Will Scalp Micropigmentation Go Blue Over Time?

So the honest answer to the question, will scalp micropigmentation go blue? Yes, it could happen for 1 of 2 reasons and the person you choose to do your scalp micropigmentation treatment should have a good understanding of both these reasons.

Hair loss is the main reason people choose to have the scalp micropigmentation process, but they do not want their scalp blue! Yes, scalp micropigmentation fades but this is not why it would turn blue.

The purpose of scalp micropigmentation is to replicate your natural hair follicles while simultaneously strengthening and adding density to the thinning sections. 

Will SMP Turn Blue?

Incorrect Application

The first reason that scalp micropigmentation could turn blue is if the pigment/ink is deposited into the wrong layer of skin. So what do we mean when we say the wrong layer?

The skin is made up of 3 main layers. Epidermis, dermis and the hypodermis.

The Epidermis

The epidermis is the top layer of skin that is dead of flaky skin if the pigment/ tattoo ink is deposited into this layer then after a few weeks, most of the work that has been done will just flake away during the natural process of the skin regenerating.

The Dermis

The dermis, now this is the sweet spot at about 1.5 depth this is the layer of skin where pigment/tattoo ink can hold its structure, correct colour and stay in the skin for a long time, the only thing that will affect it is the natural immune system working to remove the pigment/ink over years causing natural fading just like with any form of tattoo this is why top-ups are needed over time.

The Hypodermis

The hypodermis is the layer of skin we do not want to deposit any pigment/ink into as it has blood and fat cells in it. If the pigment/ink is deposited into this layer then that is when we would get blue scalp micropigmentation or even migration where the impressions become bigger over time as they spread in the skin.

Ink Used

The second reason for blue tattoos or blue scalp micropigmentation could be down to bad choice of pigment/ink. You may notice with really old tattoos on grandparents that they may have blue or green tones when they should be black this could be due to the first reason of going into the wrong layer, but also it is more likely that it was the ink used.

Over time tattoo inks/pigments have come a long way. It used to be hard to create a true black ink and really dark blues or greens would be used to give the appearance of black in these old inks and overtime as the true colour fades. Using the wrong pigments will cause your SMP to look blue.

Now with better methods, we are able to have true black inks now all black inks are carbon-based ensuring that they are black and nothing else. A test you can do to make sure that your black ink is only black and has no other colour in there is to drop a few drops of the ink onto a paper towel and pure a little bit of water on there. If you see any other colour than black when diluted then this is not true black.

If a mixture of inks are used and not a true black, you may experience degrading from UV Rays and sun exposure causing your SMP to look blue and change colour.

Chlorine and saltwater will not fade your SMP treatment, once your SMP has healed it will form a barrier of skin over your SMP to protect it from any kind of water. Sun exposure can contribute to fading if you do not protect your skin.