What To Expect From Scalp Micropigmentation After 5 Years
Scalp micropigmentation (or SMP as we call it) is great. So many men come through the doors of our clinic looking for help and we know that with our simple and professional procedure we can help change their lives for the better. All it takes is a few weeks and a few sessions and your life could be completely transformed. It is understandable that you might have some concerns and queries before you go ahead with SMP, it is a hair tattoo in essence after all. One of the things that often comes up is the question of whether scalp micropigmentation is permanent, and does it fade at all?
Let’s put the record straight about scalp micropigmentation after 5 years and what you can expect for it to look like.
How Long Does SMP Usually Last?
Every case is different of course, but generally a hair tattoo will begin to fade more significantly between 4-6 years after the initial treatment has been completed. This is only natural, as you see with a regular tattoo. There are different variables to consider as to the timing and extent of the fading and you do see some cases where it takes much longer to fade and others where it begins to happen sooner, around the 3-year period.
Why Does Fading Happen with Scalp Micropigmentation After 5 years?
Depending on the pigment absorption and skin exfoliation, it could be that after 5 years your SMP needs a touch up. The pigments deposited into your skin are safe, but your immune system will naturally begin to try and get rid of them as soon as they are deposited into your scalp, breaking them down over a long period of time. Add to that the fact that our skin is constantly changing and renewing, replacing the surface layers, you will always lose a small percentage of the pigmented cells over time through shedding.
Scalp micropigmentation after 5 years will usually look faded then, but this process and the speed of it happening really depends on a few different factors:
- Your personal immune system – Every human body is different. Your hair tattoo might fade quickly or take longer to fade depending on how your immune system breaks down the pigments.
- Your skin type – For some people with particularly oily skin they might find that more pigment is pushed out, whereas those with dry skin and a flaky scalp will tend to take more pigment.
- Skincare routine – Your choice skin care products will help determine how fast your hair tattoo fades. Harsher products used on your scalp may speed up the pigment fading, so be careful with your choice.
- Exposure to sunlight – You might not think you need to worry about this as much in the UK, but the more you’re out in direct sunlight, the greater the fade on pigments will be over time. Wear a cap or plenty of SPF if you are in the sun a lot.
Does Scalp Micropigmentation Go Away?
As a general rule, most people who leave our clinic with a full SMP treatment and a happy head of realistic-looking hair, will require top ups after about 5 years. If you think about a normal tattoo and how sharp and dark it looks when you first have it compared with how it looks a few years later, you’ll understand that all tattoos fade over time naturally. You can certainly look after your skin with aftercare solutions to help slow down this fading, but there is nothing you can do to stop it fading. The same can be said of a hair tattoo.
After about 5 years you’ll be best coming back for a top-up SMP session. In terms of time and cost these top-up sessions are not on the same scale as your original treatment and take a much shorter period to complete, fewer sessions, and therefore a lower cost.
Remember though, it might not be right for you to get your SMP touched up after 5 years. If it doesn’t look that faded to you and you are happy and comfortable with how you look, wait longer until you can notice the fading for definite.
Book in For Top-up of Scalp Cicropigmentation After 5 years
Whenever we see a brand-new client at our clinic, Craig goes through the entire process with them, so they know exactly what to expect. Another type of client we do see quite regularly are those that have had initial SMP treatment at other clinics and are either unhappy with the results and want it to be topped-up, or their original treatment has faded, and it is time for a top-up.
If the SMP artist who you originally saw hasn’t got 100% perfect technique or they did not use the highest quality of pigment available the results can fade a lot quicker than 5 years, or you’ll see the colour of the hair tattoo change to a green or blue colour. If this has happened to you, get in touch with us as soon as possible and book in a consultation.
Our head clinician Craig has years of experience within the trade, and before that as a barber. He knows hair and what SMP should look like to create the most realistic hairline for our clients. Every person is different, with a unique reason behind seeking out scalp micropigmentation treatment. Whether it is your first time or you are looking for a top-up to make sure your scalp micropigmentation after 5 years looks once again like day one, give us a call. You can fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can or pick up the phone and call 07432859488.
