Non-Surgical Procedure to Hide Hair Loss: Scalp Micro Pigmentation
Thursday, August 15th, 2013Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP) is one of the newest cosmetic procedures. This procedure is a non-surgical procedure that is done in one or more sessions to create the appearance of hair in a shaved or non-shaved scalp. The procedure does not require local anesthetics and is generally without significant pain. We have started standardizing SMP in US Hair Restoration in the last six month to have a perfect way of doing it for a variety of scalps and hairs.
Wematch the pigment to the person’s natural hair color. This will be the hair color that is seen if the person shaves their head. The procedure is done using the SMP machine which introduces the pigments to the very superficial layers of dermis (skin). We use fine needles with a variety of angles depending on the final desired appearance. The depth, angle, number of needles and speed of the machine all affect the end result and should be carefully selected for the optimal outcome.
If the patient routinely shaves his head, it is recommended to have it shaved a day before in preparation for the procedure.
The benefits of this procedure are:
- Pain is minimal during the procedure
- None to minimal recovery time is needed
- More cost effective than a some other surgical options
- More durable and less messy than topical products such as microfibers
The only disadvantage of this procedure is that it is not permanent. SMP may require touch ups every few years to keep it at the original shape. The time between needed touch up will vary with each case.
The purpose of this procedure is to help improve the appearance of balding or thinning areas. Some patients choose to have this procedure done to minimize the visibility of scars of scalp or any other hair bearing areas. The scarring of scalp could be the result of either from past hair transplant or any type of scarring alopecia. It is recommended to schedule a consultation with the specialist who performs this in order to be evaluated and assess the scalp and balding pattern. Some people may not be a good candidates for this procedure depends on the quality of hair and scalp and also their personal styling preferences. That will be determined during the consultation session.
