SMP rejection experiences

[Nagarashi]

I wrote a reddit thread to try and find someone with similar experiences as me but the general consensus in the comments seems to point more towards a botched job, even though the artist is quite reputable and I've done decent research beforehand. This may be because of my skin, maybe not.

To clarify a little bit, I've had a minor form of Alopecia Areate which was treated a few years back with a corticosteroid cream and the hairs have pretty much all grown back afterwards. I do have a few scars on my head, one from birth, a few from slamming my head into things. I also do wear a headset a lot, both during my commutes, my desk job and my gaming sessions.

So far I've mostly used a clipper without guard to cut tmy hair, I'm gonig to purchase an Andis T-Outliner for a closer shave, maybe that will create a better result. I'm trying to stay away from head shavers and razors as I don't want to upset my ,seemingly already fairly sensitive, scalp any more. 

Edit: I'm also a little on the fence about the hairline itself, I think it's a little too far forward to my liking.

You can see more info here, both in the thread as in the comments. More pictures as well: 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Nagarashi

[Melvin- Admin]

Let me tag @hairthere

[hairthere]

What’s going on in those session 4 pictures? Is that excess pigment?

[Nagarashi]

5 minutes ago, hairthere said:

What’s going on in those session 4 pictures? Is that excess pigment?

I would assume so, yes. From what I gathered, he was trying something else this time compared to previous treatments and I noticed more excess pigments on the top/crown/sides of top than before.

[hairthere]

Gotcha. So firstly, I would NEVER send a client out of my clinic with that much excess pigment on their scalp--that's poor/sloppy protocol. There are clearly some retention issues here. Whether it's your skin type or technician error is tough to say. One thing is clear, this is not an acceptable result. I would probably seek a second opinion from another SMP clinic or just proceed with laser removal (where are you located?). Just be very careful with both because a bad decision could make matters worse. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by hairthere

[Nagarashi]

57 minutes ago, hairthere said:

Gotcha. So there are clearly some retention issues here. Whether it's your skin type or technician error is tough to say. One thing is clear, this is not an acceptable result. I would probably seek a second opinion from another SMP clinic or just proceed with laser removal (where are you located?). Just be very careful with both. 

I'm based in Belgium, Europe. The place I've been having my SMP done is in the Netherlands. I have a second opinion scheduled, even if it's just to take a look. I'll also be seeing a dermatologist again to make sure I rule out any skin conditions. Better safe than sorry. Would have done this earlier but I've never really had any real issues with my skin. 

The technician said he never had retention issues this extreme but he still believes that slowly but steadily a result is in the works. I don't have to pay for any extra sessions but I'm a bit on the fence whether it's even worth it at this point.

Regarding the excess pigment, this has never really happened before so I'm also a little unsure as to why it's been done this time around. 

Edit: if one way or another, he manages to get the ink to remain pretty much anywhere but the hairline area. Can laser removal be precise enough to zap away the sort of red/brownish area I have now at my hairline and leave it at that? Maybe get a touchup session somewhere else to fix the hairline, if possible.

Also thanks for the replies @hairthere

Edited June 7, 2022 by Nagarashi

[hairthere]

You should not have a lingering red/brownish area. Let’s hope this is just some temporary post-SMP inflammation.

[Nagarashi]

On 6/7/2022 at 4:33 AM, hairthere said:

You should not have a lingering red/brownish area. Let’s hope this is just some temporary post-SMP inflammation.

Thanks. The redness is indeed pretty much gone. I've just gone ahead and had my first of 2 second opinions where they mentioned that they've only seen this type of rejection once and it's extremely rare and generally they just end it after 2 sessions if they see this kind of lack of progress.

He also mentioned something about my skin possibly regenerating too fast after the procedure which in turn can take most of the pigments with it. I didn't quite get it but maybe you've seen something like it before?

Either way, I'm going to go ahead and get a test session there on a small patch to see if they get better results.

[copingbaldy]

There are people who just break down the ink way too fast, even at very good clinics. I had my work done at the original Birmingham clinic with 3 guys who now among the best in the UK and I know of a couple of clients who had something like 8 sessions that all faded. It's very rare but it does happen. However I'd agree with getting a second opinion from a different clinic because it might just be a case of not hitting the right depth.