WHAT IS SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION SMP?
WHAT IS SCALP MICRO PIGMENTATION (SMP), HAIR TATTOO OR SCALP TATTOO?
SMP or Scalp Micro Pigmentation is also called Medical Hairline Tattoo, Scalp Tattoo, Hair Tattoo or Simulated Hair Follicles. There are millions of men and women who have cosmetic problems with their scalps and hair resulting from dermatologic and/or genetic conditions, such as intractable alopecia areata or female genetic balding.
The first recorded medical use for a tattoo as a concealer was published by Traquina in 2001, but it was quite crude and detectable. However, now in 2015, SMP or Scalp Micro Pigmentation has come a long way. SMP requires that the tattoo pigment be placed in microdots of less than 1mm in size and 1mm apart. This is similar to the distance between natural follicles found on a shaved head scalp. This process gives the appearance of a freshly shaved head or buzzcut to those men and women who are suffering from any stage of balding or baldness.
Now, both men and women, have an alternative, non-surgical treatment – SMP. SMP is an acronym for Scalp Micro Pigmentation is a medical grade, non-surgical treatment, for men and women whereby pigment (color) is tattooed into the epidermal and upper dermis layer of the scalp to give the appearance of natural hair follicles. The end result is a look of a freshly shaved head or buzz cut. This treatment can also be modified to increase density to clients with alopecia or thinning hair. Our SMP method of application is suitable to increase density in men and women with thinning hair or alopecia, or for men with all levels of baldness.
Scalp Micro Pigmentation is an effective treatment for Men and Women of all ages, all balding patterns, and skin types. No scarring. Non-Surgical procedure. Long lasting and guaranteed results in just minutes!
WHAT IS SCALP MICRO PIGMENTATION (SMP), OR HAIR TATTOO AND SCALP TATTOO TREATMENTS:
SMP is a medical tattoo application for Men and Women suffering from balding or thinning hair.
SMP is permanent concealer that reduces the color contrast between hair and scalp.
Men or Women with thinning hair can benefit from SMP by adding density to the scalp.
SMP can be used in conjunction with hair transplantation to add density to the scalp or cover up transplant scarring.
SMP has become a more socially acceptable treatment than wigs, toupee, hair transplantation, etc.
SMP is a permanent treatment that can last for years, with only minor touch ups necessary to keep the pigment fresh.
SMP can increase ones self-esteem and confidence.
SMP is suitable for Men and Women of any age, skin type, skin color and degree of baldness or thinning hair.
THE SCALP MICRO PIGMENTATION PROCESS
The human scalp has more than 2000 hair follicles per square inch. Many men and women suffer from balding, hair thinning, alopecia or loss of hair because of medical treatments, medications or medical conditions. It has been shown in many medical journals that balding in men and women causes’ loss of self-esteem, loss of confidence, increased stress or distress, lowered body image satisfaction and depression. Many men and women turn to hair transplants and spend thousands and thousands of hard earned dollars to try and get their hair back. Many transplants work out, but they are painful, tedious, expensive, invasive, scarring, and many treatments do not take properly or do not give the clients the results they were hoping for.
SMP functions as a permanent concealer, and the targeted artistic effect is similar to the visual effect of dots are created between the pores of a balding scalp. The average Caucasian has 50,000 pores (i.e., 50,000 follicular units), Asians have an average of 40,000 pores (i.e., 40,000 follicular units), and Africans have an average of 30,000 pores (i.e., 30,000 follicular units). The density of the microdots created in the SMP process can be designed to produce shading and create the illusion of texture and fullness to address the desired results.
The SMP process begins by inserting a micro droplet of pigment through the skin and into the upper dermis, using a standard tattoo instrument. At The Scalp Micropigmentation Center, we only use the most up to date equipment possible, as well as the highest standards of hygiene and safety.
