Microblading Your Scalp

Kevin RR Williams

How To Eliminate Bald Spots

Microblading sounds like a tiny Olympic ice skating event. But it actually describes a non-permanent tattoo technique to fill in thinning or balding areas of the scalp. Individual strands that match hair color and growth pattern are more commonly tattooed within the part line or forehead and temples. This is a spin-off from more popular eyelash and mascara tattooing.

Keep in mind that microblading adds no thickness—just the illusion of volume. Some men with receding hairlines who shave their heads very close get microblading (micro­pig­menta­tion) to simulate consistent stubble.

Obviously, growing hair in other areas will draw attention to the lower areas with simulated hair. To generate natural results, the tattooing is best concealed by surrounding hairs, like a hairline.

For a man or woman with advanced alopecia areata, micro­blading may not be a practical option. This is because bald areas vary and grow over time.

Scalp micro­blading may not be a viable option for people with alopecia areata due to the lack of nearby hair strands and progres­sive irregular pattern of hair loss.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 40 percent of women experience visible hair loss, including thinning strands and bald patches, by the age of 40. Micro­pig­menta­tion, as it is also called, is not as easy as asking the local tattoo artist to add a few strands after rendering “Mom” in a heart on your chest.

Microblading directs special pigments into the dermis, rather than the epidermis where dyes are prone to spread. Brow micro­blading is a manual process. “Scalp micro­pig­menta­tion uses a digital machine to create ‘hair follicle simulation,’” explains Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, a celebrity cosmetic dermatologist.

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