How To Become A Scalp Micropigmentation Artist
Scalp micropigmentation, or SMP, is quickly becoming one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. Why? Because despite all the wonders modern medical science has delivered in the past 50 years there has been very little progress when it comes to preventing hair loss or regrowing lost hair. A lot of people, both men and women, have had enough and have decided to take advantage of what the SMP artist has to offer. In this post, we’ll look at what SMP is, its many benefits and how to become a Scalp Micropigmentation artist.
What Exactly is Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)?
Until recently people losing their hair have had precious few options. They could (and often do) wear hats to cover their hair loss, they could try expensive and mostly ineffective products that contain minoxidil, they could endure even more expensive and only marginally effective hair transplants or they could embrace the dreaded comb-over. For decades these people have been clamouring for a better way, and that way is finally here: Scalp Micropigmentation or SMP.
SMP involves creating a highly realistic tattoo on the client’s head that, in most cases, replicates the look of hair stubble. A talented SMP artist can recreate the look of the client’s natural hair line, eliminate the appearance of thinning hair, provide coverage for small areas where hair has been lost, cover scars on the scalp and more. Both men and women can benefit from SMP, though to be sure the majority of clients are men with male pattern baldness.
Scalp Micropigmentation is rewarding work but if you are to effectively master the techniques involved and become a true scalp micropigmentation artist you need to train with the best. People who sign up for SMP training at SMP Liverpool learn the skills they need to provide first-class results to clients. Results that will make a quantifiable difference in their quality of life.
The Many Benefits of Scalp Micropigmentation
Hair loss can have a devastating effect on a person’s self-esteem and confidence. Whether caused by genetics, alopecia, side effects from medical treatments, stress, scarring caused by previous attempts at surgical hair restoration or any other cause, it is a condition millions of men and women grapple with on a daily basis.
Scalp Micropigmentation provides these people with the first real hope many of them have ever experienced regarding their hair loss. Hope that they can now face the world confident in the way they look and that their hair loss will no longer define them. Here are some of the other benefits you can provide to your clients as a qualified SMP scalp artist:
A minimally invasive process
The process of hair transplantation is a long, drawn-out and painful one. By contrast, most clients tell us that SMP is largely painless, other than the sensation of being pinched. SMP does not involve breaking the skin. Instead, pigment is applied directly to the scalp that melds seamlessly with the client’s natural skin tones. The scalp artist navigates the head deftly, aided by state-of-the-art computer programmes designed specifically for this purpose.
A long-term solution
Some hair loss treatments require regular maintenance. If, for instance, minoxidil manages to spur some hair growth the person will need to continue using it regularly. Should they stop, any hair gained will fall back out again. In the case of hair transplants patients often need to engage in frequent follow-up visits to tweak the look and maintain the hair follicles. SMP, by contrast, is a long-term solution. Once in place, it will remain vibrant and effective for several years. Should the pigment eventually begin to fade it can be quickly and effectively restored by the SMP artist.
Safety and effectiveness
Hair loss treatments often involve expensive, painful and only moderately effective procedures that sometimes lead to nasty side effects, including scarring and reactions to chemicals involved. Not so with Scalp Micropigmentation. SMP is a type of tattooing that involves nothing more than leading-edge tattoo needle technology and a mild topical anaesthetic to alleviate any discomfort.
Affordability
When compared to most other hair loss treatments SMP is extremely cost-effective and affordable. As a general rule, clients can expect to pay only about 1/4 to 1/3 of what they would pay for hair transplants required to cover the same amount of area. Every time the client visits the hair transplant specialist for a follow-up visit that also adds to the cost. And if there are infections or other complications the cost related to transplants can go through the roof. Not so with SMP.
Little recovery time
In the aftermath of hair transplants, the patient may need up to 2 weeks to recover. That’s 2 weeks of hiding their bruised and bloodied head and enduring headaches and lost sleep associated with the pain. In the case of Scalp Micropigmentation, there are no wounds to cover and most people feel their old self within a day or 2 of the procedure.
A realistic appearance
While friends and family may notice the difference in a person’s appearance produced by SMP, people meeting them for the first time will not. In most cases, others will need to get right up close to detect a scalp tattoo, and even then it may be difficult to detect. While the scalp micropigmentation artist can recreate the look of hair stubble what they cannot do is replicate the feel of hair stubble.
Restored confidence
Hair loss can have a devastating effect on a person’s confidence. In most cases that confidence makes a welcome reappearance following Scalp Micropigmentation. Few things will provide you with the kind of satisfaction as knowing that your work as a scalp artist has helped people recover their self-esteem and made a real difference in their quality of life.
The Scalp Micropigmentation Course at SMP Liverpool
As is the case with any other craft, becoming an SMP expert will take training and practice. If you are interested in pursuing work in this exciting and rewarding field the best way to get started is to sign up for the Scalp Micropigmentation course at SMP Liverpool. Our SMP course introduces you to the basic principles involved, teaches you the essentials of taking measurements and introduces you to the various tools that will become your stock and trade.
When you sign up for SMP training at SMP Liverpool you will have access to some of the most talented SMP artists in the UK. You will be encouraged to watch them closely and internalise the lessons they have to teach you regarding approach and technique. You will need to call on these lessons frequently when the time comes to start working with actual clients. Be patient. Watch closely. Take notes and photos if it helps and ask questions if you have any.
The professionals at SMP Liverpool will be with you every step of the way to ensure you absorb as much useful information as possible so that you can hit the ground running with your SMP career.
The Benefits of Becoming a Scalp Micropigmentation Artist
Becoming an SMP artist will provide a multitude of benefits both short and long-term, obvious and discreet. Those benefits include:
Personal satisfaction
Successfully completing the training and practice required to master SMP will provide a deep sense of personal satisfaction. You will know that you now possess a highly marketable skill in an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds. Friends and family will be impressed with your resolve and new doors of opportunity will open to you, creating a bright future where once there may have been confusion and indecision.
The ability to make a positive contribution to the lives of others
Those who have not experienced hair loss themselves have no idea what people losing their hair go through on an almost daily basis. Even those who seem to stoically accept their lot suffer quietly and rue the situation that has befallen them. Being able to make a positive contribution to the lives of these people will only add to the deep sense of satisfaction you will enjoy upon becoming an SMP artist.
The ability to own your own business
In some cases, those who undergo training at SMP Liverpool wind up working with us. In other cases, they work in other hair restoration facilities or they start their own SMP studio. Our SMP training will provide you with the real-world ability to start your own business and realise your dreams of self-sufficiency. Once you establish a reputation for providing safe, quality services you should be able to make a very tidy living indeed.
Speaking of a tidy living…
The bad news is that hair loss is a widespread problem. The good news is that the number of people seeking effective treatment for their hair loss far outstrips the number of people able to provide high-quality treatments like SMP. That means Scalp Micropigmentation provides enormous growth potential, so how much you make as a scalp artist will be largely up to the quality of the work you produce and how many clients you are willing to take.
