Scalp micropigmentation (SMP) is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that uses micro-needles to deposit pigment into the upper dermis of the scalp, creating the appearance of closely cropped hair follicles. It is a technique with specific appropriate uses and important limitations that patients should understand before making a decision.
SMP is best suited to patients who want the appearance of a closely shaved head with full density. It creates thousands of tiny pigment dots that, at normal viewing distances, appear as a full head of very short hair. For patients with complete or near-complete hair loss who are not suitable for or interested in hair transplant surgery, SMP can provide a significant improvement in appearance.
For patients who already have hair transplants but want to increase apparent density in areas that surgery did not fully cover, SMP can act as a complement to the surgical result — filling in the spaces between transplanted hairs and creating the appearance of fuller coverage.
The limitations of SMP are important: it does not provide the texture or movement of real hair. At closer distances or under certain lighting conditions, the dots appear as pigment rather than actual hair follicles. The pigment fades over time and requires periodic top-up sessions. It is not suitable for patients who want to wear their hair at more than a millimetre or two in length, as growing hair creates an inconsistency with the pigmented dots below.
SMP is not a treatment for hair loss — it is a cosmetic solution to the appearance of hair loss. This distinction matters when setting expectations.
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