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Picture 9999 « Album 3 « Gallery 4 « Gallery – SMP for Scalp Scar | Scalp MicroPigment SMPScalp MicroPigment SMP Scroll through picture 1,2 by hitting, next>next> to Picture 3 in this series. And look at the hairline! That is the good as far as I am concerned. The hairline is graduated and soft. Even Rassman's opening SMP page shows a result far worse than this IMO, because the hairline is too bold, as are most of the hairlines and temple points on SMP/ (MHT (or whatever HIS call it)) seem to be at least as far as I've seen on white or high-contrast guys' heads. Why/how could they achieve it here, and 'not there' and would/could they do that for me. Now I am thinking.

Dr. Rassman, I agree with Davis here. We need clear videos or pictures of strip scars which have been treated. Fixing FUE scars from old 1mm or larger punches is obviously a great thing, but the part that speaks to improving (and I wont say "fixing", because I think that might be impossible) strip scars is where many of us are dwelling and hoping. And to all readers. I wonder if the companies that are 'early runners', AC, GLI, HIS etc., are going to improve in the their marketing approach. So far, I suspect, some of them are doing everything we don't want, including, 1) Going on national TV or local TV programs and telling everyone about tattooing heads. The consequences for guys, (duh..we live in a competitive world) is...? Guys are not gonna say, "wow, how sweet, he tattooed his head, now I wont tell anyone" they are gonna say, 'thanks very much, i got you boy" 2) One of them, at least, with dirty web search engine tactics that make all of them look bad. 3) Posting videos supposedly about strip scar repairs, that as has been suggested, are an insult to anyone who has to live with a strip scar and is looking for realistic solution. If anything, arousing our suspicions. 4) Being vague where it really counts. i.e., when we need to see what happens with hair 5) One, of them, we can reasonably suspect, coming onto boards like these in disguise. And all the while, it maybe that what they have to offer could really be helpful to us, if they learn to present and compete with better manners. I hope this thread and threads like it help 'raise the bar' and we must remember guys, it is fantastic that Dr. Rassman has added to the value of the thread, I wonder what the other companies can do about it, given that they, as non-medical companies, have no hope of being part of the coalition and being represented here.Unfortunately, I suspect, we have only seen some shoddy attempts to break in so far. I guess the HTN heads have wondered about what the appropriate way would be for these companies to participate, being that so far, I suspect we've only seen the 'rough side', and if there is a 'sweet side' then how be it they can show it? I am wary and loathe to promote the concept of tattooing, but I have already tried a bit of it, and I want to get 'fixed'. So take all my comments in that light.

So I go to the page for NHI and I still see this, NHI 3-4 out of 5 gallery patients with longer hair, and this is 'a minority'? Anyway, i'm happy Dr. Rassman chimed in here. Encouraging. P.S. I wonder if he would be partial to putting a SMP recipient on the front page of his SMP page and not a buzzed down guy with the disclaimer stating it is not an SMP recipient

Understandable. But ask yourself, do you want to have hair for the rest of your life? Would you have a problem popping a multivitamin everyday? I know, it sounds complicated and I felt that way once. I was shown the drug propecia in 1996. I refused to take it for over ten years, during which i went from Nw2 to Nw5-6. In other words, I went bald. Now I take it (lol) , and it is no problem. It seems like it never would have been. Everyone is different, and you might not tolerate it well, but right now it is the single best thing you can do. Get a blood test first, if it would help you, and check the DHT level. Do it in the morning. You don't even need a prescription for something like fincar, which you can get online cheaply. Just cut it into quarters. Sounds messy, but the dose over 4 days evens out at about 1mg a day, You loose .25 in crumbs. Minox is only beneficial in some people.

Davis, Those prices are in the same vicinity of what I was quoted. I know Rassman is also in Korea, (edit: remove Dr Pak, edit: insert Dr Kim) but still got the US dollar price. Don't forget the tax in the UK is a brutal 10 percent on top. It is a ridiculous price of course, but thanks to having strip scars we can make it happen. For scars, u r looking at 3 to 4 30 to 40 minute treatments and a whopping 2500 bucks. Where else could a tattoo artist clinic get paid 20 bucks a minute just for doing one color dots all the same size?

