Scalp Micropigmentation or Hair Transplant?

If you searched the internet for ‘hair loss treatments’, probably you’ve seen scalp micropigmentation (SMP) as one of the proposed solutions. Sometimes patients ask us to compare SMP to hair transplant.

Although both SMP and hair transplant are hair loss solutions, they are actually quite different. In SMP, tiny, pigment-based dots are applied to the scalp using microneedles, mimicking the appearance of hair follicles. In this respect, it is similar to tattooing your scalp. It does not involve growth of real hair any way.

Advantages of SMP:

1. Results are immediate

2. Cheaper in most cases

3. There is not surgery of any kind

Disadvantages of SMP:

1. There’s no actual hair involved in the process. So, it is just a visual solution

2. It can be recognized easily. Thus, it looks quite artificial, especially in the front

3. It might fade away and require regular re-touch

In general, we don’t recommend SMP to patients looking for a permanent and natural-looking solution.

Do SMP when:

1. You need a solution of some kind immediately, and will consider a permanent one later

2. Hair loss is not at the front, but at the top or crown

3. There’s hair thinning but only limited totally bald area

4. You want to complement another hair loss solution for denser looks

Don’t do SMP when:

1. You want a natural-looking solution

2. Hair loss area is at the front

3. There’s total baldness in certain areas of scalp

Hair transplant and SMP can be combined into a single solution as well. You can have the transplant first, and after achieving hair growth (typically in 6 months after the transplant), you can consider having SMP. It can be used to bring a denser look to the top and crown area. This is a viable solution if the hair loss area is wide and transplant is performed mostly to the front area. (For example, there is not enough donor for full coverage - high density transplant).

If you are trying to decide between SMP and hair transplant, please inform us while we are assessing your case. We will guide you to the most appropriate hair loss solution for you.