scalp pigmentation with transplants

[saturnsc2]

hello all, i'm a former hair transplant patient. i had some 900 mini, micro, & slit grafts in the late 90's done. i got pretty good coverage on the front, & top, but in the rear i got approx a 2" dia thin spot where the scalp shows through pretty easily. in the past i would sprinkle some toppik over it & it would mask it perfectly, but now i just heard of this scalp pigmentation & was wondering if this is just as effective. the toppik is messy & every day use is a pain, but the pigmentation sounds permenant & that sounds a lot better. i got a price of $2.000 for a job, but i think that is for the whole head, but all i need is to cover up that area in the back. would they just do a small area like that cheaper? my hair is a dark brown & would the scalp be that dark? can i get some opinions of some who had this done the cost & how much they did?

what i would love to do is to do that & maybe some more grafts allong the hair line just for the hell of it...

i mean if it's going to cost around $2.000 no matter what, i would rather spend that on more grafts & actual hair.

[northeastguy]

Hi Saturn....

How's your donor supply? have you considered doing FUE or another procedure since the spot your concerned with is so small? Also, IF you did FUE, you could graft into the strip scar and break that up giving you the option to cut your hair shorter should you choose.

As far as SMP goes, just do a lot of Research. There are a few well known companies that have had issues. From my research, HIS is one of the more reputable ones. They claim there is NO chance of ink turning blue or bleeding. also, think about doing Trico pigmentation first. It is temporary, wont change colors, and allows you to evaluate the look before you commit for life.

.... as for $$, i would think a small area like that would be much cheaper than 2k. It's nuts when you think about it, 2K for tatoo dots on the head. Keep in mind, that cost covers about 250 FUE grafts here in the US and more over seas.

think this through and do you homework..... you have options.

[saturnsc2]

Hi Saturn....

How's your donor supply? have you considered doing FUE or another procedure since the spot your concerned with is so small? Also, IF you did FUE, you could graft into the strip scar and break that up giving you the option to cut your hair shorter should you choose.

As far as SMP goes, just do a lot of Research. There are a few well known companies that have had issues. From my research, HIS is one of the more reputable ones. They claim there is NO chance of ink turning blue or bleeding. also, think about doing Trico pigmentation first. It is temporary, wont change colors, and allows you to evaluate the look before you commit for life.

.... as for $$, i would think a small area like that would be much cheaper than 2k. It's nuts when you think about it, 2K for tatoo dots on the head. Keep in mind, that cost covers about 250 FUE grafts here in the US and more over seas.

think this through and do you homework..... you have options.

my donor area looks like it did before the first transplants were done. it's wierd how they take all that hair & it looks the same. as far as the smp goes ya it's crazy to spend all that cash on something fake. i would rather get more transplants done for the money. i'm thinking of just signing over my income tax refund & getting more work done along the front. the spot in the back really isn't that important to having more hair in front. the hair frames yourface. the spot inthe back isn't bald, but just thin as they did some light grafting back there. maybe i can just use some toppik back thereonce in a while, no big deal, but i would never pay big bucks for the smp. one place told me it's $2.000 no matter what. i just don't understand why someone would pay that kind of money. i imagine this procedure won't last long as people might wise up & get surgery over this.....

[northeastguy]

SMP has its purpose. Not everyone has a good donor supply. I also think its a good option for those who want to buzz cut their hair short and have decreased desity. when it is placed within existing short hair it blends nicely and gives the allusion of good density. I have also seen it do a nice job with those who have white dotting. Regardless, I think the semi-permanent option is a safer bet. I Saw an older gentleman today who was completely grey.... almost white with very short hair. you could clearly see his scalp. fast forward 30 years for those who have the permanent smp and what that'll look like. No thanks.

.... good luck with your decision.

[saturnsc2]

SMP has its purpose. Not everyone has a good donor supply. I also think its a good option for those who want to buzz cut their hair short and have decreased desity. when it is placed within existing short hair it blends nicely and gives the allusion of good density. I have also seen it do a nice job with those who have white dotting. Regardless, I think the semi-permanent option is a safer bet. I Saw an older gentleman today who was completely grey.... almost white with very short hair. you could clearly see his scalp. fast forward 30 years for those who have the permanent smp and what that'll look like. No thanks.

.... good luck with your decision.

well first of all i have no idea if anyone here in the Cleveland area even does this. i can't seem to find anyone. anyway, i have no problem doing a small area if it's cheap, but to spend thousands on this it's just plain insane! get real transplants for god's sake! hello! ya, since this is really new nobody really knows what to expect down the road with this. who knows people could have health issues down the road with this. ink poisioning? anyay i'm really looking forward to getting more grafts. it was always exciting looking forward to see the results after a procedure.

the place who did me is also developing hair cloning. they said they have no problem duplicating hair cells in a lab, but the problem is sometimes the scalp rejects the cells. so far they are stumped on this. that could be a real problem with this procedure, but if they lick the problem, the prospect of being able to re-create a full head of hair is exciting! i wonder how many of these so called "bald & proud" guys would continue to be "bald & proud" if this ever becomes a reality?

anyway, what's your situation?

[northeastguy]

You can follow my thread on this forum... its scar grafting with Dr Cole.

cloning.... Its what we're waiting for.

[saturnsc2]

what thread? no link...