Men and women across the world are dealing with the reality of hair loss. Whether due to medical conditions, stress, hormones, medications, deficiencies or genetics, hair loss is hard to come to terms with for anyone. The reason people go for scalp micropigmentation treatment is because they want to achieve an ultimately natural look. It is not about standing out from the crowd; it is about returning to life as normal and regaining your confidence and self-esteem.
One of the most common questions people ask regarding the treatment is ‘Does scalp micropigmentation look real?’ short answer, yes, scalp micropigmentation does look real.
First let us discuss what scalp micropigmentation actually is. So, the process is simple, you have a consultation with an artist, you discuss what it is you’re wanting i.e. a full scalp treatment, density, camouflage etc, then the style and possible hairline you would like. After this your first session will be booked! Now it’s the first session, your artist will draw out your hairline and the procedure will begin. A special handheld machine is used that has microneedles attached, these needles then implant pigment into the papillary layer of the dermis to create microdots that replicate the look of hair follicles. Basically, scalp micropigmentation is a hair tattoo.
If you are suffering from complete hair loss, then scalp micropigmentation is the ultimate solution that is non-surgical and non-invasive. By implanting pigment across the whole scalp, the treatment can restore the hairline and give the whole head the look of a buzz-cut. This looks completely natural and realistic. If you do not tell anyone that you have had the treatment, I guarantee you they will not know.
Low density is becoming more and more common especially for women. By using scalp micropigmentation treatment pigment can be implanted in between the existing hair follicles. By reducing the contrast between the scalp and hair you will look like you have a full, thick head of hair.
Other forms of hair loss that scalp micropigmentation can help with are alopecia and scarring. The most common form of alopecia that scalp micropigmentation artists see is alopecia areata, this is where the hair loss appears as patches across the scalp and can sometimes lead to full hair loss. If you are wanting to treat the full scalp, then it will be done the same way as mentioned above, where it is done across the whole scalp as with density and then the patches are filled in. But if you are just wanting to disguise the patches, then microdots will be deposited into the hair loss area and then in between the existing hairs around the patches to ensure complete blending and concealment.
This same technique is used for scarring. Scalp scarring is most commonly caused by injury or surgery. Hair transplants regularly cause scalp scarring, especially if you keep your hair really short. There are two different types of hair transplant, which means two different types of scalp scarring. Follicular unit transplantation, or FUT, is where a strip of follicles is removed from the back or side of the scalp. The donor area is then stitched back together leaving a strip scar. The other type of hair transplant is follicular unit extraction, or FUE, this I where follicles are removed from the back or side of the scalp individually, this creates small individual scars across the donor area. These scars can be concealed the same way alopecia area can, in and around the scars are filled with microdots and blended with the existing hairs to disguise the scarring. The best part about having scalp micropigmentation applied to scarring is that the technique can sometimes restore health to the injured skin.
As for whether scalp micropigmentation looks real, have you ever seen a grown man cry? Scalp micropigmentation artists have, numerous times. The treatment looks so realistic they become so taken aback by the results that they tear up. They no longer feel the need the hide under hats, wigs or funny hairstyles. They can finally walk out of their front door on a morning feeling confident and like themselves again.
Hair tattoos do not always look real though and the reason for this Is that the ‘artist’ that has done the treatment is not a scalp micropigmentation artist at all! Many people have seen the treatment done online or even in person and thought “I could do that” how wrong they are. Scalp micropigmentation take specialist training and experience to achieve such a natural realistic look. There is a lot more to it that just tattooing mimicked follicles.
The most important parts of the scalp micropigmentation technique are the pigment used and the depth in which the pigment is implanted. These are the two main aspects of the treatment that contribute to the natural and realistic look of scalp micropigmentation.
The pigment is made from all natural products such as carbon. The majority of scalp micropigmentation artists use only black pigment, diluted with distilled water to ensure it matches as closely as possible with the hair color and skin tone of the client. This provides people with perfect looking scalp micropigmentation no matter how much it fades, rather than traditional tattoo inks that will gradually fade to a greeny/blue color. As for the depth in which the pigment is deposited, if it was implanted in the epidermis (first layer of the skin) then the pigment would not hold in the skin and would fade a lot sooner. If the pigment is implanted any further into the dermis, then it will create a blurred impression or a blow-out. When healed this means that you will not have a clear, accurately sized dot or reproduction of hair, but a vague impression which is much too large.
So, to answer the quest ‘does scalp micropigmentation look real?’ again, yes it does but only if you (the client) have done your research to find the right artist with the correct training, expertise and experience.
