That seems odd, BB.  Since you obviously caught their attention (finally), I figured it'd be for something more functional like your work with GC, conservation of energy, precise fresnel math, the inverse square law, or SSS.  Something as aesthetic as the GUI almost seems a trivial waste of your expertise.

Anyway, the extended render time hasn't gone away.  The top of the head renders in little time at all, but as soon as the engine reaches the eyes, it slows to a crawl.  What are your render settings, BB?