Aaron, excellent! I hadn't checked Rassman"a blog for at least a month and it seems they have changed it . And this is a significant change, because now they are qualifying the color choice scheme based on intended hair length. So this is news! And it means we can't have it both ways. You gotta go for short hair tones and then add topic or whatever, if u want to maintain the illusion of full coverage. I know, many will say, "Well, what's the point" and IMO the answer Is that there is a point, based on the assumption that u can cut ur hair as short as u can knowing u have some tone in the patches. Excellent Aaron, thanks for this! I will go back and check Rassman"s blog before I open my mouth again!

...But would it?? How do you know this? Why I ask is this. Rassman's FAQ on SMP tells us that hair under the skin, no matter what color the hair assumes as it grows and is exposed to light, it remains is a dull grey blob. One assumes (but doesn't read) that on that basis, colors for inks are chosen. So if the grown hair turns grey, for example, the mismatch is not as bad as it might seem to be. I have seen women, with '60s beehive haircuts and SMP in photographs (I know pics are deceiving) and I wonder, what the color choice rationale was based on and I have no idea in those cases. When I asked about this, I was told, I would be given a light tone for scars, which suit a skinhead match, (which at the back, was fine) and that on top, there would be more scope for graduation to suit hair length. And guess what, when I got there, they said, nah...it must be uniform, or graduated to reflect hair cut very, very short. This is not Rassman, I'm talking about. It is a tricky situation, because a shade used to match skinhead, would be diminished as hair grows. But damn it, it seems to look promising. But here is the thing. The SMP artist at Rassman, and we assume Rassman has better things to do than have a tattoo gun in his hand, might err conservatively before delivering the final blow. I bet he/she does, if he wants to protect Rassman from bad publicity if the client wants to change hair length exposing a horrible mismatch of tones. Must be ready for the bait-and-switch here. 'Yeah, just come and pay and we'll figure it out on the day" type scheme.

1. Listened to Spencer try to discuss Tattoo/Pigmentation 2. Bald Truth Radio Show, Episode 20, title: Something like, "Tattoo Scalp" 3. Don't hold your breath. 1:45 show, must wait until 1:05 before topic breached 3. Disappointing 4. Spencer allows Joe to talk him out of the most promising part of conversation 5. That being the prospect of tatts offering lower density FUEs a fighting chance 6. Instead Joe gets Spencer to agree that low density FUEs are BS. So what, and..? 7. Ignores the crucial part, that tatts could help make this idea real and even 8. Spencer's meandering style pleasant but too easy to move off target. 9. Instead allows Joe to tell him things like, "If you are going to have your hair so short, then why have a hair transplant" 10. Spencer tries to suggest that ink could augment hair, but conversation drifts 11. They talk about blue heads 12. Joe says they don't look good close up. I agree, caveat: "with no hair" 13. The no hair plus tatt is delivered a crushing blow - and thank you to both Joe and Spencer here - for pointing out, 'How are you going to feel wondering what they are wondering" 14. I'm not bagging Joe, but Spencer, a skeptic, for the right reasons, is just is too accommodating. And why wouldn't he be. I know, I know. 15. It's worth checking out.

This is what you are talking about? http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161422-scalp-micropigmentation-done-dr-william-rassman-nhi.html Top guy is just about me, hair wise, maybe more crown, but a subtle change of light could be critical Bottom guy just poor, because of different head angles. Janna, Great to read your comments about this. It is encouraging to see your clinic is trying to learn more about this technique.

Time2do Agree with your sentiments 100% and in a similar position. GLI are aggressive in marketing and while that is not bad in itself, we need a lot more from them if they can convince us. Video is a joke, I'm sorry to say. I hope they post better videos. Showing a scar that way. Have to cast the net further and wider, and push all of them to answer more questions. HIS has a conservative approach, in marketing and technique, but they seem skin head focused. Tatts are 2 dimensional but they can help with density. Anyone can see that by trying a .8mm marker and see the difference it makes.

