SMP for FUE scars

[Dregfr]

I am considering using SMP to cover up some FUE scars in the donor area. I like to do 0 shaves on the sides. Does anyone have examples of how this would look after the SMP? Thank you all so much for sharing.

[Caradubaxu]

@Dregfr, look up some local smp artists. Covering up FUE scars with smp is pretty common and very effective. You should be able to easily find examples online

[mustang]

It's not very effective, it's very hard for the pigment to take on scars

Multiple sessions are required and even then it can fade extremely quick.

Best way is to have bht into them to get blood back to the scars to change in color (less white) and break the illusion of scaring and then add pigments.

[ciaus]

3 hours ago, mustang said:

It's not very effective, it's very hard for the pigment to take on scars

Multiple sessions are required and even then it can fade extremely quick.

Best way is to have bht into them to get blood back to the scars to change in color (less white) and break the illusion of scaring and then add pigments.

 

There are definitely some variables that go into how well this is going to work, but you don't want to be overly pessimistic. While extreme fading is possible, its a worse case scenario and not that common. Stay focused on what you can control: your expectations and preparations. We can't do anything about how quickly our unique physiologies break down the ink, and you're only going to find out how fast that is after getting the work done.

-letting the scars age and flatten out for at least a year

-addressing any excessive raised scar tissue with kenealog injections or scar revision surgery

-BHT or some scalp hair into the scars will also help for the reasons stated

-make sure you go to an experienced SMP artist that has dealt with alot of scarring, do your research

-don't expect anything like one-and-done for life, probably getting touchups to address the fading every few years. Worse case if you need to do touchups too frequently it will probably be better to just give up on the shorter hair styles. On the bright side, you have it much easier than guys who need to cover their whole head in SMP. If it doesn't work out you just let your side hair grow out.

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by ciaus

[pkipling]

On 6/2/2022 at 11:10 AM, ciaus said:

 

There are definitely some variables that go into how well this is going to work, but you don't want to be overly pessimistic. While extreme fading is possible, its a worse case scenario and not that common. Stay focused on what you can control: your expectations and preparations. We can't do anything about how quickly our unique physiologies break down the ink, and you're only going to find out how fast that is after getting the work done.

-letting the scars age and flatten out for at least a year

-addressing any excessive raised scar tissue with kenealog injections or scar revision surgery

-BHT or some scalp hair into the scars will also help for the reasons stated

-make sure you go to an experienced SMP artist that has dealt with alot of scarring, do your research

-don't expect anything like one-and-done for life, probably getting touchups to address the fading every few years. Worse case if you need to do touchups too frequently it will probably be better to just give up on the shorter hair styles. On the bright side, you have it much easier than guys who need to cover their whole head in SMP. If it doesn't work out you just let your side hair grow out.

 

Great points here. I think this could be trickier than you think for it to look completely natural at a zero shave. If it's worth it to you, it's definitely worth a shot. But given all the variables (time, money, uncertain results, maintenance, etc.), I would personally consider a slightly longer hairstyle and seeing if that's something you could be okay with. 

Feel free to post pics as well if you want more specific feedback. 

[Gatsby]

How many graft extractions did you have that requires camouflage? I had SMP for a couple of ugly ‘punch graft’ scars in my donor area. It was about 80% effective. Compared to what the scars looked like shaved down it was a God send! For FUE scars, SMP is far more effective due to the geometric pattern that is hard for the eye to pick up. It does however require an SMP artist who is well versed in this type of work. 
 

[Caradubaxu]

@Gatsbythat smp job looks great BTW!

[pkipling]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:44 PM, Gatsby said:

How many graft extractions did you have that requires camouflage? I had SMP for a couple of ugly ‘punch graft’ scars in my donor area. It was about 80% effective. Compared to what the scars looked like shaved down it was a God send! For FUE scars, SMP is far more effective due to the geometric pattern that is hard for the eye to pick up. It does however require an SMP artist who is well versed in this type of work. 
 

Honestly, every time you post a picture a of your scar repair/SMP procedure, I'm floored at how great the results are. I feel like this level of high quality SMP is hard to come by. How often do you have to touch it up? 

[Gatsby]

@pkipling I had my first touch up at around five years after I initially had the SMP performed on me by Caitlin James.

[SimpleLife]

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

@pkipling I had my first touch up at around five years after I initially had the SMP performed on me by Caitlin James.

