With hair loss becoming a very common problem, a lot of solutions have emerged in the market and unless the traditional treatments like hair transplants, the new treatments are very less known about and hence there is a lot of misconception and confusion on which is what. Scalp Micropigmentation, often referred to as the new hair loss treatment of 2021, also has some misbeliefs associated with it.
The common or layman terms for SMP is scalp tattoo, head tattoo or tattoo hair. But is SMP just like a traditional tattoo? NO. SMP or scalp micropigmentation is not like a traditional tattoo in any way. Let’s find out why.
The Needle size
The needles used by a traditional tattoo artist is too big and imprecise to replicate the look and feel of a hair follicle. The needle used by an SMP artist, called a 3-point micro-needle, is almost 80% smaller than the smallest needle a tattoo artist can get. Using a needle of such small dimensions result in an ink deposit which looks exactly like a hair follicle.
The Ink
Those colorful inks you see in the skin tattoos are non-organic, which means they can irritate or harm your skin, and are also made form composite sources, which means, the colors might change over time. On the contrary, the ink used for SMP, is created very carefully taking your skin and hair color into consideration, using the Fitzpatrick scale, which is used in the permanent makeup and cosmetic industry. This ink is organic and not made from composite sources, so it won’t irritate your skin or change color in future.
The Skin Depth
SMP is a non-invasive treatment as it goes only two layers into the dermis, which is the second layer after the topmost skin layer called epidermis. Traditional tattoo ink, on the other hand, goes, five layers deep into the skin to ensure that it maintains the shape and does not spread further. SMP artists have greater control over the shape of ink deposit without going that deep into the skin.
The Technique
This is one of the major differences between scalp micropigmentation and traditional tattoo. While the traditional tattoo uses the scraping technique on skin to get the desired design, here we are just taking about dots. Hence an SMP artist uses a dotting and pointillism technique to place tiny dots of pigments into the skin making an appearance of hair follicles. This is the reason SMP is less painful than tattoo. Some clients even find it relaxing and fall asleep during the process making it even easier for the practitioner.
Training and Certifications
Although in most states, a tattoo license and a blood borne pathogen certificate is required for an SMP business, which is the same as a tattoo artist, getting a scalp micro pigmentation certificate from a reputable source is very important for anyone considering a serious SMP company.
At SMP of Austin, all the experts are trained from the very industry’s best, the ones who invented scalp micro pigmentation, so you don’t have to worry about a shabby job.
Scalp Micropigmentation Treatment in Austin, TX
At SMP of Austin, we provide SMP for alopecia coverage, hair thinning coverage and scar coverage services. Now that you know SMP is far less painful and safer than a tattoo, if you are one of the candidates, why wait further? Call us at (512) 980-1209 to talk to an expert on any further queries or to book an appointment with us. Hair loss treatment in Austin has never been this easy!
