Jholcollege11

As my May 1st date approaches, and April 17th gets closer (14 days before procedure- deposit lost if not cancelled by apr 17th) I get a little more nervous about this. My biggest concern with the place GLI that I chose, is that they only offer the one day of smp- which may take up to 8hours- and then a following morning follow-up evaluation which they say is for the technician to look with fresh eyes at the work she did and see if you are both happy with the work. my concern with this is: 1) every other clinic say they need to do at least two different sessions with a one or two day rest in between for recovery? 2) what if my skin's acceptance or lack thereof, of the pigments does not surface for a couple of days, and by that time im 1200 miles away back at home? 3) is this just a tactic to get you out the door quick before the client can notice things they want to change that can only be noticable after some healing occurs? When I asked my consultant why they only offer this one session with a follow up eval next morning, he told me that the only thing to be concerned about is the finished product and not as much the process- I am paraphrasing so not quoting exactly how he responded- but my point is that I will get no real answer to this question from the source

Yes Dr Rassman's New Hair institute, but he doesn't do the smp but rather his associate Dr Pak does all SMP procedures. Yes, awesome info Scar, and yea that would be a huge help for lots of men who are thinking about doing this to be able to see pics (current) of those guys who had it done in early-mid 90s.

Yea I may try NHI for a consultation

Like I said before, I find negatives in all 4 of the top providers- NHI, GLI, HIS, and AC-(the worst by far in my opinion) and I am just trying to go with the lesser of the evils, and chose the place I think has the best results. It sucks that none of these places have really been all that helpful in answering ALL of my questions. Some questions when you ask them, they dont answer them completely or at all, and give me the feeling they are hiding something. I just have no experience dealing with a business that offers a product that im interested in, but refuses to be completely forthcoming.I feel like they are afraid to answer questions honestly. Maybe these are red flags that I should pay attention to.

WOW, I knew that AC sued GLI over name infringement or something, but didnt know the details.Search engine manipulation, That is pretty scandalous of GLI. Yea I got that same email from GLI about good morning america. Ive been recording it daily-b/c they dont know when it will air- to see how it comes out. Im still not sure about any of these companies but I only hope that I made the right choice. I still havent heard back from GLI about the touchup price guarantee, but if i dont hear anything by tomm afternoon I will call them. Yea HIS was my original choice, but since they have opened so many clinics and train so many techs, quality control may be an issue. The gallery pics for HIS look good, but when I watch their videos it just looks like pencil shading on bald guys. I really wanted to like their results b/c they are the originators of this process, and they seem to want to keep their clients in the loop even years after the process, but when I watch those videos the results all look so fake to me.

Yea Scar 5,on nhi's gallery probably what I was seeing was the shine of the lotion or cream reflecting off of the flash of the camera. Hard to tell from the gallery whether or not they do good work. I have trouble in the galleries deciding whether one company is just doctoring pics or is their product better than this one b/c it looks better? No way to know from pics in my opinion. I did not know that skin cells cannot be injected twice with ink. Interesting. Makes the touchup process seem irrelevant. TimeToDoSomething- Im sorry you had a bad experience with GLI, that sucks. I can only speak from my experience, and so far they have been nice and professional and not overly-aggressive. Maybe they have changed their sales tactics since you guys talked to them. I can honestly say that they have never contacted me by email or phone, without me contacting them first. They never really seemed too interested in whether I chose them or not, which kind of made me a little skeptical.( I kind of wouldve liked a little more aggression than what they showed me) When I had my consultation over the phone, the guy asked me if I was sure that I wanted this done b/c based on my pics he thought I had pretty good amount of hair. He was very helpful and he even said toward the end of the consult that if I didnt choose him that I should go to AC in Florida. I still dont fully understand that, but ok LOL. Basically what I got from him was this paraphrase- "If you choose us great, if you don't, that's ok too. Have a nice day." LOL. For me it was basically choosing "the lesser of the evils" and that was GLI. Im not saying they are the Best provider, but I am saying that I believe they are and REALLY hope they are. When I called AC in FLA, a young guy answered and was not helpful. I asked him about three or four questions and all I got in return was- "Yep", "uh huh" and "ok". It was honestly just like talking to a tattoo shop. After this two minute convo, coupled with AC's site being one big bash-other-providers fest, I decided no way. Im still waiting on response from GLI about touch ups.

