What is Moustache Transplantation?
Moustache transplantation is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which healthy follicular units taken from the nape and sides are transplanted to the upper lip area where facial hair has lost its aesthetic integrity due to thinning, irregular growth or no growth at all. The aim of this procedure is to strengthen the masculine appearance and reinforce self-confidence by creating a moustache silhouette that suits the person’s natural facial features. Thanks to the autologous method where the person’s own tissue is used, there is no risk of allergy or rejection; the transplanted hairs grow permanently for life.
Mustache Transplantation
Moustache Transplant; Since mustaches have a vital function in men’s appearance as a symbol of masculinity, gentleness, and virility, mustache hair transplant is a trendy topic these days. Due to hormonal imbalances, genetics, scarring, inflammations, and infections, many men suffer from spotty and patchy mustaches.
Because of that, they tend to feel less confident. As a result, so many men have started to investigate whether a mustache hair transplant is achievable or not. It is achievable! The procedure of mustache transplantation has barely any dissimilarities from a hair transplant.
On the other hand, a mustache transplant should be a more delicate and sophisticated procedure since it is carried on the facial area. Therefore, careful work must be done to avoid unfavorable results.
How is Moustache Transplantation Done?
The process begins with local anesthesia and continues with the numbing of the operation area. Healthy follicles located in groups on the nape and sides are removed one by one with micromotor or manual punch tips. Each graft is placed in a special transport solution without disturbing 1-2 hair follicles inside, and then placed in thin micro channels opened in advance along the planned design line of the moustache. The ideal entry angle and depth are adjusted to mimic the natural hair direction during the channel opening. The operation takes approximately two to three hours and the patient can return to social life the same day.
What are the Methods Used in Moustache Transplantation?
The most common method is called FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction); in this technique, individual follicular units are taken and transplanted into microchannels. In the moustache area, where more precise direction and depth control is required, DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) can be preferred; without opening the channels, the follicle is injected directly into the tissue with Choi implanter pens. The FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) method is rarely used; the grafts are separated by removing a strip of tissue from the nape of the neck, but most patients and surgeons prefer DHI/FUE due to the risk of scarring.
Number of Grafts Required for Moustache Transplantation
Typically, a follicular unit transplant of 800–1,500 grafts is required to create a full moustache line. For individuals with thin and sparse hair, 1,500–2,000 grafts may be planned to increase density. The number of grafts is determined during a detailed consultation based on the person’s desired thickness, moustache line design, and donor reserve.
Things to Consider Before and After Moustache Transplantation
Aspirin, NSAID group painkillers and blood thinners should be stopped 7 days before the operation, and smoking and alcohol consumption should be stopped for at least 10 days. After a comfortable session under local anesthesia on the day of the procedure, mild swelling and tension are considered normal in the first 48 hours; cold compresses and a slightly head-up position provide relief. Direct water contact is not allowed in the transplant area for the first week, dressing is done with the recommended solutions. Care can be started with gentle washing and prescribed lotions from the second week onwards. Intense sports and activities such as swimming should be avoided for six weeks, and moustache shaving or shaping can be done after 6-8 weeks.
Process of Mustache Transplantation
Since a good-looking mustache demonstrates men’s masculinity and gentle look, having a sparse mustache is not a pleasant situation. Just like experiencing hair loss, a sparse mustache has a significant impact on men’s psychology while ruining their physical appearance.
As a symbol of aesthetics, mustache transplantation helps to gain a charismatic look on men’s faces. At Smile Hair Clinic, every day, we encounter so many patients experiencing hair loss in various areas; and after the successful results, our patients claim how dreadful the situation was before; they tend to reveal the truth about how they were feeling while trying to live with the look which they never wanted.
Improved a good deal so far in the field of hair transplantation by following the latest technology. Smile Hair Clinic provides its patients with facial transplantation as well.
To avoid an undesirable appearance and gain you a gentle mustache, our clinic, as always, starts with the analysis of your upper lip area, where the transformation will happen, and the donor area. The donor area is usually the neck. With the help of the FUE technique, the hair will be extracted and implanted in the recipient area.
Depending on the sparseness of the mustache area, 300 to 500 hair follicles are required, and a mustache transplant usually takes 2-3 hours.
Before and After Mustache Hair Transplant
It is vital to follow some necessary steps to get successful mustache transplantation.
- Smoking and consumption of alcohol before and after your surgery is not good at all.
Since cigarettes include nicotine, which can constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the scalp, nicotine consumption harms your operation process and healing phase.
