Not only is the definition of a good scalp micropigmentation clinic and a bad one hugely subjective, but also the ‘best’ scalp micropigmentation clinic for one person may not be the best choice for someone else.
As with all things in this business, it’s a very personal experience with a range of differing requirements depending on the situation. I covered the question of how to assess the best clinics in a previous post, but I wanted to go into a bit more detail this time.
I believe there are 6 key considerations when choosing a scalp micropigmentation clinic:
- Experience
- Results
- Transparency
- Customer service
- Location
- Cost
Let’s approach these one by one.
Experience
How long has the clinic been in business? What about your specific technician? Many clinics in Manchester are quite new and do not offer the same level of expertise as others in the city.
Home of Brandwood Clinic
They don’t need decades of hands-on experience to be good, but proof of their pedigree is important even if they only became a technician a few months ago.
You want to know they’ve earned their stripes. Now would be a good time to ask what training they have had too.
Furthermore, how much experience does the person have of your specific requirements? If you have scars or alopecia to conceal, you want to know you’re dealing with someone who has demonstrable experience in the required areas.
Results
This is where most people start their research, but in reality it is simply one piece of a larger puzzle, albeit an important one.
When scoping out the results of a clinic you’re considering, look for three things primarily:
- The overall treatment quality. Do the hair replications look realistic? Is the blending correct? What about the size of the pigment deposits, and their shade? Is it believable?
- Can the clinic demonstrate results that are relevant to you? For example if you’re a black guy, can they show you examples of their work on other black guys? If you want a broken hairline, or have alopecia, what results can they demonstrate that match your needs?
- Can their results be verified? Is there any photo editing trickery going on? How do their treatments look 6-12 months down the line? Do they show any long term results?
Transparency
This is an important one – is your clinic telling you the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
The true meaning of transparency (in a scalp micropigmentation context at least), is not to tell the client what they want to hear, but to give them honest advice that is relevant to their situation.
This may come from the clinic staff, but equally it might be that a provider demonstrates transparency some other way.
A word of warning – transparency is particularly important if you have hair transplant scars to camouflage. Most clinics will estimate the level of concealment they are likely to achieve for you, often expressed as a percentage. If a technician believes that a 60% concealment is realistic, that should be the estimate they quote you for. To say any different is unethical, but unfortunately the practice of over-stating expected results is rife among some providers.
Customer service
Does your clinic answer phone calls and emails quickly and professionally? Do you feel well looked after? Are you treated with compassion, discretion and respect?
Home of Vinci Hair Clinic
After your treatment you’ll need to return to the clinic every so often for minor adjustments, correction of any fading and touch-ups. Are you going to enjoy dealing with this team of people? If you live and work in a particular part of Manchester, would a clinic in the same area or nearby be more convenient?
Location
Clearly if all else were equal, you’d choose a clinic in your home city, rather than travel hundreds of miles to someplace else, right?
Of course the location of the company is an important consideration. In some cities like Manchester this isn’t really a problem, because many major providers and a number of independent boutique providers are based there.
However if you live somewhere like Stockport or Bolton, there may be options closer to home that would work better for you.
My advice is to go where the results are. If that means travelling, work out what is feasible and just go. That said, if you’re 95% comfortable with a local clinic, and that means less time off work, less travelling and accommodation expense and less inconvenience, you have to weigh it up. Just don’t accept sub-standard results for the sake of saving money or time. It’s not worth it.
Cost
In real terms, the cost of a scalp micropigmentation treatment in Manchester is usually around £800-2000.
This depends largely on your requirements, however we would encourage you to steer clear of clinics that price their treatments far beyond this range. They’re either under-priced due to lack of experience, or they’re overcharging you.
It’s fine comparing quotations, but don’t make the cheapest price your primary objective. You’ll probably find that the location of your chosen clinic will have a larger bearing on cost than the actual treatment price itself.