I emailed Dr Pak who performs the SMP procedures at Dr Rassmans NHI clinic, and he gave me a quote of $6,000. He explained to me that this is the price for full scalp coverage, and five procedures- and they do not reccomend anything less than full coverage. I too was unimpressed with NHI's gallery. To me the after photos just look too shiny and sticky. Not natural looking to me. At present my biggest concern is the fading and if the touch up process would be able to combat this. When I was having a conversation over the phone with a woman who works for GLI, she was very friendly and helpful, but as soon as I mentioned the touch ups and asked about pricing, I immediately noticed a change in her tone- almost defensive like I had insulted her. This kind of made me uneasy. I emailed GLI last night and asked if I would have a guarantee on the price of future touch ups, or would this price be subject to inflation as time goes by, and Im just waiting for a response. My other concerns are: 1) When the tech does a touch up, will they tattoo exactly over each of the thousands of dots or will some "new ones" emerge in between the existing dots causing more of a solid look?- which would not be good 2) Will going back over the same dots cause them to get bigger and bigger also causing a migration? 3) will it be difficult to get an appointment for a touch up (3 - 5 years down the road for example) since the clinic will only make a fraction of the original smp price? Or will they suddenly be booked? 4) Will the clinic have enough of an insentive to do a good job on a touch up, or will they pass me off to be a guinee pig to a trainee tech? Just some things that concern me for down the road

Good honest post Scar 5. I appreciate the feedback man! Yea youre right about the tv exposure, the best explanation is-the company that can afford to pay for a platform like Good morning america is going to get that exposure. GLI tells me that it is just a case of the news reporting what they see, and that b/c they are so good at what they do, the reporters are putting them on tv. I admit that business and advertising are not something I know alot about, so I can't say they are lying, but sounds kinda sketchy. On the other hand, they are definitely getting their name out there and national exposure would definitely be risky if they arent confident in their results. AHHh, what to do? Im like you in that I already deal with alot of these concerns like harsh lighting and strange looks so Im just ready to roll the dice. I may come back on here in five weeks crying like a little girl but Im tired of not doing anything. PS: you had me laughing on that comment about getting a shrink and moving to another town and building inner confidence

Yea man, for sure. Unity definitely makes procedures like this easier. Im sure it is tough with the HT's not going the way you wanted, so that makes you even more skeptical, and very rightfully so. If Bosley had accepted me as a client back in 07 or 09 I definitely would have FUE's right now. If I do go to the place in MN on May 1st, which I will more than likely do, I can email you before and after pics. I hear you on this being like playing craps in Vegas, I have this bad feeling that I may regret it if I do SMP and be more miserable than i am now. Ive read on one provider's site that if the needle the tech uses is too large, that it would produce dots too close together and eventually cause bleeding or migrating, resulting in one large ink shade on the scalp. AHHH, that sounds horrible! On the other hand, what if this thing is legit and can give me some freedom? This is a tough one, but I have to try something. I'll keep you posted though.

Man I really wish I knew more about the risks of smp, but like you guys have already stated, there are no long term results available. All we have are the facts we already know about pigments and how they react over time when they are injected as tats on other parts of the body deeper than the dermis. I am about a norwood 3 and have hair coverage on most of my head but a good bit is pretty thin hair, especially my crown area . Ive been taking finasteride 2.5 mg and rogaine for 7 years, have visited a Bosley consult site twice over the last 5 years -(both times they said im not candidate) and I was completely hopeless until I discovered smp two months ago. I was so excited b/c I believed this was my solution, but after alot of unanswered questions and skepticism on these forums, I am unsure. I put down my deposit for a clinic called GLI in Minnesota, and I am really impressed with their professionalism, but we all know this thing is just about money. The price is outrageous to be honest, but I really want to look better. I am not sure if I am getting scammed and wonder if 5 years from now will I have problems with the pigments on my head. I wonder if in five years these businesses will still be around or will I get a "you have reached a number that is no longer in service or that has been disconnected" when I call. GLI is a BBB member, and they are supposed to be featured on good morning america soon, but I am really nervous about long term effects, and it is not too late to turn back, so if anyone has any advice or feedback for me, I would greatly appreciate it. This is a difficult decision with potential long term repercussions so I just am trying to see if there is info out there that I am not aware of yet. Thanks everyone!

I will say though, that Good look ink has been very helpful to me and Darren, GLI's president has been very up front with me from the beginning. He has told me all of the negatives and positives. They just give me a good vibe and they arent hiding anything like the other place I talked to. I understand your concern about follicular damage from laser removal, but it would be wrong of me if I didnt say how helpful GLI has been to me.

Thanks Time to do something, yea you make excellent points. I have not considered that I may need it removed one day, for whatever reason. I would imagine that you got your answer to your question by their lack of response. I can't see how laser removal would not damage or kill the follicles; those are harsh treatments. It is so difficult to learn much about this procedure. On these forums and blogs you never know if it is a real person speaking of a good experience, or a representative of one of those smp companies themselves. And when you ask the companies themselves they don't seem to provide alot of answers, and some treat you like you are a russian spy. I definitely get a sketchy feeling when I talk to some of these companies. I have a good bit of thin hair on top and just want to fill in the little gaps, but I don't want to make my situation worse.