A. (10) 3-hair grafts vs B. (30) 1-hair grafts on 1 square cm of shiny scalp at buzz#2 length. .......................... From 20,000ft looking down at arid flat country A) trees clustered together vs b) evenly spread on their own I think the spread ones would be invisible Question: Why do HT docs double up grafts to create more density? Answer: Because option A. actually, and unintuitive as it may sound, supposedly looks like 'more'. But why? (is what I want to know) shadow effect? - of the thicker bundle? pixilation effect of having a 'bold stroke' and the single hair not creating a strong enough effect to even signify hair in the first place. Good question BTW Sorry no help

I always wondered about cycles to. Not much we can do about it I suppose. Once I read we shed hair in November, or some kind of seasonal stuff that effects all, and I wondered whether an HT in December was a good idea. It sounds like fanciful nonsense now, but I don't even know why. But whether FUE surgeons get em out well, if they see them they take them is my guess. Once I went into a thread waving my sword about FUE in the face of strip tyranny, and I accused strip surgeons of wasting vast amounts of grafts merely because they excised and sacrificed all the telegen hairs in the strip because the cutters can't see them. They end in the bin - "that's 10% of follicles", I protested. I was roundly warned by a responding doctor that hairs in telegen are not necessarily invisible and many are indeed waiting somewhere up the tube and standing, detached from their nests, waiting for the cutters. The doc said that the numbers of lost hairs this way was negligible. I wondered about 3 months of scalp streching and the effect it would have in 'oozing out' the telegen hairs, but, meh... So I assume, believing the good doc, that FUE surgeons must therefore extract a reasonable proportion of telegen hairs. How they survive the HT production line I have no idea. i wonder how Neograft solved that one! I suspect

Yes, indeed the original question is lying dead under a cactus tree miles back down the track. RIP original question.

Yes, you would think so, but it doesn't go that way. I think composite clinics are in some kind of way more perplexing. They do both, but they have a well oiled gambit-cum-manifesto about who suits one or the other. The prospective patient has to rationalize things like, Clinic 'A' does only strip because of rationale 1, 'B' does both, but they choose based on rationale 2 and 3, which to invest any faith in this scheme of things, even to temporarily consider their propositions, requires me to suspend faith in rationale 1. Where as the clinic that just does FUE, well one can say, the reason is clear. The don't trust rationale 1. My comment is cynical perspective? Yes, I'm afraid so. Can't apologize for that.

I didn't say they can tell beforehand. I said that the doc and patient can have options during the procedure. a) Stop b) change diameter, c) tool type , d) discuss with patient. I know in reality that won't happen - or at least not often, but as I said, an ideal world. If I were to make a key point it is this. 1) A perfect scar is just as big a nightmare than a fat horrible one, from the patients perspective, if he loses his crown when he's older. He still has to explain that 'pencil thin line' ear to ear if he buzzes. He probably wont for obvious reasons 2) Let's assume scars, for this moment, as you suggest, are less of an issue than they were. IMO, that reason is Propecia. Drugs do change the picture. Without drugs, strip might be less of big business these days, but because people can reasonably expect to keep the crown going for longer, the prospect of hiding the scar without a horse shoe for a 25yr old NW5 is real. I have no doubt that strip is reliable and easy for a clinic and get's predictable results. If I were an HT doc, I would recommend strip to nearly everyone requiring more than one hour of me sitting or kneeling, concentrating, sweating, wondering if the grafts are marginal, wondering how these results will look posted on HTN, over their heads. Or else I would move offshore to a place where it is legal for the technicians to perform extractions, have them trained and then be exclusively FUE and trash strip thoroughly. Alot is said about FUE hype around here. I think we ought to pay tribute to the anti-hype hypists too, because they have done a good job over the years. Showing moth eaten scalps, warnings that FUE has technically MORE scarring than strip, (which is true, but hardly aesthetically a consideration) warnings about 'the next time around FUE is more difficult to extract because of the previous one. And yet still, despite this, FUE has moved forward (there have even been been warnings that it hasn't progressed too!) . The reason is patients demand the options. The option to drop drugs, to step out of the HT race as they age for what ever reason. Some people obviously, will never have a quibble or desire to cut their hair short and with luxurious hair maybe they shouldn't. I agree we will get more FUE repair jobs. Twice as many people were killed by sharks last year. Reason - more people in the water. I have been over harvested through FUE. But I also have strip scars. I have been you could say, butchered by FUE. When I buzz down, or shave, no one says to me, "Man, what happened in that overly thin area down on the side there?" THey say, "Man! You got some long scars there buddy!" It is impossible to deny that strip yields great results and that big volume transformations are possible and with drugs, many will never look back. You got 8 people in heaven, 2 in hell if the ships sails. Do you set sail? I guess the answer is yes, but many are staying ashore with FUE too.

