When it comes to helping to restore thinning portions of your hair, lowering a receding hairline, or just slowing the rate of hair loss, you have a few options. Depending on what your hair looks like currently, the underlying reason for your hair loss, and your goal appearance, you may opt for hair loss treatment medications, a hair transplant, or even the more recent development of scalp micropigmentation.
But, just what is scalp micropigmentation, and how can you know that it is the best direction for you?
Below, we will cover just what scalp micropigmentation is, how it works, and the pros and cons of undergoing this procedure.
Scalp micropigmentation is essentially a form of professionally applied scalp tattoos made to mimic the appearance of your hair follicles underneath the skin of the scalp.
For men, you know how even after a close shave of the scalp, you will see little dots of color from the hair follicle and closely cropped growing hair? Scalp micropigmentation is made to resemble the appearance of having a lot of growing hair follicles -- but that you just have your hair cut in a close buzzcut or shaved head style.
Ultimately, scalp pigmentation is a scalp tattoo made to look natural and blend into any hair you currently have. Most people opt to rock the close shave look with scalp micropigmentation, although it is possible to employ this procedure to help mask thinning of longer hair for men or women by adding more shadow and helping to disguise the scalp showing through, or to even cover up a scar on the scalp where hair is not growing -- potentially from a previous hair transplant surgery.
However, even though this is a tattoo, you don’t want to just walk into any tattoo parlor and ask for this done, you will want to speak with a cosmetic or hair loss clinic that specializes in this procedure for the best results.
The first step you will likely go through when planning your scalp micropigmentation sessions is to have a consultation with the clinic of your choice.
In this meeting, they will analyze your current hair, listen to your goals, and help you decide on a hairline shape or extent of the service.
After the consultation, they will likely schedule a number of scalp micropigmentation sessions to perform the “tattooing”. Depending on your hair and expected look, you may need multiple sessions spaced a few weeks apart to allow for healing. The sessions themselves may last up to 4-5 hours depending on how much of a surface area needs to be covered.
Your scalp will be numbed during the procedure, but may still remain tender for a few days afterward. Your clinic will likely provide you with care information including avoiding washing the area for a few days after the treatment, or avoiding the sun, swimming, or other activities that may affect the final look of the treatment (for a short period of time).
After the full procedure and healing/resting time, your scalp will likely look very natural if done right. However, as with tattoos anywhere else, fading is possible, and you may need periodic touch-ups after months or years.
There are pros and cons to scalp micropigmentation that you will want to consider before going through with it. Below, are some of the most common pros and cons to scalp micropigmentation treatments for hair loss.
Scalp micropigmentation pros:
Scalp micropigmentation cons:
For those who wear their hair close-cropped, have extensive balding, or don’t want to deal with surgery or medications, scalp micropigmentation may be a good option for you.
But, if you find that micropigmentation is not the best fit for you, there may still be non-surgical options.
Here at Strut, we offer prescription hair loss medications for men and women. For men, we have customized topical and oral options containing medications including Finasteride, Dutasteride, and Minoxidil. For women, we compound a customized topical formula with Spironolactone, Minoxidil, and a little Tretinoin to help with penetration.
If you are interested in seeing if our prescription hair loss medications are a good fit for you, you can have a free online questionnaire and photo-based telemedicine consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors today.
If you are a good candidate for treatment, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our free and fast shipping.
If you have any questions during your hair loss treatment, our team and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
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