Treatment Options - Pros vs Cons:
When it comes to selecting a treatment option for scalp micropigmentation, there are a couple of key factors that you’ll want to consider when making your decision. Each option has it’s pros and cons, so it’s important to consider the factors that are involved before making your selection.
Treatment Types:
If you are experiencing moderate to severe hair loss, patchy areas, want to lower and reshape your hairline, are opposed to taking hair loss medications or are just looking for the lowest-maintenance style, the Coverage treatment is your likely your best option.
Coverage
Pros:
Allows for full hairline restoration and reshaping
Creates a uniform, clean and low-maintenance result
No longer need to use hair loss medications, Rogaine/Minoxidil, laser light therapy, hair fibers, or any other hair products to mask the hair loss
Psychological Freedom due to less/no time worrying about your hair style/loss
Cons:
Must keep head shaved/buzzed to maintain the optimal result
Density
If you are going to keep some length to your hair, have no plans to shave your head and have a decent amount of hair that can be used for camouflaging the SMP, the Density treatment is likely your best option.
Pros:
Allows you to keep your hair longer, opening you up to more styling options
Creates a more full, dense appearance to your existing hair
Reduces/eliminates the need for hair fibers or other high-maintenance camouflaging routines
Cons:
Must keep some hair length to maintain the optimal result
Hairline cannot be heavily modified (slight modifications can be made)
Hair loss treatment regimens should be continued
Hybrid
If you want to keep your hair longer now, but think you may want to do the Coverage treatment in the future, the Hybrid treatment is likely your best option.
Pros:
Provides you with a more conservative treatment that allows you to elect for the Coverage or Density treatments down the road, while providing an improvement now
Allows you to keep your hair longer, opening you up to more styling options
Creates a (slightly) more full, dense appearance to your existing hair
Cons:
Hairline cannot be heavily modified (slight modifications can be made)
Will not provide as significant of an improvement as a Density treatment
All hair loss solutions have their pros and cons—SMP is no exception. These treatment options have been designed and are executed to produce the most natural-looking results possible.
Here are a few of the most common questions I get regarding these different options:
Q: Can I grow my hair out after getting a Coverage treatment?
A: The longer your hair grows out, the less everything will blend together, resulting in an unnatural appearance. As hair grows out, it develops its 3D structure and melanin, which changes the color. Coverage treatments are done matching the density and color of your hair at its shortest length to most closely replicate your natural hair with pigment. Hair and pigment are different! That being said, hairs at their shortest length (think stubble) can be replicated very closely using the proper technique and equipment, which is the foundation of a Coverage treatment.
Here is a visual representation of what I’m talking about as the hair grows out and why you need to maintain your shave:
Q: Can I get a Density treatment if I have lost a significant amount of hair?
A: In order for a Density treatment to look natural, you need to have sufficient coverage of your natural hair to work with the SMP. If you have areas that are completely void of hair, you’re going to run into a similar situation as the example above which will not look very good. Generally I recommend going with a Coverage treatment if your hair loss is moderate to severe, especially if you have not stabilized the loss, which unfortunately will just lead a worse situation as your hair loss progresses. This is not an issue with the Coverage treatment and that’s why it’s a far better option if you’re past a certain point with your hair loss.
If you’re adamant about keeping your hair longer and are not interested in the Coverage treatment, there are options we can discuss where an exception may be made. Again, the options I offer are designed to provide you with the most natural-looking results and prevent you from a undesirable outcome down the road, due to making an uninformed decision (like I’ve done and am paying the price for).
Q: Why can’t I modify the hairline AND get Density treatment?
A: In order for a Density treatment to produce the result that we’re looking for, the existing hair needs to work WITH the SMP. The existing hair will provide the texture and 3D elements while the SMP works to reduce the appearance of the scalp. Together, this provides the illusion of density and fullness. When you add SMP to an area WITHOUT hair and the SMP is surrounded by the texture and 3D elements that hair provides, they don’t blend together and it creates an unnatural result.
This is the reason why I stay within the existing hairline with Density treatments, as it will provide the best, most natural results. Slight modifications can be made, but there’s a fine line between modifying the hairline slightly and creating a result that is undesirable.
Here is a visual representation showcasing why I don’t lower hairlines on Density treatments:
Q: Can you explain the Hybrid treatment further?
A: The Hybrid treatment is essentially a Coverage treatment, without the modification of the hairline. This allows someone to keep their hair longer now (giving them additional fullness), while still allowing for them to shave their head down the road and get a Coverage treatment done. Unfortunately, once hair loss occurs, it tends to progress and is fairly unpredictable, so keeping your options open in the event that shaving your head makes sense is very desirable.
Conversely, if a client elects for a Density treatment and their hair loss progresses to the point that they want a Coverage treatment, the pigment will be darker than the client’s natural stubble (as it was designed to match the longer hair color) and it will not look as natural. This may require a laser treatment to remove or lighten before a proper Coverage treatment can be completed.
If you have any questions about the different options, or would like me to review your specific case and give you my professional input, feel free to reach out.
Take The First Step!
Pick your preferred method of communication and we’ll have a short conversation about your goals and see if we are a good fit to help you reach those goals.
I will provide you with quality information and considerations that will help you make whatever decision is right for you. I’ve done these consultations many times myself to find my own hair loss solution, so I know what it’s like.
No pressure, no sales gimmicks, and no spamming your inbox - it’s as laid-back as it gets!
18205 Alderwood Mall Parkway #A302
Lynnwood, WA 98037