Re: Unpredictable physiology, the same could be said about strip scarring as one cannot predict the scarring on a virgin scalp any better than one could predict the tendency for a patients tissue to disintegrate through FUE. I (big me!) am not aware of a single case of a patient with a virgin scalp, being turned away from strip because of an unpredictable strip scar, whilst a patient undergoing FUE could, after say a few hundred grafts, have a contingency on offer, if the doc notices some sub-par results during extraction. And furthermore, we are often reminded that FUE docs have a variety of tools (they are not welded to one tool) at their disposal which could be utilized as the outcomes become apparent. Manual punches, motorized, different diameters, sharp/blunt tip etc. And yet it rarely, I suspect, reaches this juncture, because the patient has already been sold strip, not because of physiology, at least on first timers, but because of some story like they need strip for the big bang result and volume and many grafts etc., So I say, straight to moderately wave hair, FUE first in an ideal world. Quite the opposite of what most folks say here, which is strip first, FUE to top it off (and fill the scar)

Have a look at injertocapilar. They are not, as far as I understand, a member of the coalition, but here is a very clear high definition vid of them on doing manual punching FUE and it is quite instructive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn3-FBZj3q0&feature=related This is a bit of a problem recommending FUE surgeons here. Shapiro, Feller, Bisanga and others are excellent, but they are primarily strip clinics. The old FUE = small jobs. IMO all patients which have hair which is not extremely curly are candidates for FUE, not some, all. Any of these patients can have hairs safely extracted via FUE. The candidate game is just a gambit to steer you towards strip most of the time. I would be careful of composite clinics telling you are not a candidate for FUE and speak to FUE clinics first. It is not easy however, as the coalition has only one.

Hey Whiskey, We think in different ways! Did you read my post early in the thread? No? - that's cool, but let me try to justify my way of thinking to you and tell me if you are impressed or not! Question : Why FUE at for 26 NW5? ..and sub -questions, a) Why would a guy want to shave down AND get an HT? b) What does Scar5 base his view on? General answer A 26 NW5 is not in a great space in the grand scheme of things. It's not like NW7 at 22, granted, but it 'aint too good. But this guy has already adjusted to balding to some extent. He is happy enough buzzing already! That said, getting on drugs, staying on drugs for the next 20 years, no side effects or diminished effect, a solid strip result, say three procedures which net 10,000 grafts over a five year period would bring happiness and volume of hair that would be the envy of most of us, right? Yes, I agree. So what is the problem? a) Short term - Post-procedure, three times, explain or hide. b) Risk of crown thinning later. Dilemma and strip scar In the short term, three strip procedures means shaving down your head, and growing over the scar three times and being in the doldrums for three months each time. Each and everyday post-op during those months, you will be tentative. Should I explain? Or shouldn't I explain. Should I hide. Shouldn't I hide. It takes a toll on you. MIcropigmentation could also produce this and I dread to think. But it does at least fade. The strip scar can come back to haunt you later too unless you thoroughly accept that you will never go short. Being able to cut down short at regular intervals as your balding Gods play out their cards on you over the years is a Godsend, I believe. It allows you to see yourself and act in a different way. Buzzed heads don't look great on white guys, true, but they do give you a sense of something that is strong you can identify with. Knowing you can't go there, as you contemplate the future with a shakey crown is not a good feeling. I'm not impressed with many FUE results here and I am very impressed with the strip results. But when I look elsewhere I do see some good FUE results. I think a slow and steady FUE approach is worth considering, but the bottom line maybe the guy is so happy with having insta-hair that strip delivers, he will never cut his hair. I was happiest after my third strip. I had awesome hair and I grew it all out long. THe hairline was a bit strong and the temples weren't great, but never had a problem. In the mid -90s, two things happened. Buzz cuts became cool and I started to lose my NW 4-5 zones, behind the transplant. The crown opened a fraction. I wanted out and I have spent the next 15 years in a bad space, never being able to really pull off a buzz because of scars, or satisfied growing it longer, because the top down view looks wispy. Front on, it still looks good, if I grow it. So I want FUE to be the norm in HT land, although I don't promote or endorse any of the docs doing it. The way the procedures are marketed is bad, regardless. The way the information is disseminated on forums and websites, bad too. Hair is great, no matter what the chicks say they 'think' or 'don't think' about it. But if it is going, a buzz is the best choice IMO, although the slicked back oily NW5 with Old Spice aftershave and a Hawaiian shirt is definitely cool in a chic-retro kinda way. A strip means, no buzz, that's all. And so a balding guy shouldn't compound his issues by getting a scar, that's all. But I know there are so many happy people out there who will stay happy with a good strip. I can't deny that.

