Shine OnHipster beard trend spurs surge in facial hair transplants
Ryan Gosling.
George Clooney
Ben Affleck.
What do these A-list men all have in common?
Aside from the obvious sexiness factor, they've all been known to dabble into this growing trend: the hipster beard.
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The surging popularity of the aforementioned beard is causing men who are unable to grow their own fuzzy chin-mate to take somewhat drastic measures -- beard transplants.
Global statistics from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery show that facial hair transplants have increased by almost 10 per cent from 2010 to 2012.
The statistical evidence pointing to a beard transplant boom is coupled with anecdotal evidence from New York City and Toronto plastic surgeons who say requests for the procedure have increased from several a year to several a week.
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"Our clinic would see patients for [facial hair transplants] maybe once or twice a year a few years ago, and now we're doing it on a weekly basis," Dr. Jamil Asaria, a facial plastic surgeon in Toronto, tells CBC.
Another Toronto-based surgeon, Dr. Paul Cotterill, says that while in the past patients would request the procedure to cover a scar or burn, now they simply want to make a fashion statement.
"These things come in and out of fashion, just like long hair and short hair" he tells CTV. "But the pendulum swings every decade."
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Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a New York City-based plastic surgeon who has performed the procedure for 12 years tells DNAInfo that a decade ago he would perform a handful of beard transplants each year, whereas now he's averaging around three a week.
Beard transplants involves moving hair from the top of the head to the face, and can cost anywhere from $4,000 and $15,000. The cost depends on the number of hair follicles to be harvested, which can range from 500 to 2,000.
Most people who request the procedure are from large cities, such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In Canada, the majority of doctors who offer beard transplants are based in Toronto.
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Patients are looking for a variety of styles, including a bushy beard, a soul patch or simply to fill in gaps in hair growth.
While it might seem weird that men are flocking to clinics for a signature beard, it isn't the strangest cosmetic surgery procedure we've ever heard of -- eyebrow transplants and dimple creation surgery are apparently a thing, too.
