A Harley Street surgeon has claimed there has been a spike in beard transplants with England fans keen to emulate Gareth Southgate as World Cup mania reaches fever pitch.
The England manager became a fashion icon for his waistcoats during the Three Lions’ run to the World Cup semi finals in 2018 but now fans are also hoping to go one step further by seeking £4,000 surgery to boost their beard and sideburns.
Harley Street surgeon Dr Asim Shahmalak from Crown Clinic claims he has had a 25 per cent rise in bookings.
Dr Shahmalak said: “A proper, full-grown beard has been the ultimate definition of masculinity for centuries - as Gareth Southgate shows only too well leading the England team.
“But the sad truth is that many men in Britain struggle to grow beards, sideburns and moustaches.
“They have significant gaps in their facial hair and the end result can look patchy and unconvincing.
“Their problems can be easily remedied with a transplant. We can fill out the areas on their face where there are gaps and they can adopt whatever look they like: a bushy moustache, big sideburns or the sexy designer stubble or beards often sported by Gareth Southgate and David Beckham.”
He claimed more men are turning to surgery to get their facial hair bolstered with hair transplants so that they have a fuller beard with no gaps like 52-year-old Southgate.
Hair is taken from the back of the scalp in a strip and transplanted into the bald patches of the beard or the sideburn in a similar procedure to a conventional hair transplant.
