Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for men to begin to lose their hair as they age. While not everybody minds going bald, many people feel that it detracts from their appearance.

In some cases, it’s even possible for women to experience hair loss. To help combat this change, men and women often turn to scalp micropigmentation to help achieve a more natural look.

But, not everybody knows what they should about the process (or what to expect afterward). We’ve put together a quick guide that has everything you’ll need to keep in mind.

You May Experience Pain or Discomfort

Although this procedure isn’t quite the same as getting a traditional tattoo, many of the same concepts apply to aftercare. You can expect to experience a bit of pain or discomfort as your scalp heals.

In most circumstances, this will not prove to be an issue. However, some individuals find that they have difficulty sleeping due to irritation.

More often than not, though, the symptoms will subside within 2 to 3 days. You might also experience an itching sensation in the areas that were affected by the procedure. It’s essential that you avoid scratching your scalp, as peeling off scabs that are healing could cause some of the ink to be removed.

Avoid Direct Sun Exposure

Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays that can significantly complicate the healing process. Even short-term exposure could cause your procedure to heal far lighter than it’s supposed to.

In most cases, this will result in you having to get certain areas redone.

If you live in an area with a particularly sunny climate, it’s best to wear a thick, wide-brimmed hat if you can’t avoid sun exposure. You should maintain this habit for approximately 30 days to ensure that your scalp heals appropriately.

Bath and Groom Appropriately

It’s not uncommon to have the desire to immediately go home and bathe after your procedure. Many people assume that the sensation of water running over their scalp will help alleviate some of the discomforts they feel.

Interestingly, this is one of the worst things that you can do in terms of aftercare.

The treatment areas will remain highly sensitive for approximately 72 hours. During this window, it’s imperative that you minimize the amount of moisture that comes in contact with your scalp.

This means you should avoid washing your head or engaging in activities that cause you to sweat. It should also come as no surprise that shaving your head within this timeframe can cause significant issues.

After the third full day of the healing process, you’ll have a bit more flexibility. At this point, you can take light showers and use an electric shaver to trim your hair.

When washing your scalp, you should only use sulfate-free shampoo.

You May Require Multiple Sessions

Depending on the size of your treatment area, you may require multiple sessions in order to achieve a complete look.

This is simply due to the fact that your scalp will need to heal after a certain amount of pigment is administered. To clarify, you won’t find a professional technician who is willing to conduct a six or seven-hour session to cover the entire scalp.

This would only cause you to achieve subpar results.

In general, the average person will require 2 to 3 sessions in order to cover a sufficient area of their scalp. Additionally, each session will last approximately three hours.

So, you should keep this in mind when booking your appointments — some people expect the entire treatment to take place on a single day. If you only need to treat a small area, though, this may be possible for you.

You May Eventually Require a Touchup

Over time, is not uncommon for your micropigmentation procedure to fade. This is particularly true if you experience a high amount of sun exposure before the healing process has concluded.

Those who need to make a touchup appointment will be pleased to learn that these sessions are often much shorter than the original procedure. More often than not, there will be only a few problem areas that need darker pigment.

This can be circumvented by properly caring for your results, though.

One of the best ways you can do so is by minimizing your scalp’s exposure to sunlight. This is the factor that causes your results to fade the fastest.

If you choose not to wear a hat or head covering, be sure to apply sunscreen with a strong SPF throughout the duration of your time in the sun.

Allow 30 Days for Results

As your scalp heals, the pigment might not look as dark as you expected it too. Additionally, it may begin to flake or peel.

In some cases, scabs may form and take out chunks of pigment from your scalp.

Rest assured, though, that the pigment will become darker as the healing process continues. This is due to the fact that pigment is deposited throughout multiple layers of your skin.

Even as the top layers flake, peel, etc., the lower layers of pigment are still healing appropriately. So, allow a full 30 days to achieve your desired results.

If there are any outstanding issues after this time, your technician can come up with a solution for you.

Scalp Micropigmentation Could Be a Life-Changing Process

And, the above info will ensure that you know everything you need to about it. From here, you'll be able to decide whether or not scalp micropigmentation is the right choice for you.

Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.