In the US alone about 35 million men are suffering from hair loss issues that put them at the risk of losing self-confidence. A head full of hair is a part of your looks and baldness pushes you to the brink of social embarrassment.
Currently, hair loss treatment is selling like hot cakes. However, before taking any decision as to what procedure to be chosen, whether to go for scalp micro pigmentation or hair transplants in-depth information is a must to weigh the pros and cons.
After all, it is your health and scalp you are submitting before a scalp micro pigmentation artist or a hair transplant specialist. Utmost care and knowledge about the causes of hair loss, comparative benefits and disadvantages of the procedures and before and after effects of the treatment is a necessity.
Probable causes leading to hair loss:
As you are facing the tune and seriously bent on doing something about your receding hairline, you have a right to know about the underlying causes of baldness. The factors responsible are:
- Genetic: Baldness is coded in your DNA and your hair follicles have a DNA blueprint carried over down the generations.
- Hormonal: You may have an over secretion of a hormone called Di-hydro testosterone to which hair follicles are highly responsive. This hormone truncates hair follicles and interferes with healthy growth of hair.
- Age: As we age, the rate of hair growth reduces and there is not much fresh growth of hair to replace those which have fallen off.
- Drinking or Smoking: Excessive smoking and intake of alcohol or strong medication can contribute to hair loss.Â
What is scalp micro pigmentation?
Scalp micro pigmentation is a specially designed technique requiring a combination of skill and competence of a micro pigmentation artist. A pigment is administered into your scalp using microneedles to create a realistic impression of a full head of hair.
The person undergoing treatment becomes very anxious about how long it will take to restore the proper looks. Here, scalp micro pigmentation procedure turns to be a very satisfying solution. It requires a few administrations, doesn’t require long recovery time and gives you the look you desire to have.
The pigmentation applied matches your normal hair color and hence it looks very natural and easy to carry. Not only the hue, but a good pigmentation will replicate the natural pattern of your hairline contour.
Consequences of scalp micro pigmentation:
The procedure has hardly any side effects. Once you have this treatment done, there will be a marked difference in your appearance. You will look natural as if you haven’t had any hair loss issues ever.
Post each application your scalp will have red little dots. The dots grow in size and turn darker as your scalp skin starts recovering. Micro scabs collecting around each dot will start shedding off taking some pigments as they go. Since scalp micro pigmentation is a non-invasive treatment, your scalp skin is not subjected to any surgical injury.
Determinants of a desired scalp micro pigmentation:
Before deciding on the procedure you should know what all factors have a bearing on it. These are precisely:
Needle size:
Based on the technique, the size of needles may vary. For a 3D procedure a tiny needle is applied for the first application. Gradually, the size increases when you are in for a second or at the most for the third application. Typically, in this treatment, the needle size is three quarters of a hair tattoo needle size.
Needle pressure:
More the pressure deeper the needle penetrates. Pigments applied to epidermis achieve tiny and distinct dots. Administration on dermis precipitates in large and vague dots. Care should be taken to the intensity of pressure applied for a satisfactory outcome.
Dot size:
This depends upon needle tip size. Finer needle head and gentle pressure is the ideal mix to get small dots to give an illusion of natural hair growth.
Technician skill:
Technician skill is of crucial importance to a successful scalp pigmentation procedure. Your scalp artist should be carefully selected and should have the required credentials. Go for a consultation with a technician before the procedure with respect to your skin quality, pigmentation shade and pattern of art on your scalp.
Remember it is not hair tattoo; it is something finer, needing the expertise of an artist to give you a natural appearance of a head full of hair.
Hair transplants vis a vis scalp micro pigmentation:
Which one should you go for has its answer after learning the relative merits and demerits.
Hair transplants that feature two approaches of Follicular unit transplant and follicular unit extraction is an invasive surgery. A strip of scalp skin is removed in the first approach and in the second every hair follicle and strand of hair is detached.
It requires local anesthesia and admission to a hospital; aftercare is intensive and compulsory.
But scalp micro pigmentation procedure involves two or at the most three applications which are not invasive. Pigments are injected into the scalp with a fine needle.
Duration of the treatment:
Hair transplant requires a whole day in the clinic, though the surgery lasts for 8 to 10 hours, the anesthesia has its effect for 24 hours. Woven hair will fall off in a few weeks and replaced by new growth within 6-9 months.
In scalp micro pigmentation procedure, each application takes 2-4 hours. It takes about 1-4 weeks between 1st and 2nd application. If your scalp pigmentation artist is good enough, the pigment fuses with your scalp skin fast and gives it a natural look of pate with a luxurious growth of hair.
Pain involved:
Since hair transplant involves anesthesia, no pain is felt except an itch on the scalp. However, scratching the itch is not advisable.
Scalp micro pigmentation which involves needle injection is slightly painful but bearable as the needle penetration is limited. For many, this little pain is preferable than a prolonged urge to scratch as in the case with the transplant.
Effectiveness:Â
A successful hair transplant is a lifelong solution but the surgery can be a failure as well.
Scalp micro pigmentation is not a lifetime fix. You can have it done periodically when the pigmentation fades. But getting a good artist is very important.
