Just as with women’s fashion and beauty trends, it’s always interesting to see how the trends change and develop within men’s grooming.

And at the moment, it’s clear that thick, full beards are certainly having a moment.

Gone are the days of the ‘clean-shaven’ look; men are opting for the look of a fuller beard as their style of choice, and this trend shows no signs of slowing.

We’ve also seen signs of this trend emerging after having plenty of requests surrounding our beard transplant procedure.

For men that struggle with patchy, inconsistent hair growth, the desire for a thicker looking beard is often out of reach.

But, by investing in a beard transplant, men can achieve the look they so desire, creating a fuller beard that looks natural and lasts.

Whether you’ve been considering a beard transplant for a while or you’ve only just discovered the procedure, we would recommend getting all the facts before investing in the surgery.

It’s essential that you understand the procedure and what happens during the beard transplant recovery process to know if it’s the best option for you.

So, what happens during a beard transplant?

A beard transplant is a procedure that involves a surgeon extracting individual hair follicles from the back of the scalp. The hair is removed from here as this is where the hair is at its fullest.

The hair follicles that have been removed are transplanted to the areas of the beard or sideburns, which are patchy or completely bald, giving the appearance of a fuller beard.

The technical term used to describe the process is known as ‘Follicular Unit Extraction’, or ‘FUE’.

What makes this such an effective procedure is that it is minimally invasive but offers fantastic, long-term results for each patient.

What can I expect as part of the recovery process following a beard transplant?

It’s important to understand that a beard transplant is a low-risk procedure.

But it’s also worth noting the process requires a highly trained and experienced medical professional to fulfil the procedure, and this in itself can take around 6-8 hours per session.

Being such a low-risk procedure, in most cases, you can be back to your daily routine in no time at all, around 1-2 days to be exact.

As the process does involve extracting hair, it can take time for the hair to grow in this transplanted area, but you can expect full regrowth in around 6-12 months.

Although at the discretion of your doctor, there may be a chance that you’ll be able to shave around two weeks post-op.

What are the side effects following a beard transplant?

As with all cosmetic procedures, you can expect a few side effects as you begin the recovery process following a beard transplant.

As it’s minimally-invasive, the side effects are nothing too serious, but the most common are:

• the thinning of hair
• some itchiness around the affected area
• slight bleeding
• and localised swelling

In some circumstances, you might also see small crusts to form around the beard area as the affected area begins to heal.

The crusts should disappear after around a week, and it’s often advised that you steer clear of adding water to your face as they heal.

Your doctor will monitor the crusting in your follow up appointments and can prescribe antibiotics if it isn’t healing as it should.

Top tips to dealing with the beard transplant recovery process

As there are minimal side effects, dealing with the recovery process of a beard transplant is relatively straight forward.

But, as with any cosmetic procedure, there are things you can do to encourage a swift recovery.

Our tips to ensure you can return to everyday life sooner are:

Avoid alcohol and smoking

If you are a smoker, your doctor and surgeon will request that you steer away from the habit for the first few weeks post-op.

This precaution is highlighted because smoking can decrease blood flow by constricting your blood vessels, which will slow down the healing process and weaken the growth of the hair follicles.

Alcohol can also create problems within your recovery process, similar to those that occur when smoking.

Drinking alcohol can widen your blood vessels which can quite easily encourage swelling. It can also thin the blood, making the blood platelets less active.

Drink plenty of water

Although it’s an essential tip in day to day life, drinking plenty of water after a beard transplant will help in the repairing process, clearing out waste and moving nutrients around the body.

These nutrients are essential for helping to encourage the healing process.

Massage

Although it may feel strange, it’s essential to massage the beard at least a week post-surgery.

Massaging the affected area helps to encourage regrowth while also gently removing scabs and allowing for a speedy recovery.

Rest

We understand it may not be possible to have two weeks off work or looking after your family to have a beard transplant, but resting is essential to ensure your recovery runs smoothly.

With this in mind, we would recommend avoiding strenuous exercise and heavy lifting, even if you do this as part of your job.

We would also avoid going swimming, going to a sauna, a gym or other sweat-inducing exercises as this could potentially impact the regrowth.

Resting also plays a big part in helping to promote a quick recovery.

Having plenty of experience in the beard transplant field, our team of expert surgeons and representatives can help you achieve the look your longing for.

We currently with Dr Abdullah Etöz, associate clinical doctor of Plastic Surgery at Acıbadem Hospital Groups in İstanbul, who has many years of experience in the cosmetic surgery field.

He is responsible for all our cosmetic procedures and was selected due to his experience and knowledge in the sector.

After completing his medical qualifications at Selçuk University School of Medicine, Dr Etöz developed his skills through a surgical residency at Uludağ University. Today, he has many years of experience in fulfilling cosmetic procedures.

If, after reading this, you feel like a beard transplant is right for you, our team at MedicoTrips is here to help.

If you’d like to discuss your options with a member of the MedicoTrips team, please give us a call on +44 (0) 121 288 4552.