Why do this forum not have a "Beard Transplant" section?

[TMNK]

Hi all

It seems that "Beard Transplants" are becoming increasingly common. However, despite this, there are very few dedicated forums or sections to discuss it.

I believe this is unfortunate. I think it would be a missed opportunity if this forum does not cover this aspect.

Keep in mind that even some of the recommended doctors on HairRestorationNetwork performs Beard Transplants, but reading reviews/results on Hair Transplants is NOT the same as beard transplant.

What do you think?

[Melvin- Admin]

It’s not as popular. If there was enough demand, we would certainly open up a new section. 

[JasonElva1990]

1 hour ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

It’s not as popular. If there was enough demand, we would certainly open up a new section. 

and an eyebrow section as well.

I had one done.

[jjalay]

I think its really bad idea to do a scalp to beard hair transplant. You really dont need this.

[TMNK]

12 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

It’s not as popular. If there was enough demand, we would certainly open up a new section. 

But there is already a section not related to hairloss - "Issues Not Related To Hair Loss" where I think it would fit perfectly?

At least I think it would be worth to have section dedicated to that topic - if it turns out to be rather inactive/not increase in activity for a certain time then close it

6 hours ago, jjalay said:

I think its really bad idea to do a scalp to beard hair transplant. You really dont need this.

Beard to beard is common as well.

By your logic you could argue that hair transplants is not really needed as well – and I think we all disagree with this since we are part of this forum.

Edited September 22, 2023 by TMNK

[Melvin- Admin]

Maybe I will create a poll. If there are enough votes, we will do it.

[TMNK]

On 9/22/2023 at 5:47 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Maybe I will create a poll. If there are enough votes, we will do it.

I think that would be a brilliant idea. Where can I find the polls in this forum?

[Berba11]

On 9/21/2023 at 10:05 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

It’s not as popular. If there was enough demand, we would certainly open up a new section. 

I certainly reckon two categories that would be quite useful would be a dedicated section for repair cases and maybe one for female cases. These - especially repairs - are categories that people absolutely come looking for on here, so not having to wade through ordinary hair transplants or navigate the search function to find repair journey's would be hugely beneficial I think. Ditto female cases.

Beard HT's are a bit more niche at this stage and probably not really worthy of a specialist section just yet but one way to maybe kick off a dedicated section would be to ask all the forum recommended doctors to submit any beard cases they can so at least there's a body work to look through in any dedicated section (which people can then add their own progress to).

[Berba11]

On 9/22/2023 at 9:05 AM, TMNK said:

By your logic you could argue that hair transplants is not really needed as well

I've seen you say this twice now but I'm not sure it's quite correct.

Firstly, virtually everyone on this forum will tell you that surgery should always be a last resort - and that's for standard HT's with a very high success rate (if performed by a reputable surgeon), let alone something more niche like a beard transplant.

Secondly, yes, HT's are NOT needed. They are wanted. We often see people come to these forums absolutely desperate for a HT, and looking for quick fixes which usually involve trying to book a cheap HT at short notice (usually in Turkey) and just glossing over all the the essential research beforehand. Part of the problem as I see it is that too many guys cannot seem to make peace with going bald or wearing a buzzcut, which puts them in a "I NEED to get this sorted" situation rather than the more healthy "I'd like to get this done if it's viable" situation. The last course of action anyone should do to address their hair loss is to undergo surgery. The first thing is to buzz it off.

Lastly, now apply all of the above to a beard transplant and then some. Beard transplants, like hair transplants, are indeed not needed. But the difference between the two is that everyone has good head hair at some point, and a HT is an option to restore something that has been lost. With a beard, if you want a transplant it's because you've never really had a beard to begin with (or, in your case, you want to give what you already have a bit of a boost). That makes it even more elective than a HT because you're not *restoring* something back to its former glory. The aesthetic difference in terms of how old someone looks is also more dramatically altered with a HT because it frames the face in a way that only a decent hairline can. Beards certainly provide some aesthetic benefit but not nearly as dramatic as hair up top.

None of which is to say that you or anyone else shouldn't get a beard transplant - do as you wish! But however unnecessary a HT is, a beard transplant is another level or two lower down frankly and in most cases carries more risk as it usually requires using vital scalp donor supplies that could be needed for the scalp down the line and the more extensive the beard restoration, the more terrible it will likely look (rare exceptions aside).

[TMNK]

19 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Lastly, now apply all of the above to a beard transplant and then some. Beard transplants, like hair transplants, are indeed not needed. But the difference between the two is that everyone has good head hair at some point, and a HT is an option to restore something that has been lost. With a beard, if you want a transplant it's because you've never really had a beard to begin with (or, in your case, you want to give what you already have a bit of a boost). That makes it even more elective than a HT because you're not *restoring* something back to its former glory. The aesthetic difference in terms of how old someone looks is also more dramatically altered with a HT because it frames the face in a way that only a decent hairline can. Beards certainly provide some aesthetic benefit but not nearly as dramatic as hair up top.