Because every patient is different, every area of the scalp is different, and every point of insertion is different from the prior and subsequent points, the SMP Artist at The Scalp Micropigmentation Center is trained to make technical and artistic judgments as the process advances, millimeter by millimeter.
Depending on the amount of hair loss or baldness, the procedure of adding pigmented microdots to the scalp can take between 1 hour and 4 hours. You will need approx. 3 treatments to ensure the absolute best results possible. Why 3 treatments? The reason is because we need to constantly monitor how the scalp absorbed the pigment used, ensure correct placement of the pigment, ensure that there is enough hair density to the area, and ensure optimal client satisfaction. Each treatment time will vary, with the second and third taking only minutes to an hour.
Aftercare of the treated area is just as important as the treatment itself. Costantino will go over the aftercare in complete detail to ensure the best results possible, and to ensure his clients of what to expect after the treatment, and beyond the aftercare.
Although touch-ups may not be necessary, in order to keep the SMP scalp hair follicles looking “fresh”, it is advised that you come in anywhere between 5-10 years in order to get a touch up of the treated area
SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION, SCALP MICRO PIGMENTATION, HAIR MICROPIGMENTATION OR MEDICAL HAIRLINE RESTORATION?
The Scalp Micro Pigmentation industry is still very new and growing rapidly. The SMP industry is very useful for those men and women in any and all stages of hair loss, whom do not want to go through repeatedly expensive and painful hair transplant treatments, those who do not want to constantly want to wear a wig or toupee, those who do not want to wear or have plugs in their scalp, and for those who cannot afford any of the above treatments. Balding, for many men and women, is a very personal issue that can cause depression and loss of self esteem and confidence.
Although the industry is still new, it has come a long way from it’s first introduction in 1990’s. Scalp Micro Pigmentation has many names, including scalp tattooing. This SMP treatment is a permanent micro pigmenting technique from men and women suffering from hair loss of any kind do to aging, medical treatments, medical conditions, etc. SMP offers the ability to have the look of a full head of follicular hair, giving the appearance of a freshly shaved head of hair. It can also add density to men and women with thinning hair, and it can camouflage scars on the scalp from accidents, surgery, or scars left from hair transplants.
Scalp Micro Pigmentation involves the use of a very fine needle, the size and shape of an actual hair follicle, which is digitally controlled using various brands of digital machines that applies medical grade, hypoallergenic colour pigment into the scalp. The pigments used are NOT like the inks used in traditional tattoo art, SMP is performed using specially designed pigments that will not have the colour change or migration that is commonly seen with a body art tattoo. The pigments used for SMP are of a pharmaceutical quality, and meet all FDA and Health Canada regulations.
The pigments used at Scalp Micropigmentation Center (SMC) are dermatologically and microbiologically tested and contain high quality mineral pigments, they are sterile, and hypoallergenic.
Traditional tattoo needles and treatment depth into the skin are very different, as compared to SMP treatments. The only commonality between traditional tattoo art and SMP is that both techniques use needles to implant colour, but that is where the similarity ends. Traditional body art tattoo inks have the tendency to change colour. It is very common for black INKS used in traditional tattoo art to turn blue over time. The PIGMENTS used in SMP is not implanted at a deep level on the scalp, as per traditional tattooing implant their inks in the deep dermis of the skin, which can lead to color change and migration. SMP pigments are implanted in the most upper layers of the dermis and in the epidermis. As well, pigments used in Scalp Micro Pigmentation at SMC do not change color, however they do fade into a charcoal black (Salt and Pepper).
SMP or Scalp Micro Pigmentation is a multi-treatment procedure that usually requires two to three sessions to complete. Depending on the size of the area to be treated and the extent of a patient’s hair loss or scarring, each session will take two to four hours. The treatment in itself is not painful, as the pigment is implanted only in the upper dermis and epidermis. However, no longer than four-hour sessions are recommended as there is a residual build up of ‘irritation’ that can eventually make the patient’s scalp feel sore.