Balding leads to a permanent bad-hair day
Balding leads to a permanent bad-hair day. Our hair is part of our identity,so losingit can hurt our self-esteem and lower our self-confidence.
The worst part is that balding is often out of your control. Approximately 30 million women and 50 million men experience hair loss due to genetics.
While those statistics are glum, there is an effective way to create the appearance of hair, without having to grow it back.
Hair micropigmentation, referred to as scalp micropigmentation or SMP, is the process of creating the illusion of hair. The treatment creates a cosmetic tattoo that resembles hair.
SMP is becoming so popular, many people are looking to make it their full-time career.
SMP can transform a bald head into a buzz cut or add depth to a thinning hairline. The procedure can conceal scars, burns, and other permanent blemishes along a person's scalp.
Hair micropigmentation can be applied to all skin types and colors. SMP is available for men and women. It's a very promising treatment, which explains why so many people are looking to join the industry.
If you want to learn more about SMP training, keep reading. We've got all your hair micropigmentation questions answered.
What Do I Need to Practice Scalp Micropigmentation?
Professional SMP specialists need three things to practice.
First, you must attend (in-person or virtually) an SMP training session from a registered academy. At the end of your training, you will receive a certification of completion that authorizes you to practice SMP.
Next, you will need to acquire a body art practitioner license. The requirements vary between states. The credentials ensure tattoo artists practice safe procedures.
Third, you should possess a Bloodborne Pathogen certificate. The training provides knowledge about common Bloodborne Pathogens and how they are transmitted. It ensures SMP artists take the correct precautions when handling human blood.
Bloodborne Pathogen training can be completed online. You can print your certification after passing the final exam. Hang your certificate in your place of business, so customers know your clinic takes health and safety seriously.
What Type of Scalp Micropigmentation Training Is Available?
SMP training teaches artists how to conduct proper micropigmentation treatments.
The training reviews the SMP art form and skin anatomy. It covers hair loss and hair loss treatments. The courses give students an in-depth understanding of hairlines, hair depth, and hair density.
Hair micropigmentation training can be done through live sessions or online.
Live SMP Training
If you can attend in-person SMP training, do so. The live courses give students adetailed overviewof SMP practices.
Seasoned SMP professionals demonstrate proper hairline design, blending techniques, and pigment/color mixing. They teach trainees how to sterilize SMP equipment and set up a successful micropigmentation station. The instructors will review needles and advise on picking tattoo equipment that fits patient specifications.
Most in-person training courses are held within small groups and completed within a few days. Students have the opportunity to practice on live models during the sessions.
If you already have a proper SMP kit, you can bring it along. If not, you will have to pay to use the provided supplies.
Live SMP training sessions are more in-depth, which means they can be more expensive. However, they give trainees excellent knowledge and hands-on experience. Most courses are run by well-known micropigmentation specialists who can guide you through your SMP career.
Online SMP Training
Online micropigmentation trainingis becoming increasingly more popular.
The virtual classes are less hands-on, making them a cheaper alternative to live sessions. They also reduce the need to travel, which saves trainees time by enabling them to learn from the comfort of their homes.
An online SMP training course covers everything a virtual class does. They introduce students to various micropigmentation techniques, procedures, and business models. As students progress through the course, they are supervised by a professional SMP artist.
Online SMP training is ideal for people who want to learn the micropigmentation process at their own pace. After completion, students receive a certificate of completion that qualifies them as a professional SMP artist.
What Tools Do I Need for Hair Micropigmentation Treatments?
To operate as an SMP specialist, you need efficient equipment. From the proper treatment chair to creating optimal lighting for portfolio photos, here are some of the most-recommended SMPtools for your clinic.
Treatment Chair
The average SMP treatment takes between four and five hours, with many patients requiring multiple sessions. As a specialist, provide your customers with a comfortable treatment chair.
The STRONGLITE Portable Massage Chair Patients sit with their stomachs pressed into the chair, leaving their scalp fully exposed.
The chair has a patented double-tube design for extra stability. While it's lightweight, the chair is very sturdy and will not move during the treatment.
STRONGLITE's massage chair is highly adjustable. It can comfortably seat anyone between 4'6" and 6'6", making it the most versatile chair on the market. The seat includes a fully adjustable face cradle, a sliding chest pad, and a moveable seat.
If you're making a house-call, STRONGLITE's treatment chair is easy to pack up. It folds together, includes a travel bag, and comes with attached wheels for easy moving.
Saddle Seat
Once you're finished with your SMP training, you'll want a reliable seat to use while administering your treatments. Dr. Lomilomi's Hydraulic Saddle Rolling Chair is one of the most recommended clinical stools on the market.
The stool's ergonomic design prevents poor posture, back pain, and neck tension. It comes equipped with medical-grade cushioning and memory foam for a molded fit.
The medical stool is also highly adjustable to prevent straining while working on patients of different sizes. The seat is water and oil proof and abrasion-resistant for long-term use.
Office Chair Wheels
A well-prepared SMP artist needs a reliable set of wheels. Uniq's Rollerblade Office Chair Wheels allow for optimal balance and mobility. They are a great alternative to floor mats in your treatment rooms.
The roller wheels prevent chairsfrom scraping your floors. They are made from protective nylon rubber and covered in soft polyurethane, making them scratch-resistant for all surfaces.
Best of all, these wheels use heavy-duty casters to provide maximum mobility without collecting unwanted hair and dust particles. The wheels make minimal noise, so patients won't hear you rolling around.
SMP Work Station
Create a successful SMP work station by staying organized. Not only will it make your appointments run smooth, but tidiness makes you appear more professional to your customers.
We use a library storage cabinet by Bush Furniture to house all of our micropigmentation equipment. The unit has an adjustable shelf within the cabinet and an open compartment for extra storage.
Photo Lighting Kit
As you perfect your SMP treatments, you'll need to showcase your work in a portfolio. Capturing before-and-after photos help patients visualize what's possible. The pictures display your work and become valuable advertising tools.
To capture the perfect photo, you need a reliable photo lighting kit. This particular package includes a variety of lighting tools to make your picture pop. It comes with a:
LED ring light
Light stand
Rotatable smartphone holder
Lighting filters
Bluetooth and power adapter
Support stand
The photo lighting kit makes it easy for anyone to snap professional-looking pictures indoors or outside.
High-Quality Camera Phone
You don't need to invest in a specialized camera to create a professional portfolio of your SMP success stories. A high-quality camera phone can do the trick.
We recommend the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. It has super-speed processing and comes equipped with top-notch camera features to capture impressive before-and-after photos. The phone takes AI pictures and videos with 100x digital and 10x hybrid optical zoom.
White Pencils for Sketching Hairlines
No matter how skilled of an SMP practitioner you are,practice makes perfect.
During your scalp micropigmentation training, you will get accustomed to sketching hair lines before implementing the final tattoos. Continue this practice as you work on real patients.
Use white pencils to create your hairlines. The pencils are safe for all skin types and shouldn't cause excess irritation. They help you visualize where the tattoos will be placed, making the SMP process run smoothly.
Tattoo Needles
When it's time to create the hair tattoos, Bishop SMP Needles will become your best friend.The sharp and refined needles allow you to create fine-looking hair tattoos.
The needles were crafted by actual tattoo artists, so they're guaranteed to deliver optimal results. They feature transparent medical grade plastic, precise tips, and generate minimal vibration.
SMP Machine Bishop Wand
Do yourself (and your future patients) a favor and invest in specialty SMP equipment for your office.
The Bishop SMP Wand was created specifically for hair micropigmentation technicians. The custom motor is only used among SMP professionals. The wand creates a perfect dot impression to create life-like hair tattoos.
RCA Tattoo Battery Pack
Make sure your SMP equipment is always ready to operate. We recommend a portable wireless power supplier by Yuelong. The machine ensures all of your SMP tools are fully-charged during your appointments.
The battery pack features five control levels and includes a USB cable.The included RCA/DC connector allows tattoo equipment to work without clip cords getting in the way. The machine is small, lightweight, and easy to take wherever you go.
SMP Pigment
When it comes to shading the tattoos, use a reliable pigment. We recommend 5PM Shadow SMP pigment. The formula has yielded amazing results on hundreds of real-life SMP patients.
The pigment is vegan and available in 15ml and 30ml sizes. It can be mixed and diluted to match your patient's exact skin tone. The shadow is used among many renowned SMP professionals, including John Chandler.
Hustle Butter
During your micropigmentation training, you will learn about the importance of skin-soothing agents. Various creams and ointments prep the scalp for the SMP process and reduce redness after each session.
One of the most trustworthy numbing agents is Hustle Butter Deluxe. The vegan lubricant can be used duringeach stage of the SMP process.
It creates soft and supple skin to allow for smooth tattoo gliding. After the treatment, SMP artists use Hustle Butter to moisturize and heal the skin. The cream is ideal for all skin types, even those with extratough skin.
How Much Does an SMP Artist Make?
Scalp micropigmentation artists can earn a substantial living.An established SMP artist should be able to maintain a gross income between $55,000 and $80,000 per year.
The cost of an average scalp micropigmentation falls between $1,500 and $2,000. Full SMP procedures can cost customers between $2,000 and $4,000.
Skilled practitioners can charge $200 an hour for their services. Micropigmentation requires an additional touch up appointments every four years, so you're guaranteed to see repeat customers.
What Is the Job Outlook for Scalp Micropigmentation?
Investing in an SMP career is a smart decision.
Scalp micropigmentation's high success rateis making the treatment increasingly more popular. That means SMP artists are in high demand.
The fact is hair loss is a problem in America. A total of 85% of men have thinner hair by the time they reach 50. Many are turning to micropigmentation to restore theiryouth and feel better about their appearances.
In addition to the high demand, a career in SMP yields a high salary. Training can be quick so technicians can get up and running with their businesses in no time.
Overall, the job outlook for a scalp micropigmentation specialist is very promising.
Start Your Journey to Becoming an SMP Specialist
Hair micropigmentation is a successful treatment. It provides men and women with the appearance of a healthy head of hair through the use of permanent tattoos.
SMP is an art that requiresspecialized training. But as long as you pay attention and practice your techniques, you can become a fully-qualified scalp micropigmentation technician in no time.
If you're ready to get started on your courses, you've come to the right place.
Learn more about our 3-day training courses for aspiring SMP artists. We can help you jump start your career and launch a successful hair micropigmentation business.