Trico-pigmentation in US

NEG,

Just to correct you - Feller Medical are not offering or performing SMP.

A veteran poster "Hairthere" however who is a Dr Feller repair HT patient is opening up a clinic very soon in the NY area.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Spex

We are hoping for a September opening with our first clinic located on Long Island. Once we are ready we will post plenty of results....stay tuned!

Thanks for clarifying Spex....

Hairthere, thanks for the update. looking forward to seeing this happen. Will your clinic be offering the exact process Beauty Medical is using? Ink? equipment? One of the aspects of Trico that intrigues me is the size of the needle. What can you tell me about the size difference between what Milena uses and that of HIS which is permanent. One of the more unfortunate consistencies I notice about SMP is either the dots are to large or they create a uniform bluish grey color over the area. Whether this is due to the dots being too close and bleeding together, i'm not sure.

Northeast, Yes, I studied under Milena and will be using her equipment and pigments. As far as the needle size/pigment that HIS uses, I can't really comment because I don't know. I do know that the difference between Milena's SMP and tattoo has to do with the depth we work at, and the size/shape of the particles in our pigment versus ink. Our needles work on the upper part of the dermis, while tattoo works on the lower part. Milena's pigment contains particles that are all uniform in shape and size (round, 15 micros and smaller) whereas tattoo ink particles are various shapes and larger size (20 micros and up). The body's cell defense system cannot "eat" particles larger than 20 micros whereas the 15 it has no problem with. That is why Milena's pigment fades.

While needle size does have a lot to do with the size of the dots, it is also the technique you employ that effects the size. If you hold the machine in one spot too long, the dots can increase in size as the pigment can blow out. That's why it takes a lot of practice to get the technique consistent. We also mix our pigments with a jellymaker that keeps the particles compact and prevents the pigment from spreading.

Hope this info is useful.

Good stuff hairthere! I think a few more things others might question are:

- what is the ink comprised of. Safety?
- is there the ability to adjust inks color?
- are hairlines handled similar to a transplant where the first cm or so has less density, irregular pattern and increase in corsness or as it pertains to ink, dots get more detailed or darker?
- how well does the semi-permanent ink take to scars? Will it have the same risk of Perminent ink which sometimes may bleed into surrounding tissue causing a blotchy look?

Thanks!

- what is the ink comprised of. Safety?

I don't have my notes with me so I can't give you the exact composition, but the pigment is all-natural, biocompatible, and is composed of minerals. (I can be more specific when I get my notebook.) The reason it's non-allergenic is that each particle has a liquid coating which prevents it from coming into contact with the body.

- is there the ability to adjust inks color?

Yes, there are a few different "stock" colors that range from light brown to dark brown with varieties of warmth, and we can adjust colors manually as well with a color-corrector pigment.

- are hairlines handled similar to a transplant where the first cm or so has less density, irregular pattern and increase in corsness or as it pertains to ink, dots get more detailed or darker?

Yes, the best way to achieve a natural appearance is to make the hairline less dense. There are three zones we treat in terms of density, and there are a few tricks we learn to apply that achieve different fades. Of course every head is different and should be treated uniquely.

- how well does the semi-permanent ink take to scars? Will it have the same risk of Perminent ink which sometimes may bleed into surrounding tissue causing a blotchy look?

The optimal scar type to treat are the flat, white, wide ones. Keloids and concave are generally not treatable. Again, this will vary from case to case, and the best approach is to perform a test patch on the scar.

Hairthere, could you post some pics of smp in thinning hair?

I would like to transplant a lot of my donor area to the top using pilofocus (if I go nw6) and then have smp into the sides and keep my sides buzzed at a 1 guard weekly....so I would be interested in seeing what SMP can do to give density with hair in the region already...

Yes, once we are open for business we will post pics of customers with SMP into thinning areas.

Thanks hairthere for all the great info. Good stuff here. I think we are all looking forward to seeing photos in the upcoming months.

I think the possibilities for SMP into donor area of pilofocus or into thin hair areas is the most exciting thing...

look at the examples of smp in thinning areas of hair on beautymedical.it

@NEguy, No problem.

Fear, I myself had SMP into a thinning crown and it looked great. My results are posted on this forum actually....

Yes I saw yours too..incredible.

I believe SMP has potential. I have seen some terrible hairlines showcased on the front page of Websites representing companies that do SMP though. If I were considering SMP, I would have the artist do a small test area. A good SMP must simulate hair barely emerging from the scalp. The color must of course match and the "dots" must be tiny. In the work I have seen, the "dots" were simply too large in diameter and only looked natural from a distance. Get up close and you see dots instead of an accurate simulation of hair emerging from the scalp. Not sure if current technology just isn't able to prevent the dots from spreading out or what. One day soon perhaps, 3d printers may be able to generate a solid tattoo substance from a patient's own body tissue that won't be rejected, causing an immune reaction when placed under the skin. Take a look at some of the SMP websites and tell me if you think the low, straight-across hairlines look natural.

The ink used in our clinic, and that of other clinics trained by Milena, does not cause a rejection response in the body. They are hypoallergenic and by EU law do not contain metal oxides.