Bearded Hipster Fashion Craze Incites Surgery
There is a new and strange procedure trending in the hair-loss treatment world right now, according to the Bauman Medical Group. The popularity of beard transplants is picking up, according to a number of hair restoration practices.
According Dr. Alan J. Bauman, founder and head surgeon of the Bauman Medical Group, beard transplants are all the rage in "hipster" heavy neighborhoods, especially in regions like California and New York, where the once rare procedures are suddenly seeing regular practice.
Dr. Jeffery Epstein, a facial plastic surgeon who owns a small private practice in New York City, told DNAinfo New York that he has been performing the procedure for nearly 12 years, but where once it was an occasional request, he has recently been performing beard transplants at least three times a week.
Bauman, who recently spoke with radio personality Howard Stern about the trend, says beard transplants have caught on largely due to an increased popularity of the "hipster" look in metropolitan fashion. The fashion statement, which normally includes thick framed glasses, sloppy hair, and an overabundance of plaid is only complete with a thick but narrow and neatly groomed beard. Stern and Bauman also suggest that the popularity of beard-toting celebrities such as Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. may also have something to do with the public's increased approval of the bearded look.
Amazingly, it appears that baby-faced men are willing to drop thousands to make that look their own. A full beard transplant, which involves the implantation of individual hair follicles all over the face at strategically placed angles, costs an estimated $7000, according to the Bauman Medical Group.
The procedure, which has been preformed for years, now takes a fraction of the time it once took thanks to ever-advancing surgical technologies. It is also a one-shot deal, meaning that the transplanted follicles are there to stay and will grow just as readily as a person's own original scruff.
In a recent press release, the Bauman Medical Group mentioned that while beard transplants are stealing the media spotlight, eyelash, hair, and body hair transplants have also been on the rise. Unfortunately, the release did not provide any statistical evidence to back these claims.
The Bauman Medical Group press release was published on March 13.
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