A curious social phenomenon I’ve seen over the last few years is the increase in requests for facial hair transplantation by young men, better known as the “hipster beard craze.” Traditionally, hair restoration surgeons transplant hair from the back and sides of men’s scalps to areas of less density in those who are in their mid-30s to late 60s. The traditional hair transplantation practice, however, has changed dramatically in the last few years, prompting me to investigate the significant increase in those wanting facial hair surgery.
Men’s facial hair is a secondary sexual characteristic that has a far greater role in the cultural and sexual behaviors of men and women than we used to think. Published studies also confirm that many women prefer facial hair on men.
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One such study, published out of the University of Queensland in Australia in the Evolution & Human Behavior Journal in 2013, concluded that women prefer men who exhibit a certain “android,” or masculine, physical appearance. In this study, the researchers concluded that light and dark-stubble men are rated as most attractive, while men who display full beards are rated as less attractive, more aggressive and more masculine.
Entitled “The Role of Facial Hair in Women’s Perceptions of Men’s Attractiveness, Health, Masculinity and Parenting Abilities,” this study concludes that facial hair strongly influences people’s judgments of men’s socio-sexual attributes. Further, they found the determining factors defining an attractive boyfriend or husband is facial attractiveness, health, masculinity, parenting abilities and masculine body type. Women judged faces with heavy stubble as most attractive and heavy beards, light stubble and clean-shaven faces as similarly less attractive. In contrast, men rated full beards and heavy stubble as most attractive, followed closely by clean-shaven and light stubble as least attractive.
Men and women rated full beards as conferring greater parenting skills and ability, as well as better health. Perceptions of masculinity also increased as facial hair increased, and this effect was more pronounced in women in the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle, although attractiveness ratings did not differ based on fertility. These findings confirm that facial hair affects judgments of male socio-sexual attributes and suggest that an intermediate level of beardedness is most attractive, while full-bearded men may be perceived as better fathers who could protect and invest in offspring.
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Over the past five years, facial hair restoration surgery has dramatically increased with this facial hair craze. I see more clearly now the underlying cultural influences on facial hair surgery requests and male sexuality from the social science data I discovered.
Thus, we transition from social science to medical science, and the practical application of this knowledge to cosmetic medicine. Many men are unable to grow facial hair due to trauma, surgery or simply genetics. I examine these young men frequently and all report that the absence of facial hair decreases their self-esteem and confidence in seeking relationships with women.
Surgical facial hair restoration is the procedure of choice for men who want more facial hair or want to repair areas where facial hair is not present from scars or trauma. Because this is a relatively new procedure in hair restoration with high patient demand, the public’s awareness and knowledge of this topic is also low. In essence, facial hair transplantation is a surgical procedure designed to transplant scalp hair to the face where density and fullness is absent.
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There are two techniques we use to obtain hair: strip excision and follicular unit extraction, or FUE. The more contemporary hair restoration procedure to harvest follicles for facial hair transplantation is the FUE technique, in which the grafts of hair are harvested from the back portion of the scalp or neck, similar to traditional hair transplant procedures. The new hair grafts are then re-implanted in the face and jaw area, thereby increasing facial hair density.
Many patients who undergo these procedures have tremendous satisfaction with the hair transplanted in the facial region. I expect there will be an even greater demand for facial hair transplantation procedures in the next few years, as more is scientifically studied and revealed about the factors and characteristics of male attractiveness.
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Facial Hair, Male Sexuality and Hair Restoration Surgery originally appeared on usnews.com
