Can My Tattoo Artist Do Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)?

Scalp Micropigmentation is a method of tattooing which simulates follicles resulting in a thicker, more youthful looking head of hair. Given that SMP is technically a tattoo, we often get asked if a traditional tattoo artist can do scalp micropigmentation. ?We can understand where the question can originate from, seeing as how a traditional tattoo artist might charge you much less than an SMP artist would. But the differences between scalp micropigmentation artists and tattoo artists are vast. The only common ground that SMP and tattoo artists have is that they both use a machine to implant pigment into the skin and that’s where similarities end. ?

Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of trusting their tattoo artist to do scalp micropigmentation, and they pay dearly when they realized they are the victim of a botched job. ?The horror stories of men who have to walk around with large green and blue dots on their head, becoming a slave to hats in public, are plentiful on the internet with a simple search.

A scalp micropigmentation artist specializes in one thing, replicating hair follicles. They are taught to use a very specific technique, pigment, and needle size to take on the task of your head. ?Tattoo artists are not taught the techniques nor use the needles that SMP artist will commonly use. A tattoo artist works much deeper in the skin than an SMP artist, they are taught to go deeper into the dermis. ?Scalp Micropigmentation artists work on a much shallower depth in the skin. This level of pressure and depth that is necessary for SMP also varies from person to person based on the thickness of the skin on the scalp. ?A tattoo artist will likely go too deep into the skin causing something called ?blowout.? Blowout is the migration of ink under the skin when pigment has been deposited too deep. What’s meant to look like a crisp follicle ends up looking like a big and unnatural blob.

The ink that a tattoo artist uses contain heavy metals like iron oxide in their black ink. ?If you take a traditional black tattoo ink and add alcohol to it, you will see hues of purple and blue develop due to the heavy metals. ?This is exactly the reason why many black tattoos turn bluish green over time. An SMP artist uses a very specific 100% organic pigment that does not change color and only loses saturation, giving the artist a grayscale to work with to match follicle color from dark black to light grey.

The needles a tattoo artist uses are much too big for SMP. ?Keep in mind that an SMP artist will replicate the size of your natural hair follicles for proper blending and they use very specific proprietary needle sizes and configurations to make such impressions on your head. The big green dots on the head of the botched job you see on the internet are due to bad pigment, depth, and needle choice by tattoo artists.

When making a choice that will affect the way you look for the rest of your life, please make sure to trust your needs to a certified, licensed, and insured scalp micropigmentation artists like Scalp King serving the Las Vegas and Henderson areas.

Book a free consultation today!

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