There are three stages: harvesting from the donor area, opening the channels in the recipient area, and placing the grafts. It is the channel stage that sets the length of the day.
Recovery timeline
The first wash is done at the clinic the next day and you are taught how to repeat it. Crusts have gone in 7–10 days, and during that period no razor or clipper touches the area.
The transplanted hairs shed in weeks 2–4. That is shock loss, not loss of the follicle. Regrowth starts from month 3 and density settles at 9–12 months.
- Days 0–3 — redness and mild swelling
- Days 7–10 — crusts come away
- After day 10 — tidying with scissors is allowed
- Weeks 2–4 — shock loss
- End of month 1 — shaving with a razor
- Month 3 — regrowth begins
- Months 9–12 — final density
What decides the result
Three things: placement angle, direction map and donor capacity.
Angle and direction determine how the hair sits both trimmed and grown out. Donor capacity determines whether the density you have in mind is realistic in the first place.
A transplant on a face that never grew hair will not produce the density of someone with a naturally heavy beard. The target is the most natural density that face’s own donor area can carry — and we will tell you at examination what that number looks like.
Who this is not for, and what not to expect
In a patient with insufficient donor capacity, a beard transplant leaves the beard thin and spends grafts that should have been reserved for the scalp. Not performing it is the correct decision in that case.
The face shows scarring more readily than the scalp does. In a patient with a history of keloid, that risk is discussed separately and usually rules the procedure out.
- Insufficient donor density — no procedure is planned if the target density cannot be met
- Active folliculitis or infection on the face — no operation until it is treated
- Scarring (cicatricial) alopecia — no transplant while the disease is active; dermatology assessment required
- History of keloid — a transplant is generally not recommended, because facial scars stay visible
- Uncontrolled bleeding disorder or anticoagulant use — not performed without a haematology assessment
- Active, widespread acne — no channels are opened until the area has settled
- Unrealistic density expectations — where the measured area does not support the target, the plan is revised rather than the procedure performed
This page is general information and does not replace a clinical examination. The method, dose and timescale that apply to you are decided by a doctor after examining you.
Frequently asked questions
How many grafts does a beard transplant need?
Can transplanted beard hair be shaved?
Does a beard transplant reduce my chances of a hair transplant later?
Will the transplanted hair look like my existing beard?
When will I know the result?
How long do I need to stay in Istanbul, and can I fly home with crusts?
Pre-assessment
Describe your situation and we will answer with a measurement
Send a photograph or an X-ray. A doctor in the relevant speciality will reply with a graft range, a number of teeth or a dose range in units. If you are not suitable, we say so plainly.