Can Scalp Micro Pigmentation Be Completed In One Day? 

This is one of the MOST hotly debated questions in the Scalp MicroPigmentation Industry.  There are voices in the SMP forum and blogging communities who take this stance: “It is impossible to complete Scalp MicroPigmentation in one day.  Any clinic who tells you that they can do this should not be trusted.”Likewise, there are also SMP providers who promise clients that they will only need to come in one time for treatment.

Which is true? 

In our expert opinion, neither.  At BRAVI, we believe in having our clients at their best, at all moments.  This is why we complete our procedures (except in specialized cases of extensive alopecia, etc.) in one day.  This means that we do not slowly build sparse density over several sittings.  No SMP client wants to walk around with a partially-completed procedure!  Every time our clients leave our clinic following either a procedure or an enhancement session, the look is complete.  

Does this mean that, after a single day, our clients are completely finished with SMP forever?  No.  We definitely recommend enhancement for all of our clients, and our pigmentation strategy is based on periodic enhancement.  (This is because we use our specialized, medical grade, colorfast pigments, rather than permanent tattoo or cosmetic ink that turns increasingly blue over time.)  However, just as on procedure day, our clients leave from their enhancement session with a completed look.  

Factors affecting the the number of SMP sessions required:

There are several reasons that can increase the number of sessions needed to get a client to their desired look.  Some of these reasons are client-related, and some are caused by the provider.

Scar tissue from hair transplant surgeries is very tough.  It requires specialized pre-treatment in order to retain pigmentation.  BRAVI provides unparalleled results in scar coverage with SMP.

Client-Related Causes:

Pigment Rejection.  Rejection to some degree happens during every SMP healing process. This is true for everyone—no exceptions.  Reality is that rejection can sometimes be significant after the initial procedure, particularly in the case of scar tissue or a history of hair system use. Further, it is the body’s job to reject foreign objects or substances that become embedded in the dermis.  In response, experienced SMP providers will control all controllable variables and  make recommendations to optimize retention. Rejection and the healing process are not uniform across all people—think “slow healer vs. fast healer”.  Rejection is a variable that is partly independent of the procedure, and it is partly based on the physiology of the client—a factor that no clinic can completely control or anticipate. The identical implementation will retain better in certain clients than others. 

There are many causes for increased SMP rejection.  Here are several examples:

• Steroid use
  
• Alcohol consumption right before/after procedure
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Use of blood thinners or blood-thinning supplements
  
• Lack of adherence to after-care
  
• Unprotected sun exposure

While certain health conditions can cause retention challenges, it does not mean that these individuals cannot receive SMP.  It simply means that enhancement will be needed more frequently than is typical.  An experienced provider can proactively advise you and formulate a treatment plan to keep your results looking optimal.    All SMP requires some level of care over time, and client physiology and lifestyle will impact retention.   For this reason, SMP providers should never promise “one and done” results.  Doing so is overpromising, and it sets up clients for disappointment and unforeseen costs.

Provider-Related Causes:

There are some specific ways that providers create the need for multiple sessions to complete a procedure–both accidental and intentional.  

Improper Implementation (common problem for many providers).

Proper implementation includes using the correct pigments, equipment, procedure compounds, and technique. SMP providers vary widely in their ability to provide this.  SMP impressions must be embedded at a very specific depth in the dermis–more superficial than tattoo technique.

Mastering the technique of delivering thousands of impressions, with consistent depth, across the full spectrum of variances in scalp physiology, requires a great deal of experience and extensive training under an expert.  The cursory training standard (<10 hours of hands-on training, on average) has created thousands of providers creating millions of improperly implemented SMP impressions, simply because they haven’t spent enough hours to become consistent and accurate. 

The Number of Scalp MicroPigmentation treatments any client will need depends in part on their individual physiology.   When applied with excessive depth, the result is large, migrated impressions.  This type of result usually requires laser corrective measures.   

The Number of Scalp MicroPigmentation treatments any client will need depends in part on their individual physiology.

When applied too superficially, the pigment is implanted into the epidermis–the outer layer of skin that sloughs off and replaces itself entirely every 30 days or so.  In this case, the pigment exfoliates away with the dead skin cells.   Between the two–”too deep”, is far more serious than “too shallow”.  BRAVI is the global destination for fixing “too deep” (click here to learn more about BRAVI SMP Correction).

“Too shallow” is serious in that it creates the need for multiple sessions, which can be traumatic for the clients, physically and financially. 

Intentional Undertreatment

Oftentimes, SMP applied without sufficient depth is totally unintentional.  It is simply the result of a nervous or inexperienced provider who fails to reach the correct depth.  While this is unsatisfactory for the client–who will end up with little to show for their investment–at least long-term physical damage did not occur.   

However, it must sadly also be acknowledged that many providers employ a “pay-as-you-go” treatment strategy that incentivizes ongoing undertreatment.   

We have met many, many clients over the years who have fallen victim to this strategy.  

Many SMP providers have adopted a soft-sell “pay as you go” approach. This approach requires multiple incremental treatments instead of one primary treatment. These providers’ Scalp MicroPigmentation clients incur an initial lower initial cost, which can be very attractive. However, this approach makes it extremely difficult for clients to ever obtain a completed look.

Incremental SMP Providers are not taking responsibility for their long-term results.

When SMP clients pay a clinic by the treatment, what incentive does the SMP provider have to “complete the look” as quickly as possible?  We have had clients approach our company after as many as 12 treatments (at $1k each) from another provider with very little pigmentation to show for it.

Furthermore, SMP clients who sign up for incremental treatments must often remain “off the grid” until their SMP look is complete so as to avoid drawing attention to unnatural partial results.  

These incremental providers often adopt a less-than-optimal treatment schedule as well.  Multiple treatments spaced limited days/weeks apart constantly disrupts the dermal healing process risking scarring, inflammatory issues, and diminished acceptance of the pigmentation.

BRAVI’s approach to SMP: Each treatment should be an attempt at Total SMP Perfection.  We guarantee our results.  While our clients have access to enhancements in perpetuity, we provide this maintenance care at extremely low-cost.   At every moment, we are incentivized to achieve total client satisfaction as efficiently as possible.

BRAVI’s recommendation on One-Day SMP:

We do not endorse the “once-and-done” approach–as it is an indicator that permanent tattoo ink that will turn blue will be employed.  However, we definitely do believe in completion at every treatment and endorse the “invest in yourself once, get guaranteed results” philosophy in selecting a provider.  Choose a provider whose incentive is to get you completely satisfied as soon as possible.

This is a structure that involves these elements:

• One-time cost for a quality procedure
• A treatment schedule that provides you with every opportunity to perfect your results as quickly as possible
• Following the procedure completion, you should have affordable and long-term access to any enhancement work that you might need for years down the road.

Knowledge is power, particularly in an environment so full of financially-motivated “experts”. Scalp MicroPigmentation is the best hair loss solution available—but only when it is provided expertly from an ethical and reputable source.

To see BRAVI’s Full Gallery of Totally Unedited SMP Results, click here.