“Scalp micropigmentation” – a non-invasion treatment has been lauded by people who are balding, says it was helpful in gaining confidence.
Derek Russell who had been embarrassed due to hair fall, wouldn’t go anywhere without a hat. Either it be a wedding or a party, he would put on a matching hat. “Most people [might think], ‘What should I match my shoes with?’” the 29-year-old says. “But the first thing I thought about was my hat.”
Though he still wears hat occasionally he no longer feels uncomfortable taking it off. Now he can go to a wedding or any party without wearing a hat. What’s the motivation behind this change? You might be wondering. Almost three months back Russell underwent scalp micropigmentationin Leeds. It’s a hair-loss treatment which originated from the United Kingdom but has gradually reached other parts of the world including the United States.
“I can’t even tell what’s real [hair] or what’s not sometimes,” says Russell.
Scalp Micropigmentation is a revolutionary, non-surgical alternative that is recommended for patients who are not candidates for hair transplant or are interested in a non-invasive treatment. It can also be combined with hair transplant in patients with poor donor area to make the transplanted hair appear fuller.
Patients with scarring, more specifically the linear scar left after the strip method, can benefit from this procedure as the pigmentation can hide the scar. The permanent, all-natural pigment is color matched to your hair and applied directly to the skin, creating thousands of tiny pigmented dots, replicating the natural appearance of real hair follicles.
Manhattan-based practitioner Matt Iulo says almost 80% of his customers are men. “Any time a man comes in here and reveals his hair loss and discusses his situation, it’s generally one of the first times he’s actually doing so,” Iulo says.
Research by the American Hair Loss Association highlights the fact that two-thirds of men experience some sort of hair loss when they reach the age of 35. When crossing 50, almost 80% of the men have notably thinner hair. Androgenetic alopecia is cited as the most common cause of this problem. This pattern baldness is marked in men by thinning hairlines or the front side of the head hair.
Lulo is very well aware of the importance of this treatment; he too suffered hair loss at an early age and it was scalp micropigmentation that helped him get through the embarrassment. Lulo knows that how an individual’s self-confidence disappears with one’s hair. He understands his client’s issues and emphasizes on to have this treatment as a means of gaining confidence.
Lulo explains the side effects of hair loss. He recalls an event when a client told him that despite being religious, he wouldn’t go to church as he didn’t want people to stare at his bald bad. “He didn’t want people staring at his bald head,” Iulo says. “Hair can affect someone’s life in little ways, but it can really add up.”
Patients require three to four sessions, seven to ten days apart. The length of the first two sessions can take anywhere from two to four hours. The third and fourth session may last as little as forty-five minutes, up to two hours. After the procedure, patients will have mild redness that will subside within the first few days. The final result occurs two to four weeks after your final procedure, as it takes time for the pigments to settle into the scalp and blend in. The result is a 3D visual illusion of natural-appearing hair.
D’Appolonia is another client who underwent Scalp micro pigmentation. He would take at least an hour to get ready and would spend most of the time trying to adjust hair on his head with the aim of covering the bald area. He used Caboki – a shake-on concealer made of plant-based fibers that help to fill in the hair on individual’s head, including hair sprays, glues, and a hairdryer to put each hair in the ideal spot, making bathroom untidy during the process.
Any activity that had the risk of resulting in excessive sweating were avoided by D’Appolonia because he was afraid that the black tinted ink from the Caboki would begin to leak down his face. According to him, he not only encountered social challenges but also faced professional hunches: D’Appolonia is a mentor of physical education. “It was constant that I’d have to run to the bathroom to make sure black stuff wasn’t all on my forehead.”
D’Appolonia was 18 years old when the hair fall began. One of a friend used to call his head a mansion head because his head which was previously covered in thick natural hair was now in a state where the front had two paths and the hairline was adopting the shape of a peninsula and the back had a pool and the crown had a visible absence of hair.
“I recognize it sounds ineffective, but I didn’t feel as attractive, and I was losing a lot of confidence because of that,” D’Appolonia says.
He didn’t share any of his concerns and issues with family or friends; mainly because of the fact that he concealed his emotions so well; no one guessed something was wrong. At one instance, he was on a holiday with his wife’s family; D’Appolonia left the park before her family, so he can get ready without them knowing his hair care procedure.
D’Appolonia and Derek Russell both acknowledge that some might think this process isn’t helpful or doesn’t help the hair loss issue, but both the men don’t feel this way. The procedure isn’t about getting your hair back; the procedure is more about what makes them happy. This process helps bald people gain confidence; others won’t understand it.
Gallo is another client who thought of undergoing the same treatment. When a friend underwent scalp micropigmentation last fall, Gallo thought of having the same treatment so as to gain confidence. But he has changed his decision and has decided not to have it. Being bald doesn’t bother him much now. In fact, he thinks the bald head looks good on him. Also, this hasn’t affected his lifestyle anyway, he notes.
“I’m not bragging, saying I look astonishing, but not everyone looks good bald, so I get why people would feel unconfident and why people would want to get [scalp micropigmentation] done,” he says.
When men start to lose their hair, it can affect not only how they see themselves, but how they sense about themselves as well. Their confidence and self-esteem can be lost and they may not feel as attractive as they once did. That’s why scalp micropigmentation is the best course of action for those in this situation, because of the many benefits this process can offer to those suffering from hair loss.
