Men who experience male pattern baldness start losing hair before they even turn 21
Eighty-five percent of men over 50 will experience a significant amount of hair thinning. For women over 50, the number is a shocking 50%.
Hair loss doesn't just affect older people either. Twenty-five percent of men who experience male pattern baldness start losing hair before they even turn 21. As you can imagine, this can have a huge impact on your self-esteem while you're still young.
Scalp micropigmentation can be a great way to regain that confidence, but there are certain aftercare steps you have to take to avoid scalp micropigmentation side effects.
Read on to learn what those possible side effects are and what you need to do to take good care of your scalp.
What Are Some Scalp Micropigmentation Side Effects?
Before we discuss how you can avoid side effects from scalp micropigmentation, let's first take a look at the possible side effects.
Scalp micropigmentation is essentially hair tattooing, which means it shares a lot of possible side effects with that. So if you were wondering, "is scalp micropigmentation safe," then the answer is "yes."
Here are the possible side effects that can come with this procedure:
Redness
Itchiness
Dryness
As you can see, they're not serious at all. Even if you're allergic to the pigment, the most you'll get is the same side effects as above, plus rashes, flaking, and swelling. Read on to find out more about allergic reactions.
Allergic Reactions
Most people shouldn't have allergic reactions to the pigment used, especially if they go to a reputable place. This is because the professionals will take care to source pigment that's high-quality and doesn't have impurities in it.
However, very rarely, some people will have allergic reactions to micropigmentation for hair loss. If you've gotten tattooed before and never had a problem, then you should be fine. Otherwise, have your artist test a patch on your skin to see if you're allergic.
Some Aftercare Tips to Avoid or Lessen Side Effects
For those of you who have gotten tattoos before, you might already be familiar with the aftercare steps. They're very similar to what you have to do for scalp micropigmentation.
In general, if you're diligent about aftercare, you shouldn't have too many scalp micropigmentation problems. Here are some key things you need to do after your treatment session.
Don't Touch Your Scalp
After your appointment, you technically have a bunch of "open" wounds on your scalp, just like with tattoos. If you touch your scalp, this can irritate it, as well as increase your chance of infection.
Avoid touching your scalp for the first 4 days so you give your body a good chance to heal properly. This means you shouldn't shave your head either.
Avoid Extreme Physical Activity
Doing some light exercise for the first 4 days after your session is fine, so long as you don't sweat excessively. This means you shouldn't do things like run or play contact sports.
If you sweat excessively, this can cause the micropigmentation to fade, so you'll have to go in for touchups sooner than expected.
Don't Get Water on Your Head
Along the same lines, you shouldn't get water on your head for the first 4 days. You can't go swimming or relax in a sauna, but you can still take showers, provided that you keep your head out of the water and don't have it too hot (this is to avoid sweating).
You can start washing your head gently with cold water and soap on the 5th day. After 28 days, you should be able to resume normal activities (such as sports and swimming) with no issues.
Moisturize Your Head
After the first 4 days, you can then use a moisturizer on your scalp to keep flakiness at a minimum. Do this 3 times a day to ensure your scalp doesn't dry out at any time.
We recommend that you use a moisturizer that's non-scented. Scents have added chemicals that may irritate the skin; you want to keep irritation to a minimum to promote healing.
Don't Shave Your Head With a Razor
As we've pointed out above, you can't shave your head for the first 4 days. After those 4 days are up, you should actually avoid growing your hair too long.
However, when it comes time to shave your head, do not use a razor, as this can cause irritation, as well as redness, swelling, itchiness, and bumps. You should use a good electric shaver to reduce the chances of irritation.
You may resume razor shaving around day 10 if you wish.
Keep Exposure to Sunlight at a Minimum
For the first 28 days after your procedure, you need to keep exposure to sunlight at a minimum. Avoid it if possible.
After about a month, you'll be able to go out in the sunlight, so long as you use SPF sunblock and reapply liberally. Not only will this protect you from skin cancer, but it'll also prevent your micropigmentation from fading prematurely.
Avoid Scalp Micropigmentation Side Effects With Our Tips
Now you know all about scalp micropigmentation side effects and what you can do to avoid and/or lessen them.
Like with all procedures, there's a small possibility that you may experience side effects. But so long as you take care of yourself and perform proper aftercare, you'll keep the discomfort to a minimum and will also keep your head of hair looking great.
Do you have any questions; or do you want to get a scalp micro-pigmentation procedure done? Then feel free to get in touch with us. We offer free consultations!