• Welcome to Hair loss Experiences hair loss forum.

    Free impartial hair loss advice, hair transplant advice, hair loss medications and hair loss news.
    You can contact us directly at [email protected] if you experience any problems.

Beard Donor

H

HairHunter

Valued member
Hi Gents,

I'm curious to know peoples thoughts on beard donor.

One simple question I have, if you cant shave your traditonal donor region on your head below a #1 guard how is it possible that no scarring is visible in the beard donor?

Is there certain lengths that would not suit for beard extraction? Say if someone uses a clipper on there beard as applies to clean shaving?

Finding it hard to see how beard donor differs from the scalp in terms of visible scarring. I know it's generally accepted that the neck generally heals quicker.

Any expert opinions would be much appreciated
 
Dr Arvind

Dr Arvind

Valued member
Dear Hairhunter,
The beard area is different in terms of healing as well as extraction.

The skin is more mobile then over the scalp.
It is also not as deep (so less space that could fill up with collagen causing white dots).
Tumescence is counterproductive. But the skin is more stretchable. That has impact on the resultant extraction wound.
-------------------------
I will post the case of Topshiny soon. That will help understand why and how the beard donor area can heal without visible scarring.
Meanwhile please read up Topshiny's case.
Its the first published case, as far as I know, where chest hair were transplanted by fue in a demarcated area with no scalp donor mixed.

Regards,
Dr A
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
FUE extraction of beard hair can leave visible scarring. Darker skin tones are at more risk of scars showing. Smaller punches help with wound healing.
I had 300 grafts extracted from under my chin. If I magnify the area I can see some gaps but anyone who looks at won`t be able to see anything.
Here is a picture showing where the grafts were taken. One side looks thinner but that's just having more white hairs there.

Beard FUE Donor extractions._LI.jpg
 
H

HairHunter

Valued member
Thanks Dr. A,

Your response puts a bit more reasoning as to why beard donor seems viable.

Thanks Bigmac,

What's your thoughts on graft counts from the beard. Having had 300 would you be apprehensive about having 1000+ removed?

Interestingly given the number of mill clinics using beard donor I have yet to see a severely damaged beard similar to the images you see of damaged scalp donors
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
I'd be happy to have as much beard removed as possible. 1000 would be easily acceptable by me. I'm not a beard fan by the way.
This thread you can see an interesting video and SL who had 1000's removed from his beard.
 
H

HairHunter

Valued member
Thanks BM, useful thread and video link.
I'm assuming your not a fan of how it compares with scalp hair in terms of contrast?

I'm currently considering a 3rd Ht. To fill a 50cm hole in the crown. I've had a Fut (2000grafts) and Fue (3000grafts). I'm pulling off a number 2 faded down to number 1 below the fut scar at the minute. I would hate to do more damage than good by either thinning the scalp much more or ruining my beard for the sake of my crown

Just out of curiosity I measured the area under my chin approx 17cm x 6.5cm giving 110cm2 of donor area. 10grafts per cm seems alot. Guys getting 2-3000 must be really thinning out that area.

Attached my own beard donor for reference, I would consider it fairly decent in density (note there is a scar under my chin)
 

Attachments

  • 20210119_133013.jpg
    20210119_133013.jpg
    319.1 KB · Views: 123
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
When I said I'm not a beard fan I meant I don't really like having a beard or beard growth. Sometimes I get lazy and don't shave.
Your beard looks quite decent, I'd say you could get up to 1000 grafts and it will still look ok. Usually, though doctors like to mix scalp and beard together to blend it in. Have you still got hair on your crown?
What does your FUT scar look like?
 
H

HairHunter

Valued member
I have a couple of hundred grafts from the 1st Ht. I have developed a kind of C shaped pattern around them. I've been too''ing and throwing with the idea of either another HT or maybe going down the SMP route. Or maybe a hybrid of both, SMP on the lower crown and donor and use Ht to fill the upper crown for a high and tight hairstyle.

See attached pics of the scar, I had Dr. Demirsoy place some grafts into it which really helped break it up. I think thinning the donor too also may have helped.

Images of the scar attached, taken with flash. I cut my hair last Friday. I cut it to a #1 closed to scar line and opened then above. The scar was visible on the corners. Faded in the edges with a bare blade open. I feel the need to use a lower blade outside the donor region to try to minimise the halo/ difference in shade effect.


Hair Transplant donor area.jpg
Hair Transplant donor zone..jpg
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Are you on any hair loss meds for the crown just to refresh me?
Your donor area looks good. Being able to cut a #1 hairstyle without scars being obvious is excellent. Dr Demirsoy has done a great job at breaking up your FUT scar.
From what I can see of your crown and your C shape description, if I were you right now I would go for 500 grafts from the donor scalp and 500 from under the chin area. This will provide a natural look and won't need maintaining providing you don`t lose more hair. With SMP you have to have top-ups and possibly keep your hair at a certain length for it to blend in.
 
H

HairHunter

Valued member
I use minoxidil but probably not as regularly as I should be. My pattern hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. The lower crown has probably weakened. I'm probably not achieving much with meds others than holding some hair in the lateral humps.

Yes I was initially thinking go smp and be done with it, I'm less bothered by hairloss now than I was when I was 20. It's hard to choose a decent hairstyle with the crown as it is. The regular maintainence with smp is a put off when I'm trying to get to a point where I can just draw a line under the 15 year battle and move on.

Yes I'm thinking of a similar strategy as you suggested. Having to travel and go through the whole process I was debating how far I should push things. Maybe 750 from the beard and 750 from the scalp. 1500 grafts 50cm x 30g/cm2.

I was also considering moving outside the safe donor say around the locks and nape and right up to the horse shoe pattern to homogeneous the donor. Even though you cant see scarring in certain lights you can see a difference in density. The untouched sections look slightly greyer if that makes sense.

Dr. Devoye put up a good topic on the forum previously discussing same, he tends to move outside the previous lines on subsequent surgeries to minimize this effect.
 
Top