It is more difficult for the body to recover after an incision if you smoke; anything that contains nicotine prevents oxygen from getting through your blood.
Alcohol might damage the functions of the anesthetic medications used during the surgery. It increases bleeding and bruising; consumption of alcohol must be avoided at least one week before hair transplant surgery.
- If you have chronic diseases and are using any medication, confirm with your doctor about it. It is also significant to inform your doctor about your drug allergies. These are the essentials that might affect your surgery.
- Before the operation, wear clothes with zippers or buttons; taking them off is easy to protect your transplanted area. Remember, it is okay to have breakfast but light one on the procedure day.
Complications Patients May Encounter
Mustache hair transplant is a much more sensitive operation than other hair transplantation procedures. However, the healing phase of mustache hair transplant is more rapid; in 8-10 months, patients will be recovered entirely without severe complications.
After a mustache hair transplant, be aware of some physical reactions that your body demonstrates and do not worry about them. The patient can encounter bleeding in the transplanted area; it leaves red spots on the mustache area. Luckily, red dots will not be with the patient for a long time; they will vanish after a few days.
Swelling on the upper lip is another side effect of the procedure. The patient might have difficulties eating meals due to the swelling. However, it is not an ordinary situation; you will get over it soon!
The patient encounters crusting on the upper lift and may feel itchy. It is better not to rub and scratch the transplanted area. In a week, crusting and itching will fade away. Renewal of the patient’s skin and hair follicles starts afterward.
To protect your mustache area, it is recommended to watch out for your movements; avoid sudden actions. Remember that your mustache hair follicles can get damaged, which leads the patient to an unsuccessful result of mustache hair transplantation.
One month following the surgery, the patient may undergo shock loss. However, the post-operative process can vary from person to person since everyone has a unique body system. Hair shedding signals that brand new hair is about to come out. So, shock-loss is a normal phase for patients.
What Are the Causes of Mustache Loss?
Mustache hair loss can be caused by various factors, including illness, trauma, and hormonal imbalance.
- Hair loss is a well-known adverse effect of cancer treatments due to exposure to radiation and chemotherapy. During the treatment, mustache hair and the hair in different areas can fall out.
- Alopecia areata Universalis, an auto-immune disease, can also cause hair loss in the different parts of your body, including a mustache. Alopecia areata Universalis can lead to hair loss when your immune system fights itself and deactivates working hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
- If a man has hypogonadism ( low testosterone), he might suffer from mustache hair loss or other facial hair loss.
- Mustache sores derived from parasites, bacteria, fungi, and ingrown hair is also another reason for a patchy mustache.
- Known as a tinea infection, ringworm disease is a fungal infection of skin, hair, and hair follicles. If you have itching and red circles around your mustache or beard, you are likely to have a sparse mustache.
- Psoriasis is another disease that affects the roots of the mustache and beard. Lip hair follicles can be severely destroyed in some circumstances if you are experiencing Psoriasis.
- Inflammations and infections can also cause hair loss on the mustache. And the presence of a large number of pimples may have a harmful impact on hair roots as well.
Who can have a moustache transplant?
Every adult male who is bothered by the thinning of his facial hair, whose mustache line is not genetically sufficient, or who has experienced hair loss due to trauma or burns, is a candidate for mustache transplantation. Individuals who have sufficient density of hair follicles in the donor area, who have a chronic disease under control, and who agree to limit smoking and alcohol use before the operation are ideal candidates. The skin and hair structure are analyzed, and a personalized density and distribution plan is made.
How Long Does Moustache Transplantation Take?
It is usually completed in a 2-3 hour operation. Local anesthesia is applied in 15-20 minutes; then the donor collection takes 45-60 minutes, and the channel opening and graft placement phase takes 60-90 minutes depending on the number of grafts planned. The patient is discharged with a light dressing on the same day after the operation, and can return to daily life the next day with a regular light shower and dressing control.
Frequently asked Questions
Is Moustache Transplant Permanent?
The follicular units transplanted in moustache transplantation are permanent for life because they are taken from the roots that are genetically resistant to shedding in the nape and side areas. After the “shock shedding” phase that occurs after the operation is completed, the new hair strands that grow from the transplanted roots maintain their permanence for life, continuing the normal growth cycle. Therefore, once a successful transplant is made, the need for a refill is not directly related to the life of the grafts; it is more related to the change in facial features over time or the desire to renew aesthetic expectations.
Does Moustache Transplantation Look Natural?
