Scalp 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.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) for Scar Revision

FUE hair transplant procedure is used for completely restoring hair to balding areas of scalp. The nature of this surgery makes it more time consuming because each follicular unit (FU) is extracted singularly. The FUs can have one, two, three or even four hair shafts. This type of procedure on like ‘Strip Method’ hair transplant procedures allows for a limited number of grafts to be extracted.

Since the extraction of individual follicular units (FUs) is done individually it is perfect for the small procedure of revisioning a hair transplant scar from a previous hair transplant. The surgeon can extract a small number of grafts from the permanent zone and artistically and strategically place them in the scar. This process of using FUE uses hair to obscure and blend the margins of the scar to the surrounding scalp.

SCALP Tattooing

SMP- scalp micro pigmentation is a cosmetic hair restoration procedure where the patients scalp is tatooed with ink to create the illusion of shaved hair or hair stubble. This is a method sometimes preferred by bald men who are seeking an alternative to hair transplant surgery or to augment hair transplant surgery. Performed correctly SMP provides the appearance of short shaved hair to balding areas of the scalp. Like any cosmetic medical procedure the results are only as good as the surgeon performing the procedure.

SMP eliminates the hassle of frequent applications of a topical hair product to hide thinning, as they can be messy and be transferred onto clothing, sheets or pillow cases. SMP can be used for a variety of scalp conditions that include: genetic androgenic alopecia (AGA) otherwise known as male pattern balding (MPB), scarring alopecia’s from a variety of autoimmune diseases of the scalp (e.g. alopecia areata, alopecia totalis). SMP is very helpful and reducing the appearance of some types of scarring. It can also used to manage the unnatural appearance that is associated with older unnatural looking hair transplant procedures.

US Hair Restoration centers utilize SMP to reduce the appearance of scars to create an illusion of density and military shaved type hairstyles and other uses such as eyebrow density. Always make an educated decision before considering any permanent solution for hair restoration. If you are considering SMP consult with one of Los Angeles or Beverly Hills leading hair restoration centers.