The cost of your scalp micropigmentation treatment will vary depending on the type of clinic you choose, and the country the clinic is based in.
Smaller boutique clinics tend to charge less, and independent technicians even less so. Many clinics in Asia, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe may offer lower prices. Always remember however that value is key, and that higher prices are often justified. Do your research and use the cost of treatment as part of the equation, not the leader in your decision making process.
If you choose SMP to fix your hair loss, I can say with a certain confidence that the procedure will drastically change the quality of your life. Following a successful treatment, you will feel much more confident and happier in general, improvements that can impact every other aspect of your life: your relationships, your social life and your work attitude will all improve.
There are a lot of benefits that you can enjoy when your hair is back where you wish it should have stayed from the very beginning. It would be nice if money would be irrelevant in this whole story. How could happiness cost a fixed price, after all?
However, we live in a world where money is a finite resource. This is what makes the cost of your scalp micropigmentation procedure a serious consideration, but also leaves you exposed to certain rogue traders. Searching around for a cheap treatment is not the answer as low prices often spell danger and should be approached with caution.
Sometimes genuine discounts are available, so it is worth shopping around. Keep in mind that each of these costs depend on the individual customer, so you might have to pay slightly less or more in the end. Use this article as a guide only. You should know that the costs you are faced with represent the whole treatment, and you should also factor in any additional benefits such as guarantee periods, travel assistance, price caps etc.
Minor hairline restructures
If you’ve receded only slightly, you may not need a full head treatment. Be aware however that as many as 50% of men who believe they can get away with just a hairline restructure are actually wrong, and end up being quoted for a full head treatment. This is because the hair has usually thinned considerably by the time the frontal hairline starts to recede, so clients simply do not realize how much density they’ve already lost.
General hair loss
Most clients need a full head treatment, meaning the entire top of the head, and a blending area into the ‘horseshoe’ Most clients from a Norwood 3 onwards will require this, even if they have a substantial amount of natural hair remaining. This happens because your upper crown area of the head needs to have its “hair density” increased through the treatment so that the top looks perfect when comparing it with the sides and the back of your head.
Camouflaging scars from hair transplants
Tissue that appears when a scar gets in place on the scalp is a bit trickier to work with and usually requires more sessions. A common scenario is for the client to have a full head treatment as detailed above, with the addition of scar camouflage work. Whilst the rest of the treatment may be complete after 2-4 sessions, the scar may need an additional session or two to achieve the optimum level of camouflage, which often has a bearing on cost.
Clients with alopecia
Alopecia is a highly variable condition and it’s quite difficult to provide a flat rate, given the fact that the requirements of one customer might be entirely different from the next. The strategy that the clinic adopts during the preliminary discussions will have a bearing on the total price.
This happens because certain users who suffer from extended alopecia symptoms need to get their full head done, while minor symptoms can be covered with a partial treatment. Usually, clients with alopecia areata or alopecia totalis will require a full head treatment, including the entire side profile areas and down to the nape of the neck. For clients with alopecia totalis, density is created from scratch which of course takes longer to achieve.
Disguising alopecia is approached differently by SMP and tricopigmentation technicians. When applying permanent SMP, most technicians will recommend that your full head is treated to allow for changes in your symptoms, i.e if your bald patches move, change shape or size. However, tricopigmentation technicians commonly treat the existing patches and a small surrounding area. This is because tricopigmentation is temporary, therefore a long term contingency plan in case your symptoms change is not required.
Please ensure you deal with a clinic that has specific experience in camouflaging alopecia, as this is a highly specialised area and should not be attempted by a rookie.
Maintenance costs
Fading will inevitably occur. Clients will have to visit their clinic once every 3-5 years. Tricopigmentation clients require top-ups every 12-18 months.
You might also want to change your style and both options allow you to do this, although tricopigmentation does offer more flexibility in this area. Some clinics charge an hourly rate for services such as these, whilst others will offer a fixed quotation.
What type of provider are you dealing with?
The variety of service providers is now greater than ever before. Depending on their setup, different providers have different operating costs, and of course, they position themselves in very different places in the market. All of this has a significant bearing on the cost of your scalp micropigmentation procedure.
The following are now common venues:
- Multi-location clinics
- Independent single-location clinics
- Franchised single-location clinics
- Hair transplant clinics
- Permanent makeup treatment rooms or salons
The market is changing. A couple of years ago, getting a procedure done at anywhere but a dedicated specialist clinic was a definite no-no, but that is simply not the case anymore.
Of course, multi-location clinics are still a comfortable option for many. Independent clinics are also great choices, in fact some of the world’s best results arise from these establishments. Some of the hair transplant clinics are producing results that were simply unachievable a few short years ago.
Then of course we have the rise in permanent makeup artists offering scalp micropigmentation or tricopigmentation procedures. Already equipped with micropigmentation experience, the best artists are creating world class follicle replications and offering exceptional value for money due to generally lower overheads.
For advice on how to find the best techncian, see this post.
Advisory notes
The price of anything in the modern world is dictated by four factors – supply, demand, the cost of fulfilment and the ambition of the seller. These four factors are self-explanatory, however the two factors that most influence the price of goods and services are of course the supply available, and the demand for that good or service.
In an SMP context, demand has greatly outstripped supply for a number of years. Quality SMP services have only been available from a limited number of locations. Marketing types might label this as ‘exclusive distribution’, which basically means that supply is so limited and demand is so high, there is no leverage for the buyer to negotiate on price or shop around for a better deal. Ever tried to get a discount on the latest iPhone or a new Porsche? Best of luck with that.
In recent years, demand for SMP services has soared to unprecedented levels. This relatively new solution for male hair loss has actually been in the making for over a decade, but from a public perception point of view, SMP has literally come from nowhere overnight. Whereas prospective clients used to count in their hundreds, they’re now in their hundreds of thousands. Awareness is more widespread than it used to be, as is the reassurance of thousands of successful case studies posted by the various providers.
