If Transplant Techniques Were Better Years Ago, Would Some People Even Need SMP Today?

Hi Doc. I was just reading your recent article “Hair Transplants with Scalp Micro-Pigmentation (with Photos)” and was wondering whether or not the patient would be in the same position now if you knew the hair transplant techniques back then, that you know now.

Is it possible that with ultra refined techniques the transplanted hairs would have been transplanted more evenly around the head meaning that Scalp Micro-Pigmentation would not have been necessary.

Best

The simple answer to your question is: Yes! Many people with advanced balding patterns just don’t have enough donor hair to cover the entire balding pattern, so SMP (scalpmicropigmentation) solves this problem.

I hear ultra refined technique used sometimes but it is more of a term described in forums such as Hair Transplant Network. That terminology is just semantics. The GOLD STANDARD in hair transplant surgery is transplanting one follicular unit at a time. It doesn’t matter what you call it. AT NHI we have being doing this since we opened in the early 1990’s and have pioneered and published on this technique (HERE).

To be clear, no matter how perfect the technique (you can use ultra refined technique if you would like), you have a LIMITED and FINITE supply of donor hair. So no matter how refined, you can never have the fullness of someone who is not bald. Hair transplant is great at providing a non balding look and creating a solid non-receding frame to your face. But hair transplant is in essence moving hairs around from one place to another.

Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) is not perfect since it is not hair. However, (like Toppik and DermMatch and other concealers) it reduces the contrast between hair and scalp providing the look of fullness that a hair transplant may not provide. It also provides an EVEN appearance when you shave your scalp. More importantly, SMP provides any hair transplant patient an option to SHAVE their scalp and disguise the donor scar. Even for people with FUE surgery, there is a scar in the form of DOTS. SMP can also blend in these FUE dots.

SMP is a great adjunct to hair transplant.

Hair Transplant Result

Shaved after Hair Transplant (no SMP)

SMP after Hair Transplant