double stubble

Man unable to grow facial hair goes viral for undergoing beard transplant

Frank Roman Pierce got a beard transplant in Istanbul
Frank Roman Pierce (Photo: @whoisfrankpierce/Instagram)

Everyone knows about hair transplants on your scalp… but did you know you can now also get a beard transplant?

It seems that many people are still unaware of this fact as a man on TikTok saw a video he posted about his own procedure go viral in the last couple of weeks.

Frank Roman Pierce has lived in Jacksonville, Florida, for the past nine years and works in medical sales and brand consultancy. He is also an aspiring model and actor that has always any struggled to grow facial hair.

At the start of the year, Pierce decided to take a leap of faith: to fly to Turkey for a beard transplant.

He came to that decision because practitioners in Orlando, Florida had been quoting him a price of around $12,000. Istanbul has become a magnet for those seeking cheap hair transplants and a clinic there offered to do it for significantly less.

Pierce said he ended up spending around $3,500, including hotels. His flight costs were extra.

His initial video documenting the transplant has hit over 3.6 million views on TikTok and prompted over 6,000 comments.

@whoisfrankpierce #turkey🇹🇷 #hairtransplant #cityboys #fyp ♬ original sound – WhoIsFrankPierce

Related: How I learned to love my hairy back and shoulders

In a later video, he talked more about why he chose Turkey. While he highlighted the huge price difference, he also stressed that costs may vary depending on how much hair needs to be transplanted.

@whoisfrankpierce Replying to @dancing_flight_attendant #turkey🇹🇷 #beardtransplant #beardjourney #fyp ♬ original sound – WhoIsFrankPierce

Another video showed more of his trip.

@whoisfrankpierce Replying to @showoffpraise_1 thank you to @Now Hair Time Hair Transplant #beardgang #turkey🇹🇷 #beardtransplant #beardjourney #fyp #medicaltourism #crazy ♬ original sound – WhoIsFrankPierce

“I’ve always wanted facial hair”

Speaking to Queerty, Pierce explained more about his decision.

“I flew to Turkey for a week for my facial hair transplant and I couldn’t have been more anxious and excited about it at the time. I promised myself that I’d follow through with the procedure after I turned 35 and saw no growth.

“I’m now 37 and was still unable to grow any facial hair, sideburns or full chin hair. The hair that grew in was spotty and more of a hassle to manage due to it being extremely inconsistent. I’ve always wanted facial hair, I felt that it matched more with my demeanor and how I dressed and carried myself.”

Related: Cheyenne Jackson gets deeply personal with his followers

He’s delighted with the result so far.

“Although I’m early in the process, I’ve healed fast and already have stubble.”

Pierce said it’s already hard to see the scars from where hair follicles were taken from the back of his head.

The clinic provided him with a year’s supply of shampoo, oils and vitamins and recommends he use hair-loss lotion Minoxidil, to minimize any of the transplanted follicles falling out (although some fall-out is inevitable with any hair transplant procedure).

Pierce has been blown away by the interest in his procedure. Check his TikTok profile for multiple follow-up reports, along with his Instagram.

Related: Why I’m still struggling to deal with hair loss at 53

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated