Scalp pigmentation

[Sebastien]

I couldn't find anything on the forum about this procedure so excuse me if there has already been a topic.

What do you guys think about this: http://www.hishairclinic.com/gallery/

For me it looks like a viable option, it kinda fakes the look of a buzzcut. I think it would especially look good if you get an FUE hair transplant aswell. You'll be stuck to the buzzcut though...

The downsides I could think of:

1. Your gonna have a wierd conversation once someone touches your scalp to rub it, I guess that happens quite alot with a buzzcut aswell so thats gonna be a b**ch.
2. Once your remaining hair is going grey, your gonna look pretty off, even though you might be able to retouch and it might not look that off.
3. Don't tattoo's turn greener and lighter over time?

Any input regarding these downsides?

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

Most of those photos look, creepy to say the least. The one covering the hair transplant area though doesn't look too terrible and considering the angles involved it won't have that whole "why do you appear to have a buzzcut but when I'm looking straight at you I can clearly see the difference between 2D and 3D of different parts of your head?".

As far as the fading goes, all inks fade differently, I have some black ink done that after 6 years is still real dark black with no green. It was just expensive specialty ink from a non-scummy tattoo parlor. Hopefully this place you're talking about would have similar decent ink. However, my ink is under my shirt most times of the day (except on no shirts saturdays WOOOooOOO!) while that tattoo would be on top of your head exposed to a decent amount more sunlight which would definitely influence it's durability.

 

[cuebald]

Probably some of the best micro-pigmentation results I've ever seen. Some of those images look good enough to look almost real.

The images I'd seen prior to these looked almost comical - like someone had literally gotten a black marker and dotted the scalp.

Still, even with these results, some of the hairlines just look comical. Look at this one:

I would rather be a Norwood 6 than walk around with that on my head.
When you get a hairline like that, it just looks creepy - it looks "beyond real". It looks fake - like when you see a 3D rendering of a person that looks very real, yet very fake at the same time. (the "Uncanny Valley" phenomenon.)

I think, if I was a NW6 and had few donor grafts available, I'd consider getting a sparse FUE with this pigmentation to blend in. In the shape of a NW2 or a NW2.5 hairline.

Getting this pigmentation on a slick NW6 is just going to be a disaster.
What if you meet a girl and she rubs your scalp? It's just going to weird her out.
Even if she doesn't notice, what if you get in a relationship, and she wants you to grow it out? What are you going to say then?
What if you go away for a week and your horseshoe grows out, yet the tattoo on top stays the same?

 

[global]

IMO this would work but only in combination with real hair buzzed down either from naturally thin areas or from FUE to at least give a feel of stubble when the area is touched and also to give some 3D effect.

Probably 30 grafts per cm2 combined with the micropigmentation would look great and most except for advanced cases would have enough donor for this much all over.

The problem is if you have your hair buzzed down that short, you may still have small white dot scars from the FUE showing, mine are noticeable at a number 1 buzz.

 

[nickypoos]

I would certain consider a scarce FUE procedure followed by this scalp pigmentation, seems like a very liable option for the NW7's out there and I don't really understand why anyone with a high Norwood has shown up on these forums going through with this.

 

[Sebastien]

I think if they let you design the hairline the way you want you can make it look really natural though. Not too much symmetry, a little less dense on the temples etc etc. I like the idea of getting an FUE allover and touch it up with this, if your hair is dark, I think it'll look like a good buzzcut.

 

[MrBastard]

Look on "Warren" and "Mark" there. Good way to make failed hair transplant scars a lot less noticable No danger in losing effect due to hairloss eather since its on the back of the head...

 

[Sebastien]

They've got some videos up right now aswell, to be honest it looks really good. Even though your still 'bald' you do have good hairline, which frames your face and it makes you look younger. It's a vanity thing, anyway here is one of the video's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hyel_tGu5Y

To me it seems like a good option (besides the hair piece) once you go bald beyond hair transplant possibilties, its a permanent solution aswell and they say that in case you go grey you can have it retouched.

 

[BrightonBaldy]

back when i had a full head of thick hair, i buzzed it down to virtually nil(! i had no idea i was going to go bald or else i wouldve made more of those days)

the number one thing girls would do when seeing my hair is rub and stroke the top of my head and get wet in their pants about how bristly and soft it felt, they loved it, total strangers in a club would walk past you and stroke your head.

so unless you were going to get a lot of transplanted hair into the tatooed areas, you will freak people out when they stroke your head and feel nothing but skin.

for those who have never had a full head of hair, NW1 hairline buzzed down that short, i can promise you that people WILL come and play with your head in a way they wouldnt dare with signs of balding.


so beware, if people cant see the difference, they will feel it

 

[Sebastien]

Hm, you've got a point, but if you compare jasons transformation.. I'd think its kinda worth having a few awkward conversations about how your hair is so annoyingly thick you shave it down all they way and all that remains is a shadow.

 

[cuebald]

I think in that video that the hairline is far too abrupt and severe. It is also too straight - when you look at him straight on it looks unrealistic and just "odd". I think he looked better completely sly than with the pigmentation.

It does look good when you're looking from the side/top - but the straight hairline ruins it IMO. There is definitely potential if they analysed shaved down NW1's and replicated that, rather than aiming for a perfectly straight (and completely unrealistic) hairline.

I just looked at the picture I posted earlier also, holy sh*t, that is going to be obvious to EVERYONE he meets that he has done "something" to his hair. Nobody has natural hair even remotely like that. To me, having that done is akin to wearing a bad hairpiece. Everyone knows and it just looks stupid.

Again there is definite potential for the results to look excellent. I think there just needs to be a bit more artistry, and a bit more "natural" / conservative results aimed for.

 

[Sebastien]

I could not agree with you more cuebald. They dont make realistic hairlines, they should be more assemetrical and lighter at the temples (less dense tattoing), but they state that they let you design your own hairline so if you, for example bring a pic of your nw1 or a pic of a random person theyll be able to maker that for you I guess!

 

[Sebastien]

Have you guys seen the new videos upon their website? They have HD videos up which gives a pretty good idea...

http://www.hishairclinic.com/bens-hair-loss-story/

I still think that the hairline is a little to 'stenciled', but I think it looks really good considering.

In comparison;

I really still think that this is a viable option, the only thing I am concerned with are long-term results (fading etc). Having to touch it up every year (??) would be rather expensive.

 

[Dedge89]

In regards to Jayson's results, he actually looked decent completely sly before the procedure. After the procedure he looks a million times better I can't deny that but it's still the whole unnaturalness of it.

HOWEVER, if this treatment became more universal, and even a celebrity or two did it, and it became socially acceptable suddenly, it would probably be worth doing and I could imagine a large majority of people doing this if they didn't worry about the social implications!