Wow, just curious, who gave u this advice. This is fascinating. Btw, as an actor who is balding, wouldn't the ability to buzz ur head be invaluable. Although Dr. Spek with a strip scar might be cool, like aliens planted a banana shaped CPU in him

Forget about price. Even though FUE is not double FUT anyway. Even so, what I would have saved in money if I had done all FUE from the beginning, I couldn't tell you. I wouldn't be here anyway! But the thing is, you assume that hair WILL be outside and that hair WILL fall out despite meds. That means a bad FUE. It doesn't mean FUE is bad. Common mistake people make is when seeing bad FUE, they blame the procedure and on the other hand when they see a bad strip, they blame the surgeon. I think a lower density approach is the best long term plan for a NW5 at 26, using FUE and perhaps micropigmentation later, but in the short term, strip gives the big bang result. In the end, the FUE may be cheaper.

Trapps, Of course the price is ludicrous. So when will the price come down? With all of us wretched scarred and balding guys, they've got a sellers market. Maybe we could start our own company? N-6 Yep I'm guessing Dr. Bisanga is not keen on doing a mega-session FUE and I am sure he is capable of proving me wrong! As for FUE outside zone of safety, most definitely a possibility. And the ramifications are that this guy would lose a portion of the transplanted hair if the meds give up on him. And then he would have less hair, and he would have NO strip scar. My guess, at that stage he might lean towards a buzz, knowing he could pull it off Just say his crown gives up at 38-40? And he has a strip scar and no donor? Then he will be like me, God help him!

and it is quite sweet of my iPhone to autocomplete brainier for brainer!

Thanks for that. Actually, I think u may have missed it, but I went to the trouble of suggesting why Dr Bisanga would suggest strip in this very thread. As for why Joe would suggest strip, well that"s no brainier number two. I often miss details in threads too so I am not going to call you out for missing that. But in general terms it is not difficult to imagine why strip clinics suggest strip or clinics that are set up primarily for strip for bulk, FUE as boutique, suggest strip in his case. He"s in a situation similar to what I would have been had I not gone for strip at 24 NW4, so I can assure u it is not a "no brainier" as u term it.

You don't have to be 'committed' to wear a buzz cut to choose FUE, you can just appreciate having that choice...either now or some time in the future. That's your no-brainer!

I've thought a lot about this. when hair is shaved to the skin, the color under the skin is almost always a dull grey, even on a red head! The tatts fading pattern should be quite good as long as there is some white hair scattered about and some texture on the margins to break the transition into "non-hair skin" , I mean the hairline. THe tatts will fade, no doubt, but i see the fade as a good thing especially as grey gets into the picture. The stuff HIS is doing now, is so conservative I doubt very mush it will be an issue. The issue will be that the tatt might disappear pretty much altogether. Even so, laser can remove nasty blemishes. I think the issue at 60 of FUE plus tatt is far better than smiley strip scar plus dead crown, although I accept that many old guys today don't give a damn about their hair. I'm not so sure 20-30 years from now.