MarkWestonHair

I recently had an oncologist as a client that came to me for my scalp micropigmentation application. This oncologist is a doctor with the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, they are second only to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I showed him a copy of the article from the link posted regarding tattoo ink spreading into lymph nodes. I will quote what the onocologist advised me "That the source of this particular article is not recognized as a reputable source in the oncology community and is no different than a mere editorial or heresay of someone's opinion and is not supported by true facts." So who in fact are the "researchers" referred to in this article? There has been nothing published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, JAMA or any other recognized medical journal regarding this particular subject.

Why don't you post some good, clear photos of what your scalp looks like now. All the way around, front, rear and both sides.

Yes. They all fall under the tattooing umbrella and most people refer to all types generically as "SMP." But there are major differences. Just make sure you do your research. When seeking a company, look at resumes/bios, time in business, accomplishments and contributions to the industry. Read through the websites past the sales pitches and look for good solid information and proven claims. Call and ask to speak to the actual person that will be applying your pigmentation, not a salesperson. Above all, be willing to travel to the company that you feel will best suit your needs. Many hair transplant recipents travel well out of their area to get the best surgeon; this is no different. Don't limit yourself to your local area.

Ian Dennis performs SMP-MS (scalp micropigmentation multi-session) not tricopigmentation. He was trained by HIS Hair Clinic and worked for them for years before opening his own shop. SMP (MS) is different than tricopigmentation as they claim it is "permanent" but in fact lasts 5-7 years with touch ups required during that time. Micro Scalp USA with Matt Lulo offers only the SMP-MS (not tricopigmentation) as well. Tricopigmentation is also multi-session, but they advise you upfront that it is temporary only. If you are looking for tricopigmentation, Ahead Head has many good reviews. Maybe HairThere can comment more on the difference between SMP-MS and tricopigmentation. Don't confuse conventional SMP with tricopigmentation. I don't offer either, I offer my own one-session and permanent system.

I have performed over 4,000 of my method and I have only had a handful of men find it intolerable and three of these men had extensive HT scarring with the nerve endings very close to the surface in the donor areas. Did you experience any bleeding, however so slight? Inexperienced technicians can tend to have a heavy hand and bury the needle down to the stabilizer pin. Did you have the same tech both times?

I would like to comment first that I never refer to my System as "SMP." While my System and "SMP" are both classified as forms of tattoos, my System is an actual follicle replication and not just micropigmentation to the scalp. Please see my reply to jjsrader regarding hair length. My System adds denseness to areas of the scalp that are thin and/or thinning. I match the color of the man's hair to the length he would like to wear it. To address the concerns "inks" leeching into the bloodstream, I have been a tattoo artist for over 40 years and have never had a complaint or problem. I am aware of the poster regarding his cancer. Not knowing what type of "ink" was used for his SMP, I cannot really comment. Traditional body art tattoo inks are famous for their bold, bright colors, but they contain iron oxides and other heavy metals which do cause allergic reactions in some people. And these certainly should be avoided on the scalp, although some newbies in the scalp pigmentation field use them, as well as tattoo shops whom now offer "SMP." I do not use "ink," but pigments I developed in 1989 for cosmetic use. After using commercially-available colors specifically made for permanent cosmetics, I ceased using them because of the color changes to green and blue and the constant fading. I developed my own line of pigments at this time for true "permament" cosmetic use. Again, a one-tine application for those ladies. These are the same base pigments I use now for my patented System. They are strictly carbon-based with no heavy metals and tinted with colors to match a man's natural hair color.

I require most men to buzz (not blade shave) their hair to a length of 1/16 inch for my application. Because this is one-time procedure, I don't get men coming back so I can take their photos. Most of my clients are from out-of-state and international because they don't have to come back for additional sessions. So I don't get them "stopping by" to give me the opportunity to take photos, but I have attached (an immediate after) exmaple. Some men send me photos but the photos are not of the quality I would like to post on my website. In addition, I can only recall a handful of men that decided to grow their hair back out after the application of my system as they were all so thrilled with the look and ease of the buzz cut. But if you go into my Long Term Results Gallery you can see photos post-procedures at various stages. My Hair Transplant Repair Gallery is another page where you can see the befores and afters of my HT clients. My follicle replication camouflages the light areas of the scalp where the is hair either missing or thin, so it does add to the thickness look of a hair transplant the way topicals do. But as one of the above posters misunderstood, be aware that all the photos in my galleries were taken immediately after The Weston System application so hairlines will look hard and dark.

As all my galleries plainly indicate: "As The Weston System℠ is a one-session appointment only, all these photos were taken immediately after the completion of the pigmentation and hairlines may appear hard until redness subsides within 24 to 48 hours. The final blending, curing of the color and softening of the hairlines can be seen as early as one week to 4 weeks depending on the man’s individual skin type and condition." You need to view the long-term-results gallery to view photos after curing of the pigment: https://www.markwestonhair.com/scalp-micropigmentation-long-term-results The photos in this gallery stand by my statement.

There are no risks with my permanent system. I developed my pigments in 1989 and they have never changed color. And they can't change color because there are no off-colors added. It is the newbie providers that use commercial pigments that may turn blue. I just don't use one pigment color; I alternate several tones/shades during the one application. There is no reason to have to apply different shades at each session. It took the USPTO 6 years to test and approve my patent before the finalized patent was issued. As for the hairline, the hairlines I establish are based on the original lost hairline with an "age adjustment." I am clear about this even before I accept someone as a client. If they insist on a hairline other than their natural one or demand that it be dropped down below the natural one, I decline them as a client. Many men can be seen with the typical "SMP" what is called now the "edged up" look. A 45 year old Caucasian male cannot wear an African-American look like this; and yes, he would look ridiculous at any age. And unfortunately, this look is the vast majority that "SMP" companies are putting out there. I never said that multi-sessions were a "scam" in my video; I just demonstrated why they have to keep repeating the sessions because of fading. There are many excellent multi-session artists out there (and just as many incompetent ones); but they don't have the proper needles nor my specific application method to be able to offer a one-session application.

My one-session scalp micropigmentation method is permanent, that's why it is patented. When I say permanent, I mean lifetime with no required re-applications nor scheduled touchups. Multi-session companies do claim "permanent" and is only 5-7 years. Multi-session methods should really be classified as "semi-permanent," like permanent (semi) cosmetics. These multi-session methods are suitable for some people who don't mind returning throughout the years for re-do's. Tricopigmentation is in fact temporary and they honestly advise you up front. A partial quote from a review one of my clients left: "I called some of the larger companies but the response I got was that I would need to go at least 7 times (I don’t like needles) and that typical results last 3-4 years. I am not going through this every few years. No way."

Yes! Standard commercially-available tattoo inks contain off-colors such as blue and green. Indigo blue is added to black to make it blacker. This is a common practice in the art field, even with automotive paints. I have developed permanent pigments that are free of these off colors for the scalp only. They do not bled (migrate) or change color. These are the same pigments I developed in 1989 for permanent cosmetics. I have seen their longevity since that time.

Some multi-session methods apply a second, third and fourth treatment a week or two apart. In between, some clinics don't permit you to wash your scalp for a week. By then one is ready for the next session. What I am saying is that it can turn into 8 weeks if they have session after session a week apart. Different methods/clinics/companies have their own specific aftercare, as I have.

The pain level, of course, depends on the person's tolerance as well. As for strip scars, it also relates to the scar itself. Sometimes the nerve endings are very close to the surface, other times they are not. So some people feel pain while others do not. But in the hands of an experienced technician, it basically should be a walk in the park.

You need to ask them that question directly. Also request to see the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for their pigments.

I NEVER tell my clients to apply antibiotic ointment. Ointments of this type are designed for infection and foreign matter. That's why one would apply these ointments to perhaps a splinter, to help bring the splinter to the surface for ejection. These ointments will pull the pigment out as they see the ink/pigment as a foreign matter. Inexperienced techs often tell their customers this. As for washing, I advise my clients to wash their scalps the very first day; twice per day with baby shampoo for seven days. Then the client is able to return to their normal showering/shampooing routine. But my pigments are permanent with no danger of washing away like the temporary multi-session methods. My specific aftercare is exclusive to my patented method only. The multi-session methods don't permit you to wash your scalp for up to a week (because one can wash away the pigments), sometimes you are not even able to get your scalp wet. Then you have to return for a second and third session (sometimes more) and forego the shampooing again. So in some cases, you may not be able to shampoo your scalp for up to 8 weeks.

The amount of pain depends on the type of application and the experience of the tech. My clients indicate anywhere from a 1-2 on a scale of 1-10. Many of my clients fall asleep and actually say that their scalp feels like they had a massage after and feel refreshed. I have had clients come to me for a re-do after going to other providers indicating that the pain was excruciating and they bled at the previous provider. Scalp micropigmentation should NEVER bleed. If it does, the tech is buying the needle to the stabilizer bar which will in turn cause the blow-outs (large Sharpie-looking points). Scalp micropigmentation is nothing (not even remotely) like a conventional tattoo and the two cannot be compared. The needle is going in as points and not being dragged across the skin and being filled in as a regular tattoo. Scalp micropigmentation takes an extremely light hand. I ceased offering conventional tattoos(after 40 years) at the time I went to full time scalp micropigmentation. The SMP-MS (multi-session) methods are more painful as you need to return for at least 2 additional applications, and in some cases, reports of up to nine before any pigment remains. I cannot understand why anyone would want to have this done over and over, especially when you end up with a poor tech that drills your scalp with the needle. This eventually leads to scarring and your scalp will eventually reject pigment altogether.

Lorenzo, yes, Beauty Medical has been around although I know very little about them. I am not aware of any problems associated with those pigments. Who did your permanent application into your strip scars? There is no proven permanent application other than my patented System. SMP-MS companies claim "permanent," but in fact only last 5-7 years. To me, that is not permanent; permanent is lifetime. I have also applied my System to many cancer/chemotherapy patients without any repercussions or reports of their cancer returning. I honestly believe it may be a coincidence coupled with your particular immune system. Again, I am sorry.

Firstly, I am very sorry you are going through this. I would like to shed some light on this, however. In reading the study you posted, the researchers focused on inorganic toxic pigments for this study. Depending on the provider whom applied your SMP-MS (scalp micropigmenation multi-session), it is possible that they used conventional tattoo inks which in fact can contain toxins such as aluminium, chromium, iron, nickel and copper as mentioned in the article. When you opted for your first application in 2012, this was a very dangerous year for scalp micropigmentation. How many "sessions" did you have? Hundreds of new companies were emerging rapidly due to the high profit margin in this field. Most had no previous experience in any form of tattooing and opted for cheap supplies and pigments off such places as EBay. I would suspect this is what could have happened to you. Someone with no knowledge of the proper pigments and their ingredients wanting to make a quick profit and you are the one suffering the consequences. On another note, I have been a tattoo artist for over 40 years, learning the craft in Thailand and Hong Kong. In all these years, I have never had a customer with any type of reaction to any pigments and certainly no one that I am aware have developed Lymphoma. And yes, I tattooed with the old style tattoo inks that did contain heavy metals. Perhaps with your immune system, you could have had this reaction to pigments with metal toxins. But then I developed my own organic line in 1989 when I started offering permanent cosmetics. These are the same base pigments that I have been using in my scalp micropigmentation system since 2009. 18 percent of our bodies are carbon, and my pigments are all carbon-based. None of my scalp pigments contain heavy metals. And again, no reactions. When you opted again in 2015 for more SMP-MS, how many sessions did you have at that time? Was it the same company/person? If you can PM me with the name of the provider, I may be able to give you some more answers. But I certainly would not want you to post the name(s) of the providers here. Again,I am sorry you are going through this. Scalp micropigmentation is completely safe provided one does their due diligence when seeking a properly trained and experienced tech. However, I am now seeing many problems associated with the multi-session applications developing scarring after application after application every several years. Many of these scalps are no longer able to accept pigment because of the scarring that has developed. I have a blog article specific to this concern on my website. Regardless of where it is on the body, a tattoo cannot be applied over and over in the same place after many years. This is why I developed my one-session, permanent application.

I have been in this business since early 2009 and I have seen dozens and dozens of SMP-MS (scalp micropigmentation multi-session) clinics come and go. Most only last a few months. And they all have seemed to use the same photos on their sites.

