I remember the cafeteria lady at Highland Park Elementary School not so much by her name, or the Spanish expletives she used to reprimand those responsible for the occasional tray pileup near the dessert station, but by her lack of eyebrows. Yep, about an inch above where they should have been, were two single color rainbows that she would crudely paint on with a cobalt blue semi-permanent Sharpie, at the start of every day. Having never found the courage to ask what happened to her God given brows, I assume she was either a burn victim or the product of excessive plucking. Then again, maybe she suffered from Trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder that results in the obsessive pulling out of hair. Whatever the reason, I wonder if she now knows there are board certified facial plastic surgeons who specialize in surgical hair restoration.

According to eyebrowtransplantation.com, "the procedure for restoring eyebrows involves... the meticulous placement of as many as several hundred hairs to each eyebrow. Critical steps include the microscopic dissection of the individual hairs, and placing the grafts at a specific angle and direction to mimic their natural position." Eyelash transplants, which may cost in the upwards of $6000.00, are also available, although not commonly performed.

Dr. Alan Bauman, one of the few surgeons worldwide who routinely performs Eyelash Transplantation, explains that "hair follicles from the back of the scalp are harvested and then implanted into the eyelid... Usually 12 to 30, or more, lashes can be placed per upper eyelid during a session. The implanted follicles (like the seeds of a plant) will grow and produce hair permanently starting as early as six weeks. The newly growing lashes will possess the same characteristics as scalp hair. The lashes will need to be routinely trimmed and curled."

Possible side effects from eyelash transplantation include mild swelling and bruising. Lower lid eyelash transplantation is not available. Click HERE to view before and after photos of facial hair transplants. For additional information on eyebrow or eyelash transplantation, I suggest speaking with a doctor you trust about finding a facial hair restoration specialist in your area.