Sounds good, my fear is that I might need a touchup every 1-2 years once I get it done on the fue scars. 

Dont want to wake up everyday checking whether it faded & making the dots visible

[Gatsby]

On 6/11/2022 at 12:07 AM, SimpleLife said:

Sounds good, my fear is that I might need a touchup every 1-2 years once I get it done on the fue scars. 

Dont want to wake up everyday checking whether it faded & making the dots visible

With a top class SMP artist that won’t happen. 👍

[Big Rome]

On 5/18/2022 at 7:33 PM, Dregfr said:

I am considering using SMP to cover up some FUE scars in the donor area. I like to do 0 shaves on the sides. Does anyone have examples of how this would look after the SMP? Thank you all so much for sharing.

great shout, been looking to do this myself also 👊🏻

[BaldReaper]

On 6/2/2022 at 4:31 PM, mustang said:

It's not very effective, it's very hard for the pigment to take on scars

Multiple sessions are required and even then it can fade extremely quick.

Best way is to have bht into them to get blood back to the scars to change in color (less white) and break the illusion of scaring and then add pigments.

If the practicioner is experienced and doesnt go too deep(causing the pigment to spread) or too shallow(causing the pigment to fade faster) the coverage can last for a really long time.Adding bht to the scars is still surgery and is better to be avoided if you can just do SMP to cover them.

[mustang]

On 7/23/2022 at 10:11 AM, BaldV said:

If the practicioner is experienced and doesnt go too deep(causing the pigment to spread) or too shallow(causing the pigment to fade faster) the coverage can last for a really long time.Adding bht to the scars is still surgery and is better to be avoided if you can just do SMP to cover them.

Better to be avoided? really? it literally resolved my depleted donor and of so many others after nothing else could, why should it be avoided?

SMP is complimentary.  

[BaldReaper]

2 hours ago, mustang said:

Better to be avoided? really? it literally resolved my depleted donor and of so many others after nothing else could, why should it be avoided?

SMP is complimentary.  

Dude I know you had 20 like hair transplants but for the average person surgery is something to be avoided if you have better options

[Pephair]

I think it's a great option

 

[mustang]

On 7/25/2022 at 12:03 PM, BaldV said:

Dude I know you had 20 like hair transplants but for the average person surgery is something to be avoided if you have better options

Why is surgery to be avoided? Because of cost? 

Better? SMP is a better option than actually replacing the graft and bringing blood circulation ang pigment back to the incision and the white dot going away forever?

I don't think it get's any better than that. Perhaps you meant to say cheaper. 

I had all my SMP pretty much fade from my scars and it's hard for some people but with the right hands you can get a good result, question is how long

I think a mix of both is the greatest solution.

[Big Rome]

8 hours ago, Pephair said:

I think it's a great option

 

great example of why SMP is a viable option! 👏🏻👏🏻

[BaldReaper]

9 hours ago, Pephair said:

I think it's a great option

 

This is right after application though, we dont know how long it lasts

[Pephair]

15 hours ago, BaldV said:

This is right after application though, we dont know how long it lasts

We do actually. A few years dependent on your body's reaction to the ink and your sun use.

And most SMP places give you a discounted follow up to last even longer. 

 

[BaldReaper]

4 hours ago, Pephair said:

We do actually. A few years dependent on your body's reaction to the ink and your sun use.

And most SMP places give you a discounted follow up to last even longer. 

 

100% of online pictures I see from SMP to FUE scars are right after application, except from Gatsby I haven't seen anyone posting pictures of how the scars looks after years.

[HairLineInk-79]

On 5/18/2022 at 2:33 PM, Dregfr said:

I am considering using SMP to cover up some FUE scars in the donor area. I like to do 0 shaves on the sides. Does anyone have examples of how this would look after the SMP? Thank you all so much for sharing.

 

[Gatsby]

1 hour ago, HairLineInk-79 said:

 

Fue scars give a better result as the dots are irregular and do not draw the eye. Linear scars like FUT are harder to camouflage but can be improved dramatically. You can see in the FUT repair picture above that the result is immediately after the final application from how red the scalp is from the procedure.

[bigmistake]

On 7/28/2022 at 7:24 AM, Pephair said:

I think it's a great option

 

Are these your pics ? Where did you get it done from ? Is the ink still holding ?

[FunkyMonkey]

Some great examples in this thread. It really is a good option to conceal and wear your hair much shorter as a result.