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Hipsters and Hasids Turn to Beard Transplants

Playing “Hipster or Hasid” is about to get harder

by
Hannah Dreyfus
February 28, 2014
Hipster or Hasid?(Shutterstock)
Hipster or Hasid?(Shutterstock)

The next big thing in cosmetic surgery: facial hair transplants.

DNAinfo reports that New Yorkers are paying thousands of dollars to ensure that their beards remain full and luscious, and Hasidic men are among the prime consumers of this popular hair therapy, requesting sidelock implants for “denser payot.”

The going rate to ‘pump up’ your beard? As high as $7,000. The hair for beard transplants is typically taken from the patient’s head and then implanted through micro-incisions into the face. The procedure takes eight hours and requires anesthesia.

“Whether you are talking about the Brooklyn hipster or the advertising executive, the look is definitely to have a bit of facial hair,” said Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a facial plastic surgeon who has performed the procedure for 12 years. He averages three beard implants a week.

Dr. Yael Halaas, another plastic surgeon specializing in the field, says an increasing number of young professionals think the full-bearded look is “hip” and “fashionable.”

The procedure is also popular with transgender patients who are transitioning, and men who simply weren’t blessed with abundant facial hair in adolescence.

This is going to make the game of “Hasid or Hipster” even more challenging.

Hannah Dreyfus is an editorial intern at Tablet.