None of which is to say that you or anyone else shouldn't get a beard transplant - do as you wish! But however unnecessary a HT is, a beard transplant is another level or two lower down frankly and in most cases carries more risk as it usually requires using vital scalp donor supplies that could be needed for the scalp down the line and the more extensive the beard restoration, the more terrible it will likely look (rare exceptions aside).

I actually think you have some good points, and I respect that – maybe it has even made me see things a little differently.

I understand that regaining what you once had (hair) is different from acquiring something you never had (a beard). You are right; that makes a beard transplant more selective than a hair transplant.

But you could also argue that if you are completely bald, then perhaps an investment in a beard could be more beneficial for your appearance than having only a "60% hair transplant coverage." It's all about complementing your face as best as possible, and a beard can significantly improve a bald or balding look, making a powerful change for some people, especially if only a few grafts need to be invested in a beard.

[TrustTheProcess]

both @Berba11 and @TMNK made compelling arguments! 

[Melvin- Admin]

On 9/27/2023 at 5:12 AM, TMNK said:

I actually think you have some good points, and I respect that – maybe it has even made me see things a little differently.

I understand that regaining what you once had (hair) is different from acquiring something you never had (a beard). You are right; that makes a beard transplant more selective than a hair transplant.

But you could also argue that if you are completely bald, then perhaps an investment in a beard could be more beneficial for your appearance than having only a "60% hair transplant coverage." It's all about complementing your face as best as possible, and a beard can significantly improve a bald or balding look, making a powerful change for some people, especially if only a few grafts need to be invested in a beard.

Usually, if you’re bald on top, your beard is thick and full. It’s the DHT conundrum. It kills the hair on top, but makes your body hair thrive. I have been blessed with facial hair, so I understand it’s something that can make you appear more attractive. Women generally prefer men with facial hair (not always) but generally speaking. But you need to research just as much, if not more than regular hair transplants. 
 

Use our advanced search page:

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/search/?&q=Beard&type=forums_topic&search_and_or=or&search_in=titles

[Sidsingh122]

I also think we should have a beard transplant forum. It will make it easier for some of us who want to have a nicer beard.

[Gatsby]

I think having a really good beard is both a cultural want and a personal one. The majority of men want a really good beard. I had a beard when I was in my twenties on and off up until thirty. After then I just wanted to look young and for me that meant no beard. Everyone's different. At my age my beard is grey and white so I definitely don't want a beard which is why I was totally OK with using my beard as a donor source for my scalp. I think I look younger with a head of hair and no beard as opposed to the opposite. 👍

[Rasputin]

On 10/1/2023 at 2:50 AM, Gatsby said:

I think having a really good beard is both a cultural want and a personal one. The majority of men want a really good beard. I had a beard when I was in my twenties on and off up until thirty. After then I just wanted to look young and for me that meant no beard. Everyone's different. At my age my beard is grey and white so I definitely don't want a beard which is why I was totally OK with using my beard as a donor source for my scalp. I think I look younger with a head of hair and no beard as opposed to the opposite. 👍

Do you know how much follicles you had in total for your beard ? (not transplanted but the total).

If I'm not wrong you didn't use all of it, so you could potentially still grow some sort of beard right ?

[Gatsby]

I don’t know how many beard hairs I have in total. But I used over 7K for my two hair transplants in total. 

[davidjosepha]

On 9/22/2023 at 3:05 AM, TMNK said:

At least I think it would be worth to have section dedicated to that topic - if it turns out to be rather inactive/not increase in activity for a certain time then close it

I am a new user but have been lurking on and off for years. I think this would be useful as a way for people considering a beard transplant to easily find progress threads that go into detail on the process and their results. I've vaguely considered getting a handful of follicles of my body hair (which is excessive) transplanted to a few small weak spots in my beard (where, for whatever reason, the hair is sparse), but it's hard to find details on the process anywhere. Even if the forum is quiet with infrequent posts, it seems useful to have it segmented off from other hair transplant threads to make it easy for those considering such transplants to find.

Or, alternatively, is there a way that threads in the normal hair transplant forum could be encouraged to add a standardized tag (or mods could tag such threads) to make beard threads easier to find? Currently the tagging process is easily missed, and even users who add tags might use them inconsistently such that these threads are not easy to find.

I would think that, given the relative rarity of even beard transplants, it may be best to combine all non-scalp transplants into a single forum, eg "Beard and Other Body Hair Transplants". (Can't find a way to manually add a quote while editing a post, but this is in response to JasonElva1990's comment around eyebrow transplants.)

Edited October 7, 2023 by davidjosepha

[Melvin- Admin]

Please see the open poll: