Senior Member Blake Bloxham Posted April 23, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted April 23, 2012 I appreciate everyone's input on scalp micropigmentation. It was especially nice to hear Coalition member Dr. Rassman's input since he regularly offers it to those he feels are qualified at his clinic. I think it's important for those considering this procedure to understand that like hair transplant surgery, not everyone is a candidate. It also depends on what your goals are. Personally, I'm real skeptical of its naturalness when used to recreate the appearance of a "cropped" haircut on a completely bald scalp. I suspect it may look good from afar but under close inspection, there's no way to avoid the flat, 2 dimensional appearance. Furthermore, it's not going to feel like hair when touched, even if it still looks good to the eye at close proximity. There's also the concern about the color fading over time. Even with quality ink, I suspect that touch up procedures will be needed to maintain a natural looking appearance. Thus, I suspect that scalp micropigmentation is best used to conceal a hair transplant scar and possibly in conjunction with hair transplant surgery to aid the appearance of density. For more information, see the article our editorial assistant Blake wrote and we published on Hub Pages a: Hair Loss Treatment: Is Scalp Micropigmentation a Legitimate Hair Restoration Solution? Best wishes, Bill Nice analysis! "Doc" Blake Bloxham - formerly "Future_HT_Doc" Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum All opinions are my own and my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Blake Bloxham Posted April 23, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted April 23, 2012 This link should direct you to where you can find the actual article. It was from 2001. Micropigmentation as an adjuvant in cosmetic s... [Dermatol Surg. 2001] - PubMed - NCBI Thanks! I'm going to review this when I get a chance. "Doc" Blake Bloxham - formerly "Future_HT_Doc" Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum All opinions are my own and my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Time to do something Posted April 23, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 23, 2012 Dr. Traquina wrote a paper back in 2001 about patients who received SMP in the early and mid-90’s. If we could find out what the condition of their SMP procedures are today this would answer a lot of questions people have. I sent him and email and left him a voice mail last week but have received no response yet. Saturday I sent a certified letter to his office and residence. Hopefully he will respond and we can finally get answers to the questions about how this procedure holds up over the years. NW5 Dr. Epstein July 4, 2007 2520 grafts 471 one hair grafts 1540 two hair grafts 505 three hair grafts 5070 Total hair count Dr. Epstein August 4, 2008 2384 grafts 870 one hair grafts 1150 two hair grafts 364 three and four hair grafts 4262 Total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro November 18, 2009 1896 grafts 760 one hair grafts 852 two hair grafts 288 three hair grafts 46 four hair grafts 3362 total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro July 1, 2011 1191 grafts 447 one hair grafts 580 two hair grafts 150 three hair grafts 14 four hair grafts 2113 total hair count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member zenmunk Posted April 23, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted April 23, 2012 Time, Thank you for pursuing this as aggressively as you are. I look forward to your updates. z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member azazelgs Posted April 29, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted April 29, 2012 im not sure if dr. rassman still follows this thread but id like to ask some questions to him since his opinions about this procedure are so important for me and many of us who are interested in smp. 1- who/which type of client would you consider as a "not a good candidate for smp"? i mean besides unreakistic expectations , what are the things that make you reject a patient? 2-is there any way of artistic approach or a research in smp to make it look like more three dimensional? from what i see in videos of applying , it looks like a tattoo artist is putting dots with a needle. 3- lets say someone has between 80-90 fu/cm2 in their donor and sides. is applying smp with exactly the same densitiy as the sides looks better or making it less is better? in my opinion the less is more approach would be more suitable because it will look like a diffuse thinner. what are your opinions about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Time to do something Posted April 30, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 30, 2012 I heard from Dr. Traquina today. He has not had contact with the patients who had the SMP done back in the 1990’s however, he did provide some good information based on his observations. He says the ink will hold up for three to four years and then the patient can go back to have it reinforced. He said if it is done properly and the right ink is used it will not bleed and turn into a “helmet look”. He said it is important to taper and feather it on the hairline so it give a natural appearance and that small dots are used and not close to each other. He said if the patient has hair that it is important that the ink is placed between the hair and not over it. The SMP procedure can also potentially cause shock loss for patients with hair but the hair will come back. He said this may help patients with transplants with low density achieve the illusion of more density. Scars are very benefited from this procedure according to Dr. Traquina. There was some talk here that one color is used for all patients no matter their hair color. The reasoning was that all hair no matter the color appears black as stubble. He said that is not true that the ink should be matched to the color of the hair. He said if black was used on everyone no matter their hair color it would not look right. He also provided a website for the company that provides the pigment for SMP procedures. He said they can be a wealth of information. The website is www.permark.com Please let me hear back from you guys on what you think about this! Thanks. NW5 Dr. Epstein July 4, 2007 2520 grafts 471 one hair grafts 1540 two hair grafts 505 three hair grafts 5070 Total hair count Dr. Epstein August 4, 2008 2384 grafts 870 one hair grafts 1150 two hair grafts 364 three and four hair grafts 4262 Total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro November 18, 2009 1896 grafts 760 one hair grafts 852 two hair grafts 288 three hair grafts 46 four hair grafts 3362 total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro July 1, 2011 1191 grafts 447 one hair grafts 580 two hair grafts 150 three hair grafts 14 four hair grafts 2113 total hair count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Time to do something Posted May 1, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted May 1, 2012 I've heard good and bad about SMP. Probably more good than bad. Considering my circumstances I'm probably going to go through with it. I've done extensive research and have three places in mind. I've put together some questions which I will email them soon. Please chime in with any questions I should ask that I may have forgotten. Also does anyone know of any other coalition doctors in addition to Dr. Rassman offering this service? 