Can Scalp Micropigmentation Be Removed?
This is a really good question. I tend to think that scalp micropigmentation as we know it today is a relatively new industry. When people ask this question, I think most of the time they’re actually asking about hair tattoos which I have gone over in a different video.
Hair tattoo is when someone does tattoo your head with lots of dots, but it’s not the same as scalp micropigmentation. So when it comes in with a bad hair tattoo or botched scalp micropigmentation, I do advise that they go have it taken off with a laser. Now, this isn’t always the case. If it’s old enough, faded enough, or localized to a specific area where I can hide it, I actually do offer camouflage service. So I realized that while it’s not removal, it may solve the problem that many people are looking to fix when they do have a bad experience.
How to prevent having bad Scalp Micropigmentation?
Now, I think it’s important to note here that you can prevent bad experiences by making sure that you go to someone who is licensed, to someone who specializes in scalp micropigmentation and avoid any place that says they can do it, but that’s not their main business. I would advise avoiding those places. Because generally the technique and care involved are not going to be correct and you’re going to come out with a bad result that’s going to cost you a lot more than a good result.
So in order to avoid having to have your hairline, lasered off and redone, just get it done right the first time. That way you don’t have to put yourself through all of that trouble.
Suggested Reading: How Long Does Scalp Micropigmentation Last?
Are there alternatives to laser tattoo removal?
Now, if you do want to fade your SMP at home, there are a few ways that you can do that. So the first way is to go out in the sun. Now, the sun is the biggest fader of scalp micropigmentation. So logically if you were trying to get rid of it, it would be wise to spend a lot of time in the sun because it will fade more quickly over time.
Other ways to do it would be to apply either retinol cream, this can be got really easily at Walmart or Ross, and over time that can actually help as well. maybe lighten them a little bit. It’s not going to be hugely significant overnight but if you use it consistently for a few months you may see a slight difference and it may lighten enough that you could come to somebody like me and I would be able to work better with the botched or bad hair tattoo that you have.
So the goal here is to either undo all of the scalp micropigmentation and have it done again or to lighten it enough that you can go into someone who knows what they’re doing and who’s experienced who can cover it up. Now, these are the two options, really, for getting rid of SMP. You can fade it naturally by yourself or you can remove it with a laser.
What about saline treatments?
There is one other technique, it’s a little rare to come across, and I myself do not do it. But you can have saline treatments in order to remove these. Now, saline treatments are done with a saline paste of salt. Basically, what happens is you just use this large to agitate and irritate the scalp just enough to get the pigment to rise to the surface so it can be wiped off along with any plasma that has come to the top of your skin.
Now, this doesn’t take off anywhere near as much like a laser and I’ll be honest with you, it looks pretty rough when it’s healing. So it’s something to consider. but it is a little bit harder to find and also sometimes people that do it don’t necessarily do it correctly and don’t know what they’re doing so you may get a worse result than you would if you just went and had it lasered off.
Conclusion
Your best bet to effectively remove SMP quickly is with the laser. Your best bet to remove it cheaply is to fade it in the sun, use the retinol and then get it camouflaged up and nobody will know that you have a bad job. As this field grows and the industry gets better, more and more of us have become really skilled at fixing botched scalp micropigmentation or bad hair tattoos. So chances are if you go to a well-respected practitioner they’re going to be able to tell you how to fix your specific situation. That said, it’s really best to not get in that situation in the first place and save yourself a whole lot of trouble.
So while laser removal is very effective, laser removal is also very painful, very expensive, and requires multiple treatments. It also looks a little rough when it’s healing. So it’s worth noting here, that if you don’t want to go through that it’s really just best to let it fade, and then after it’s faded to a certain point, you could just come into somebody like me who’s skilled with camouflage and covering up botched jobs and then I can actually help you to come up with a method that we’re going to cover it up so it’s not as noticeable anymore.
Now the thing is, it’s much easier to work on a scalp that is clean and has never had anything done to it. Well, it does take a level of skill to assess and come up with a plan to fix botched SMP, it is very rewarding, and I really do like to do it.
Final note: Don’t let people tattoo HAIR on your head!
A lot of my clients come in with either bad hair tattoos or scalp micropigmentation that they’re not just happy with, and when I talk about when I say hair tattoos, I mean someone tattooed hair on their head.
Sometimes that can be in the form of lines. Sometimes it’s just these giant blurry blown-out dots. Sometimes it’s actually shading that was done in their hairline and it looks really rough. So I do see a lot of that and then I also just do the SMP that people are just not super thrilled with, it didn’t meet their expectations or it wasn’t done correctly and so that’s something that is very fixable, and I do have a lot of experience with it.
So I hope this answered your question about whether or not scalp micropigmentation can be removed. Now, if removal is something you’re considering looking into or need direction with, please get in contact with me if you’re in Oahu or you live in Hawaii, please come see me and I will help you find the best route for you to get rid of it. Because I know that botched SMP is hard to live with and then on top of that, if you live somewhere else, and you need guidance finding someone who’s skilled enough to fix your specific situation, please contact me and I will direct you to the person closest to you who I know is well respected and does good work.
If you want to get in touch with me for a consultation, then fill out the contact form below. Let’s see what scalp micropigmentation can do for you!