Scalp Micro Tattoo To Simulate Hair

[BrianFromCalifornia]

Hi everyone,

I'm on the fence about shaving my head after years of wearing a "system" and am intrigued by this procedure where they tattoo "hair" dots onto the scalp to make it look like you have a full head of hair.  "HIS Clinic" has clinics around the world that do this.  Seems very interesting ... just wondering what others think.  Perhaps it will make the transition easier for me as I'm not quite sure I'm ready to have a completely shaven head.

Thanks,

Brian

[Sir Harry]

It may be a good thing to do if your system leaves some scars. However, it is permanent, so you probably have to keep an extremely short haircut for good, as I don't think it's reversible.

[buddha]

When I first shaved my head about 15 years ago it became a simplification of life for me. One less thing to worry about. So I guess my observation of the tattooing process would be that it would just complicate things. Which leads to the inevitable question: Why?
Because it seems that you simplified your life by ditching the system. So why add a complication? You're going to have to spend who knows how much for the dots to be tattooed on your scalp, maintain the tats for about 6 weeks just like with a regular tat, and if you had a tattoo guy who maybe was not particularly skilled the dots might spread out and merge into each other. Tats also increase the skin sensitivity to UV rays  so now you have to wear sunscreen to protect your skin or wear a hat which covers all those hundreds of dollars worth of ink and on and on.
But hey, it's your money and your head and also your life so in the long run it's a decision that only you can make. I guess I'm just saying to balance the pros and cons before you open your wallet. Make an informed decision.

[slymyke]

Would you shave you head to have this done to your whole head, or do just the existing bald areas and have more done as your balding increases?   

My questions on this have always been:

-Will the ink change color like so often happens over time? ....leaving a series of greenish dots on your head when you are older? 
-Do people REALLY think the hairline looks natural?  I don't think I've seen one yet that has me convinced.
-What if you want to have a clean-shaved head one day?  You are stuck with smooth stubble on your head...
-How much are you willing to spend on this over time?

Then again, I was not willing to go through transplants or hairpieces, so I guess I'm a little skeptical of this too. 
Part of me likes this idea better than any other choice other than shaving.... but I think it could be something I would regret down the road if I were to pursue that route.

[Mike E. P.]

I'd be afraid the tattoo guy would mess it up and I'd be stuck with a botched job which would be much worse than just being bald. Then what do you do? Wear a hat for the rest of your life?

[BrianFromCalifornia]

I'm just starting to research this but I have the same questions you all have. The photos online and videos on YouTube look pretty impressive. I so appreciate all your opinions and feedback. Here is the YouTube link if you want to check them out. Very interested in what you all think.

http://m.youtube.com/user/HisHairClinic

[nuts]

Iy looks and feels like another hard sell just like the hair transplant crowd.  Give it a miss.

[BrianFromCalifornia]

I've looked into the scalp tattoo option and I have concerns about it. It is somewhat permanent and doesn't look as good on pale skin folks like me. And not sure it will look natural close up. I'm moving back to the idea of just shaving it. But considering a transplant to at least give me the appearance of having some hair.  Have others done a transplant before starting to shave? Is that crazy?

[TheSlyBear]

To be honest, I personally think it's insane.

The sooner you come to grips with the fact that you are losing your hair and that, in the grand scheme of life, it just doesn't matter, the happier you'll be.

[slybeard]

Many former transplant guys have scars to deal with when they shave, so be careful before you make that decision.  Shave now an its done, no more worries, and razor blades are much less expensive.

[g_bald]

In addition to fading (perhaps you can touch it up?) - another thing is skin sensitivity. I went out with a girl who had a tattoo and she claimed it was often sensitive (not to the point of hurting, just more sensitive) and if you did decide later on to shave I think that would look pretty awkward.

Your decision is yours alone, but I think you should consider this long and hard and I think you'll find it's far less costly to just go to the barber's for a super-short buzz then go home, pull out the razor, and shave it all away!

[BrianFromCalifornia]

Decided against the head tattoo for all the obvious reasons. Really thinking about just shaving it all off but can't pull the trigger. Went to have my "system" done today and thought seriously about just shaving it off.  My hair girl was even agreeable. She didn't want to push me in either direction.  I really thought about it ... but I couldn't do it.  We did do a temporary tape on the system so I can take it on and off easier. She thought that might help me ease into it.  I looked in the mirror at the salon and saw myself with no hair and I just couldn't do it.  I looked so different. I know that's how I really am but it was just too difficult to pull the trigger. Sorry guys.

[Mike E. P.]

No apologies necessary. You really have to want to do it and be comfortable with the decision.  Shaving your head has got to be a difficult thing to do after wearing a system for so long. I imagine it might seem a scary thing to do.

Keep hanging around SBGs. Eventually you may feel differently and change your mind about going sly. And this is the perfect place to get the support you need when and if you decide to do it. Lots of us were nervous about shaving it all off but are so glad we did.

[Tim1776]

Hi Brian,

Stopped by the forum today and saw your post, and thought I'd chime in.  Like Mike said, you don't need to apologize to anybody!

As I've said in earlier posts awhile back, I'm a fellow hair system guy, so I truly understand the conflict you are feeling.  But I think it's important that you don't fall into a lot of self-rejection over everything, cause that really spirals you out of control (I've been there!)  Fact is, there is no right or wrong answer here - the big thing is to find a way to accept yourself, fake hair, tattooed hair, or no hair! 

I think the reason shaving your head ends up working best for most guys is that it breaks you out of the cycle of self-rejection - you realize that the "nuclear option" of taking it all off isn't all that bad, and can look quite good!  You're then able to start to move on with your life.  Meanwhile, the trap a lot of guys who go the system (or other treatment) route fall into is that they're continually comparing themselves to something that they can't be anymore, which is a recipe for a lot of pain, regardless of how you look (I've said before, I really like how I look, actually).  But try to not blame yourself for your situation too much (I know it's easier said than done).  I'm guessing you've been with the system long before there were sites like this to help you deal with the initial loss, so just give yourself some time and a little forgiveness!

If you're feeling stressed at all, feel free to shoot me a message.  I don't have all the answers, but I'm amazed at the changes I've been able to make after looking for help on this the last few years, which started when I stumbled upon this site.  Good luck!

Tim

[BrianFromCalifornia]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the support.  Just wasn't ready to "pull the plug".  I kept thinking "what happens if I don't like the way I look?".   When I look in the mirror, I just don't see a bald guy so the dissonance between reality and my impression of myself is tough to reconcile.  If I'm every going to do it, this is the time. My wife is recovering from chemo from breast cancer and lost all of her hair.  If I go for it, I will simply tell everyone that I shaved my head to support her.  After a few weeks, I would tell everyone that I liked it so much that I decided to keep shaving.  If there were ever a "right" time to do it, it's now but I'm just not quite ready. My wife just said to me "you don't see yourself bald" and I think she's right. I see myself as a 20 year-old with a full head of hair even though I know intellectually that I'm already bald.  I know the right thing to do is to just shave it off, put on some new glasses, perhaps grow a beard and move on. But easier said than done.