Give it some more time. I have had some clients take almost 6 weeks to "mellow" out. But my System is entirely different that the multi-session method you received. Just be patient; but I feel that the dark points in the hairline will never mellow out. Again, the tech ventured out of the natural hairline. Depending on the tech's level of experience, a damaged needle may also be the cause. Commercially-purchased needles can come out of the wrapper already damaged. If the tech doesn't check them initially with an eye loupe one could slip by. Another case may be that the needle will start out fine but pick up a hook resulting from being run accidentally against the bottom of an ink cup, or possibly against some other object on the work station. If there’s even a tiny hook on the needle tip, that’s enough to cause a larger point than desired. The tech may or may not notice that the pigment isn’t going in as it should and that there seems to be bleeding. There should never be any bleeding with scalp micropigmentation. All this is the sign of an inexperienced tech. Even with my patented needles, I constantly check them during the application process. Being the size of a single point needle but are a three-point, they can pick up hairs and become readily damaged. Sometimes I can use as many as three to five needles on a scalp with severe HT scarring. Attached is a photo of a similiar case that came to me that was done by a multi-session company. Very much like your dilemma. Photo taken 6 months post and the dark points never mellowed.

An edged-up hairline is appropriate on men of color, those of Latino decent, middle-eastern and some Asian. Most of the time, that is in their genetic makeup and that is what their Mom gave them. What I am saying is that the tech ventured out of the natural hairline and created a hairline that is unnatural looking to this Caucasian man. Very few Caucasian men are born with this type of hairline. While this may be attractive as a young man, just think when you are middle-aged and looking ridiculous. Since my system is permanent, I make sure my clients are well-versed before they insist on such a hairline. In most cases, I deny them as a client as I know they will not be happy years down the road. The first picture is a young Asian man I did with an edged-up hairline. This photo was taken immediately after my one-session completion. The redness disappears in about 24 hours and the color will mellow to match his remaining hair and the hairline will soften in about two weeks. This man originally also had a natural widow's peak which I reproduced. The second photo (also immediately after) is of an older Hispanic man. While his natural hairline from his youth had the "harder" pronounced temples, both the client and I agreed that would not have been attractive on a man his age. Again, the color will mellow to match his remaining hair.

Firstly, I would give it more time to "cure." But what I see as an immediate concern here is the same thing I say over and over; NEVER reproduce a hairline that is not based on the original one lost. When pigment is placed outside the scalp skin into the forehead skin, the pigment takes and cures differently. The hairline is way to straight and chiseled-looking for a Caucasian man. The tech admitted the points were too dark and lasered them off. As BHilt commented above, that is scary that some of these companies have a laser tech available for their own work. But the fact remains that the tech did not know why they turned dark in the first place and why the natural hairline should not have been compromised; hence your results. What I would not do is let them apply more pigment; you may end up with a solid fill and numerous more trips to the laser clinic. This is a partial quote from another post I made on this forum: "The scalp pigmentation tech should have NEVER lowered your hairline below your natural line. This is because pigment "cures" differently in scalp skin than it does on the facial (forehead) skin. The color will never match and you will end up with an off-color stripe around the front of your hairline. So many techs are more interested in their pocketbooks rather than the customer's own best long-term natural look. So they readily make rash decisions. You should have been advised of this." You can see the full thread here: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/188080-smp-removal.html#post2513520

Yes, that is right. If there is a blatant bald spot, then the hair must be keep buzzed (not blade shaven) to match my replication and blend in. (Avoiding the combover look.) If there is enough hair and just density is being added, then the client can grow their hair longer. I have to make each client's determination based on their case. I have only had two men in 3500 procedures that I have done grow their hair back out. They love it so much they end up keeping their hair "tight."

It depends on how much hair you have. It would help if you would post photos. Here are several photos of crown work. The first set shows a before and immediately after. The second photo shows an inlay of my replicated follicles superimposed on top of the before photo. The third photo is a macro closeup comparing my replicated follicles in the crown and rear to the client's natural hair follicles. The last photo is of FUE-FUT repair immediatey after.

The first photo shows a man after lasering of a recent unsuccessful SMP (multi-session method) done by a major company. You can see the large points that were left where the tech buried the needle, as well as the leftover blue/green tone. This man endured 5 laser treatments to achieve this result. My experience is that the typical SMP pigments that are used always leave an off-color shadow even after lasering. The tone never completely disappears because many of these pigments have added tones such as green and blue. Only natural carbon-based pigments almost completely laser out, and what doesn't, is absorbed eventually by the body. But unfortunately, the commercially-based pigments have color additives. The second photo shows my correction immediately after my one-time application. SMP is strictly used to refer to the multi-session scalp micropigmentation method. SMP should be not used generically for other types of applications. There is much confusion in the marketplace.