The most important goal in moustache transplantation is to place the transplanted hair follicles in a direction and angle compatible with the facial features. Under local anesthesia, follicles taken from the nape area with special ultra-thin punch tips and microsurgical instruments are placed in the canal in a way that mimics the natural hair growth angle on the moustache line. Thanks to the ideal implantation angle and graft density, the transplanted hairs gain a texture as realistic as a natural beard strand after a few months of growth. Since they are nourished by autologous roots in terms of both color and thickness, an artificial appearance is never formed; at the end of the 9-12 month full recovery process, the result is perceived as an uninterrupted extension of the person’s own biological moustache structure.
Will it be painful since the moustache area is sensitive?
The upper lip area is considered sensitive due to its nerve endings and thin skin structure, but since the transplantation procedure is performed completely under local anesthesia, the patient does not feel any pain or severe discomfort. During the procedure, only the stinging sensation of the anesthesia injections and the pressure sensation during the graft extraction may be felt. There may be a slight feeling of tension and fullness in the first 1-2 days after the operation; this is controlled with prescription painkillers. From the second day onwards, the feeling of pain decreases rapidly and routine daily life is resumed comfortably in the shortest time.
Will There Be Any Scars on the Face?
The FUE or DHI techniques used in moustache transplantation are micrograft harvesting methods that do not require stitches. Since each follicular unit taken from the donor area in the nape area is removed with ultra-small holes of 0.6–0.8 mm in diameter, there is no visible scar. Since the channel opening operations in the moustache line also require micron-level incisions, they are limited to minimal crusting on the skin surface and micro scars that disappear after a few days. Two weeks after the operation, both the donor and the transplant area appear almost completely healed.
When Should You Shave After Moustache Transplantation?
During the first 10 days after the transplant, it is expected that the crusts in the transplanted area will naturally fall off; shavers or razors should not be used during this period. After the crust and edema have completely disappeared from the 10th to 14th day, the newly grown hairs can be gently shortened with a beard care set. In the strands that have achieved full thickness and length, shaving becomes a normal routine after 4-6 weeks. At this stage, cutting and follow-up strategies that will emphasize the density of the new moustache can be applied with the help of a professional barber or hairdresser.
Can It Be Done At The Same Time As Beard Transplant?
Moustache and beard transplantation can be combined in a single session, depending on the surgeon’s donor reserve. Thus, grafts are transplanted from the nape area to both the moustache and the chin or cheek areas at the same time. Although the session length increases according to the number of grafts, a holistic aesthetic planning is carried out that designs both areas together while maintaining the patient’s comfort with local anesthesia. This method ensures that all facial hair looks balanced and symmetrical in terms of density
How Many Days Does It Take to Heal a Moustache Transplant?
The microchannels in the transplantation area close within 7-10 days and the skin barrier is completely repaired. The healing is largely completed with the removal of all crust residues along with mild edema and crusting in the first week and the shock shedding phase of the hairs in the second week. It takes an average of 2-3 weeks for tissue integrity and sensitivity in the skin tissue to return to normal. The resting phase required for the full integration of the roots and permanent new hair growth lasts between 3-6 months; however, the superficial healing and return to social life last only a few weeks.
When Do Mustaches Start Growing?
2-4 weeks after the transplant, the first transplanted hairs are shed with temporary “shock shedding” and the follicles enter the resting phase. New thin hair strands begin to appear in approximately 8-12 weeks, and from the third month onwards, the follicles enter the active growth phase and the strands thicken. After the sixth month, a significant fullness and length is formed in the moustache area; the final aesthetic appearance and full thickness of the hairs are completed within 9-12 months.
Is Moustache Transplantation Risky? What Are Its Side Effects?
Moustache transplantation is performed with local anesthesia, so it is safe enough not to carry the risks of general anesthesia; when applied in a sterile environment and with disposable micromotor punch tips, the risk of infection, excessive bleeding or anesthesia reaction is minimal. Rarely, small hematomas, temporary numbness or a feeling of tissue tension may be seen in the operation area; these effects usually disappear on their own within a few days. Very rarely, if the follicle angles are adjusted incorrectly, an artificial line appearance may occur, which can be corrected with a second touch-up session.
Moustache Transplant Prices 2025
As of 2025, the average moustache transplant package prices in Türkiye range from 8,000 ₺ to 15,000 ₺. This price range includes local anesthesia, donor collection, graft preparation, channel opening, micrograft placement and first monthly follow-up examinations. In cases where a higher number of grafts or special implanter techniques such as DHI are used, prices can go up to 20,000 ₺. Since clinics usually offer installment options and payment plans, it is possible to learn the exact cost with a personalized consultation.