Various forms of alopecia, an auto-immune hair loss condition, affects millions of men, women and children around the world. There is currently no cure for alopecia, but scalp micropigmentation provides relief through guaranteed results, the only solution to offer any guarantee to those suffering with alopecia.
Alopecia is a hair loss condition that affects both men and women of all ages, skin colors and ethnicities. As described by NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation), alopecia is “a common autoimmune skin disease. If you have an autoimmune disease, your body’s immune system mistakes your healthy tissues as dangerous and begins attacking them.”
Essentially, the body is treating your hair follicles as a foreign object and attacking them, causing inflammation and ultimately resulting in hair loss.
The most common forms of alopecia are alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), alopecia totalis (total loss of all head hair) and traction alopecia, experienced mostly by women who wear tight hairstyles that pull at the hair, and generally seen as hair loss around the frontal hairline. There are many other forms too, although these are the most common.
All forms of alopecia can be treated with scalp micropigmentation, in fact SMP is the only option available that offers guaranteed results.
Alopecia is a hair loss condition that affects both men and women of all ages, skin colors and ethnicities. As described by NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation), alopecia is “a common autoimmune skin disease. If you have an autoimmune disease, your body’s immune system mistakes your healthy tissues as dangerous and begins attacking them.”
Essentially, the body is treating your hair follicles as a foreign object and attacking them, causing inflammation and ultimately resulting in hair loss.
The most common forms of alopecia are alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), alopecia totalis (total loss of all head hair) and traction alopecia, experienced mostly by women who wear tight hairstyles that pull at the hair, and generally seen as hair loss around the frontal hairline. There are many other forms too, although these are the most common.
All forms of alopecia can be treated with scalp micropigmentation, in fact SMP is the only option available that offers guaranteed results.
There are many treatment options for alopecia. Unfortunately, the treatments available only address the symptoms not the cause, and there is still no cure for alopecia. The treatments available sometimes work well, but more often than not the sufferer sees very little benefit, if any at all.
Corticosteroids are injected into the scalp to reduce inflammation and encourage hair regrowth.
Lotions, foams, creams and ointments to reduce inflammation and promote hair regrowth. Can be used at home and are ideal for children as no uncomfortable injections are required.
Supplied as a lotion or foam, minoxidil is a general hair loss treatment product and is not developed specifically for alopecia. Often used in combination with intralesional injections, topical minoxidil promotes blood flow around the hair follicle.
Originally developed as a blood pressure medication, minoxidil in tablet form can be mildly effective against alopecia-related hair loss. However, like topical minoxidil, its efficacy is limited and is only really worth trying in conjunction with other treatments.
A far cry from crude and old fashioned toupees, a hair system, sometimes called a ‘hair unit’ is a sophisticated evolution of the humble wig. High quality hair systems can be hard to detect, providing much needed relief for many people living with the effects of alopecia.
That said, hair systems are not perfect. In fact they are far from ideal for many people who have tried using one to hide their alopecia. Ongoing upkeep is both arduous and expensive, and hygiene concerns together with the lingering stigma around this type of hair loss solution can make systems challenging to live with.
Like most treatment options, scalp micropigmentation comes with pros and cons and for many, is not a long term workable solution. Most people experiencing some kind of hair loss, including those with alopecia, simply want their hair back, and SMP simply cannot offer this.
However, scalp micropigmentation is the only solution for alopecia sufferers that is both permanent and guaranteed to work. When performed correctly, SMP provides a highly effective cover-up for alopecia, although adaptations may need to be considered, including in many cases, the need to shave the remaining hair.
Women with alopecia who choose SMP understandably do not want to shave most of the time, however SMP is less effective when the hair is kept to a longer length. A scalp micropigmentation artist with experience of female hair loss is best placed to provide advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
Shake-on powders, sprays and other similar products are popular, despite their obvious drawbacks. Temporary concealers do provide instant results at a relatively low cost, and provide the user with control over how the concealers are applied. Many people have established a solid routine with these products, and are able to achieve impressive results.
Unfortunately these products often lead to anxieties around physical and intimate contact, poor weather and many activities like swimming.