Hey time to do something, I read your original post and you talked a little bit about your bad experience with Good Look Ink in Minnesota. Were they not forthcoming with info and did they dodge your questions? If you could elaborate on your impression/experience with GLI, I would really appreciate it as this could help me greatly. Smp isnt cheap and is permanent so any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hey Scar, yea man, you are right. They all say that the needle penetrates to the dermis. I suppose (and really hope) that all of those terrible pics online of big blue dots on people's heads, are examples of the "old way" of doing this procedure when they didn't go deep enough and used pigments with different color additives. As far as determining the thickness of a person's scalp, I know they can not do this from simply looking at a pictures but I hope the technition/artist is able to determine this fairly easily upon inspection but im not sure. I guess you could say I'm taking a leap of faith in doing this procedure. I am just not happy with the way I look, and if this could buy me 5-10 years of happiness and freedom then that would be awesome. I do hope that this does not hinder the possibility of the future biotech cures working for me one day. I asked a HT doctor if smp would affect the follicles and he said no but it may be based on a more individual basis like most medical things are. To be honest Im not sure about the reason for the different companies having different lengths of time for their procedures. One company says you need two sessions of 4 hours a piece with a two day rest in between. Another company says you need just one 6-8 hour session, and one says you need 3-5 with days in between each one. It would seem that the companies would all have the same amount of sessions, but I guess that is part of the reason that each of these companies produces a different result. I really don't understand the touch up process though. The company I went with offers free touch ups for the first year (just like the rest do) but I'm guessing that this is because it is not likely that you will need a touchup in the first year. If they keep going over the same little dots, wont this make them bigger and expand? If they fade, will they dissapear, or will they spread? These are my biggest concerns, but im not happy with my appearance now, so Im willing to take chances.

Hey what's up Scar 5, yea man I did get that answer from the president of Good Look Ink when I called them. He says(and I just read it on their site to refresh my memory) that they actually go about a millimeter into the scalp which penetrates to the dermis. The site claims that the cells of the dermis are much more stable than the cells of the epidermis, which I assume they claim will give the effect more longevity. Maybe it does produce better results, idk. I'm honestly not educated enough on the scalp anatomy to know for sure which is better, dermal or epidermal application, but you make a good point. Yea, at first I was really into Artistry Concepts b/c they were so open on their site about needle technology and smart pigments, and I read about the standard 3 round needle that the competitors supposively use and AC just seemed to be a step ahead. Then I started really digging and found some disturbing info about them on forums and sites. I feel like AC attempts to get the customer so focused on these minor details, that may not make a difference. All I know is I found out that the other guy at AC, Robert, who performs the procedure and has had it done, now has a big horseshoe bald spot on his head, and when I asked AC's president about this she said it is true but claimed his bald spot showed up after he had the procedure and lost more hair. Kind of sketchy sounding, plus they do not offer to show you any previous clients, and claim they don't keep client records. The company I chose is literally begging people to come see the work in person. I can be tricked by medical jargon and get caught up in all these details but the one and only thing I care about is results and if a company will not offer me an opportunity to see theirs, they must not have too much confidence in their finished product. Just saying:)

Yea that is a good point about the possible follicular damage. I asked Dr. Rassman this question and his response was that the needle only penetrates to the dermis, and the follicle is much deeper, so no damage. As far as getting this guarantee in writing from any company, I just don't see it happening. Most places wont talk about their needles or pigments, and only offer a one year guarantee that they will touch up their work for no additional cost. I think since this is such a new procedure, companies will not give any guarantees on anything but touchups. Ive done alot of online reading, and posting and emailing, and it seems that NHI, HIS, and Goodlook Ink would be the most viable options for me. I was initially interested in Artistry Concepts in Florida, but then I called and spoke to them LOL. They seem to be a tattoo parlor, and probably do amazing body tats, but now they realize the thousands of dollars to be made in SMP, so they are jumping on board and making outrageous claims of success. They have the professionalism and courtesy I would expect from any run of the mill tattoo shop. Big turn off to me. Anyhow, for me it was between NHI, Goodlook ink, and HIS, and I gave my downpayment to one of these three companies. I won't say which company I am going with, b/c I have read hundreds of these forums that seem to be real people but then actually turn out to be undercover employees posting their own good reviews. That is not what this network is for. It is about men with a common problem that really affects our lives in a negative way and want to help each other with advice, and for someone to shill, or whatever you want to call it, is just a very low thing to do. Anyhow, Im going to have it done, and I really hope that one of these biotech companies like Replicel or Histogen, release a cure in the next 15 years.

