Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) before Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Hair Transplant?

This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by a staff physician from Coalition hair transplant clinic Feller Medical:

One of my apprehensions about any sort of hair transplant surgery is having to go through the ugly duckling phase. So I wondered, assuming I get follicular unit extraction (FUE) and shave everything down, what would be the disadvantages of getting temporary scalp micropigmentation SMP before a procedure, so that afterwards I can maintain the shaved down look when the transplanted grafts start to fall out and my scalp looks red raw.

Does it make FUE more difficult, or even impossible for the hair transplant surgeon to implant into a tattooed area? Any other reasons why it makes it more difficult/inadvisable/a non starter?

Thoughts welcome, especially from any docs or other professionals.

The only problem coming to mind at the moment — from the HT doc perspective — is the fact that we would really goof up your new SMP making slits into it. Especially because the SMP is done at a more superficial level, so the blade would really move through all of it.

I’m not sure if this would create a smudged or smeared kind of appearance or if the ink would be pushed deeper, or if it would simply just mess up the work and it would look like you didn’t have any SMP done after.

I also wonder if there could ever be a scenario where the ink could be caught up in any sort of deeper healing scar from the slit and this could prevent the body from breaking it down properly (kind of how if you get ink into a cut, the body will scar around it and create a sort of “prison yard” tattoo)? The SMP is degradable pigment and not ink, but I wonder if something like this could happen.

I may also want additional anti-septic/anti-bacterial coverage pre and post-op if it was done really close to the surgery.

~Feller Medical
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David

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