A venture capitalist has spent $10,000 on a beard transplant, saying he wanted to look older and be taken more seriously in professional settings. He said sparse facial hair had made him feel he was perceived as younger and less credible by colleagues and clients, prompting him to pursue the cosmetic procedure as a way of boosting his professional image.

The procedure involved transplanting hair follicles, typically taken from the back of the scalp, into areas of the face where growth was patchy or absent, at a cost of around $10,000. Such transplants have grown in popularity in recent years among men seeking a fuller beard for aesthetic or professional reasons, reflecting a wider trend of men turning to cosmetic procedures to influence how they are perceived at work.