I just read a response by Dr. Rassman to this question, on another forum. Dr. Rassman stated that he does not believe that minoxodil foam will fade the pigmentation, but he also said he does not know for sure b/c there is no research to support his theory. Of course, it would be much better for his business if Rogaine does not in fact cause fading, so he may not be an unbias party.

Hey, Ive been researching scalp micropigmentation for the last month, and rogaine fading the ink on the crown area has been one of my concerns also. I'm not sure how vasodilation could play a part in this, as previously mentioned as a possible explanation, and I also am not certain why everyone believes the tattoos will turn colors, even if there are no blue/green additives in the ink. I've had tattoos (black ink) on my arms for 12 years, and have gotten tons of tanning/sun exposure, and the color is still black. After talking with a company that does SMP, I came to the understanding that it will last as long and as well as you take care of it. Constant burning to the scalp from UV rays will obviously cause it to fade, b/c of the constant peeling of the epidermis. I was told by this provider that Rogaine can fade the tattoo if used within the first 30 days of having the procedure, b/c the skin has not had a chance to fully recover. I suppose any harsh chemical could do this, but I've never put rogain on my arm tats, so I'm not sure, and I would imagine that the scalp would have a different set of rules, so to speak, that the rest of the body. Did anyone find a definitive answer to the rogaine/fading thing?

Thank you for that info. I looked through my emails and I did receive a quote of 6k from Dr Pak and he explained the touchups and out of town 500$ one time credit. I like that you are Physicians and have extensive hairloss treatment exerience. The price is about 2 grand higher but that would be worth it if your clinic could produce better results and longevity. Could I email you my scalp pics and see if you think id be a good candidate? Thanks again

Thanks Dr. I appreciate your feedback. My biggest concern at this point is that it will change effect in say, 10 years or less. I would hate to see these tiny dots merge together and create a large ink mess. I have been told by Darren at GLI that if I come to Minnesota he will show me plenty of people in person who have had this procedure- my concern with that is that they will probably all be employees who have the benefit of having touchups at any time, and I will not know when the last time they actually had any work done. Artistry Concepts in FLA seems to have a good system- and are very up front about needle size and pigment- but that is all. They are very guarded and not willing to offer much info over the phone. Also the tech who had his head done has a big horse shoe bald spot, and that is a red flag and also probably the reason they have zero pics of the back or crown of the head in any of their image gallery. As a physician, in your med opinion, could this type of procedure-scalp micropigmentation, ACHM2, CTHR or whatever they choose to call it- possibly do damage to the scalp that could prevent either of the new biotech companies' future solutions like Replicel or Histogen?

Well I guess it is just the permanence of the procedure, the newness of it and not having an example of anyone who has had it done 6-10 years ago, as well as different posts I've read that say negative things about each of these places. I also have this fear that I will spend 4k and be more self-conscious than I already am with thoughts like "I wonder if anyone is staring at my head and noticing these dots." That is the reason I want it, to silence those kind of thoughts and concerns so I can worry about whats important. IDK, maybe that is an immature way of looking at it, but I just want to feel confident again (and I know thats what everyone says lol).

Hey everyone, thanks for all of your posts. I have been reading and learning. Im a 30 year old man, almost 31, and I have fought MPB for 7 years. Also have been on finasteride and rogaine for 7 years. I have done alot of researching on three companies- HIS, Good look Ink, and Artistry Concepts. HIS just seems too fake looking to me, Good Look Ink looks pretty good and have alot more professionalism, and Artistry Concepts seems to be good but when I called I got one of their techs or artists, and he was not helpful or professional at all. Also their pics look doctored and I've read some other posts and they had similar experiences. I really want to have this done and alleviate my number one concern. Im looking at booking good look ink appointment in Minnesota but I still am not 100 percent. Also all I seem to be finding on these forums are undercover people from each of these places talking crap about each other and as for the horror story experiences that I keep finding about each of these businesses, for all I know they are BS as well. Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who has feedback for me.:confused:

thanks Davies, I appreciate it, I'll check it out.

Hey guys, Im new on here. I've been researching scalp micropigmentation and discovered 3 leaders, HIS, Artistry Concepts (FLA), and Good Look Ink in Minnesota. Im down to either AC or Good Look. Good Look Ink or GLI does something called cosmetic transdermal hair replication (CTHR), and they say it is different than scalp micropigmentation b/c the needle penetrates deeper into the scalp to give it more permanence. Not sure if the procedure is really any different or just the name but I've been shaving my head for a couple of years also, and I am sold on this idea. I am still unsure of AC b/c their lack of professionalism but their method is called ACHM2 and seems impressive. If any of you know anything about these two companies, or just about the procedure in general, please let me know. Much Appreciated