Category: Pigments

I am very interested in the SMP procedure but am hesitant to do anything permanent without knowing if I will like the end result or not.

Is there a temporary procedure available (temporary tattoo, photographic manipulation) where a patient can see what they may look like with SMP, and if they like the result, go ahead with the permanent procedure?

Thank you

We have monthly Open House events at our office in Los Angeles where you can see first hand how Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) is done and also meet with patients face-to-face that have had SMP.

It is considered permanent, but SMP can often – but not always – be reversed with laser treatments (pigment removal). But you’ll probably not want to have SMP done with the plan to go through the laser treatments right afterwards. If you want a temporary SMP look, you can try cosmetic camouflaging products like Dermmatch or Toppik.

Hi,
Is SMP removable? The reason I am asking is, what happens if person turns grey-haired or hair’s color changes with the age?

Best Regards

Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) can be removed with appropriate lasers, but otherwise it should be considered a permanent cosmetic procedure. If you’re looking for something temporary, consider Toppik or DermMatch.

We’ve answered similar questions about graying hair in the past — What Happens to the Scalp Micro-Pigmentation Once You Turn Gray? — but gray hair has not been a problem that we have seen. You can try a test area with us and see if it works for you and your hair color.

dr. rassman,

can general anesthesia be used for SMP procedure?

Does the pigment ever stretch as the patient ages, like how a tattoo on a 70 year old looks?

can the hairline be made to look natural, i have seen “his hair” procedures in which it looks like a line is drawn on the forhead instead of a natural shaved head look.

i can send you a couple photos of my balding, im 26 and have beeen since i was 18 but the past 2 years it seems to have slowed a lot. i do not take propecia, and do not want to.

i want a good smp procedure to give me back a symetrical face. Can smp go with a “number 1″ buzz cut or is it used with a “no guard” buzz cut.

thanks

We offer local anesthesia for a pain free experience. We also offer light sedation, but we do not offer general anesthesia (where you are completely out).

The pigment, like all cosmetic pigment or tattoos, fade and spread over time. We have techniques to minimize this as much as possible. The length of hair you need for SMP varies from number 1 guard to a shave.

If you would like a photo consultation, you would need to email photos and call (800) NEW-HAIR to speak to me or Dr. Pak.

Thanks for the great website and all the effort you and the rest of the team put to answer questions on a regular basis.

My question is regarding SMP. Could the same method be used to artificially create a stubble for men with patchy facial hair? I understand that it is a permanent look, but could the technique (or something similar) be used on the face?

Thanks again for your time.

I guess it sounds like a reasonable thing to do when small bald spots exist in a beard and the patient does not want hair transplants. But you’re going to limit yourself to always having the same facial hair length forever, or you’ll have tattooed spots on your face. Having said that we have done a small size spot (1cm) for a former patient.

Is SMP for longer hair a different technique when doing it on people who keep their hair short. I have had many hair transplants so I have good coverage but not enough density. If I had SMP but elected to keep my hair longer would SMP consist of dots or shading?
Thank you

This is a very important question. Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP), as we do it, mimics the shaved hair follicle as it emerges from the scalp, having no length. This is not a piece of art in the classic manner with shading and depth color. Some people want their scalp to become darker, so they use products like Toppik (a concealer) to darken the scalp and match their hair color. That is not what we do with SMP. For this reason, SMP has more limited application and it can not match the powders or concealers.

When used with longer hair, one can still see the scalp between the hair, and the tattoo impact from the SMP is not dramatic. For this reason, we want most people to get realistic expectations. We do not paint the scalp with tattoo dye — that is not SMP — but we do create a stippled appearance of the scalp skin between the existing hair follicles when we do it for people with longer hair.

I have had some extensive hair surgery done, and it looks quite good. Still I have some scars from the 90’s transplant days and thinning in the crown. Could some SMP be done to fill in just the scars and in-between the grafts for illusion purposes? I’m afraid if I shaved it completely, there is just too much extensive donar scarring from before. I’m afraid I might be stuck at the mercy of Topik or Couvre, but the mess really is a hassle. Thanks!

If you look at our SMP site, you will see examples of what you are asking about. Micropigmentation is not as good as Toppik for thickening up areas in the crown the way you described your present problem, but if I examined you, I might be able to tell you what benefit you could get. Without examining you, I can’t guess what will happen with the pigment in the crown area where you presently have hair.