1. Approximately how long will the ink last before a touch up is needed? 2. If the ink fades does it just lighten or does it turn a different color? 3. If it fades will it stay sharp or does it blur? 4. Will the ink bleed? 5. Is detail given to the hairline to taper and feather it so it is not a harsh hairline which looks like an ink helmet? 6. Will the dots be small and far enough apart to look natural? 7. Can a 3D effect be accomplished so it doesn’t look flat and one dimensional? 8. Will care be taken to place the dots between the hair and not on it or close enough to it to damage a hair follicle? 9. Will this procedure cause shock loss? 10. Can gray be sprinkled in with it? 11. I have hair and won’t require as many dots as a bald individual and I’m only covering a small area- ? of the front top of my scalp, will the procedure be priced accordingly vs. a full head procedure? 12. What would I need to do to prep for this procedure? 13. What would the approximate cost be? 14. Will the color be matched to my own hair? 15. Will more than one session be required and if so how far apart? 16. How much do touch ups cost? NW5 Dr. Epstein July 4, 2007 2520 grafts 471 one hair grafts 1540 two hair grafts 505 three hair grafts 5070 Total hair count Dr. Epstein August 4, 2008 2384 grafts 870 one hair grafts 1150 two hair grafts 364 three and four hair grafts 4262 Total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro November 18, 2009 1896 grafts 760 one hair grafts 852 two hair grafts 288 three hair grafts 46 four hair grafts 3362 total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro July 1, 2011 1191 grafts 447 one hair grafts 580 two hair grafts 150 three hair grafts 14 four hair grafts 2113 total hair count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member azazelgs Posted May 2, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted May 2, 2012 your 7th question is the most important one i think. in my opinion there is a two great doubts about smp; change in the ink color.and to achieve the 3d look. from what i have seen so far , goodlook ink is the place that really achieves the 3d look more than any others, at least the gallery in their website, some results.seem like a real 3d accomplishment. however, i am still not sure about them. their aggressive marketing is what makes me suspicious. in my life whenever i see or experience a agressive marketing all i think was how scam is the product. i think the company should be more cool. if the results speak for themselves , all you have to do is to guide the patient like many of the ht clinics represantatives do in htn. having a good who regulary posts and informs about smp from good loom ink will be very good. thats my two cents bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted May 3, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted May 3, 2012 Whether considering HTs or SMP, you want to see the individuals that have done it "in person". These are patients and people that have your same hair characteristics and hairloss patterns. Nothing depicts the the real thing as seeing it in person face-to-face. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Time to do something Posted May 3, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted May 3, 2012 I have seen two individuals in person who have had this. One with hair and one without. Both looked very good to me. NW5 Dr. Epstein July 4, 2007 2520 grafts 471 one hair grafts 1540 two hair grafts 505 three hair grafts 5070 Total hair count Dr. Epstein August 4, 2008 2384 grafts 870 one hair grafts 1150 two hair grafts 364 three and four hair grafts 4262 Total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro November 18, 2009 1896 grafts 760 one hair grafts 852 two hair grafts 288 three hair grafts 46 four hair grafts 3362 total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro July 1, 2011 1191 grafts 447 one hair grafts 580 two hair grafts 150 three hair grafts 14 four hair grafts 2113 total hair count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted May 3, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted May 3, 2012 Keep looking in person as many as you are able. You definitely want to see more examples. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Time to do something Posted May 3, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted May 3, 2012 Have you seen any in person? If so what is your opinion and where were they done? NW5 Dr. Epstein July 4, 2007 2520 grafts 471 one hair grafts 1540 two hair grafts 505 three hair grafts 5070 Total hair count Dr. Epstein August 4, 2008 2384 grafts 870 one hair grafts 1150 two hair grafts 364 three and four hair grafts 4262 Total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro November 18, 2009 1896 grafts 760 one hair grafts 852 two hair grafts 288 three hair grafts 46 four hair grafts 3362 total hair count Dr. Ron Shapiro July 1, 2011 1191 grafts 447 one hair grafts 580 two hair grafts 150 three hair grafts 14 four hair grafts 2113 total hair count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member scar5 Posted May 4, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted May 4, 2012 Well done Time As I wrote first up when I first posted about Dr. Traquina's study there are some important differences about the way he went about SMP. 1) He used iron oxide pigments 2) He used browns and warm tones 3) He went deep into the dermis to a depth of 2mm 4) He used much bigger cluster needles (7 mag, 9 mag etc) 5) He scattered the dots with loose density and then filled in between To my knowledge, all these points are different to the way SMP is done today by companies like GLI, HIS, AC and NHI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griseltye Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) I am a survivor of Scalp Micropigmentation and let me tell you it is awesome!! If you have any questions you can check out my guy at Micropigmentation Charlotte NC , his name is Enoch, and he is the best. I wasted money going to good look ink. Call him for results! Edited April 14, 2016 by Admin Promotional link removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member BadBeat Posted April 13, 2016 Senior Member Share Posted April 13, 2016 I am a survivor of Scalp Micropigmentation and let me tell you it is awesome!! If you have any questions you can check out my guy at Micropigmentation Charlotte NC , his name is Enoch, and he is the best. I wasted money going to good look ink. Call him for results! A "survivor" huh?! Wow, that's really going to make people go for your spam post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now