The average cost of scalp micropigmentation treatment to create the illusion of hair growth is $2,713, according to 88 reviews from RealSelf community members.
However, the cost of this hair loss solution can range from as little as $618 up to $4,799.
Scalp micropigmentation providers often offer free consultations, and the best way to get a personalized cost estimate is to consult with at least two experienced providers. To anticipate what you might end up paying for this hair loss treatment, read on to learn all the factors that will influence your cost.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Scalp Micropigmentation
RealSelf members gave SMP treatment an 78% Worth It Rating, with many saying that their results look very natural.
Those who say it was Not Worth It complain that the pigment faded too quickly, turned blue, or looked so blotchy that they had to pay several thousand more dollars to have it removed with a laser. Most of these reviews blamed the poor skill of their provider.
The cost of scalp micropigmentation (SMP) covers things like tattooing solution, the cost of the tools used by your SMP artist, numbing creams, and personal protective equipment.
But there are other factors that cause the cost of a scalp micropigmentation procedure to fluctuate. These are the biggest reasons you might end up paying more (or less):
In the U.S., each state has its own laws about who can perform scalp micropigmentation. Some states require SMP artists to hold a tattoo license or cosmetology license. In others, only medical practitioners can offer the treatment, so SMP artists are physicians (sometimes even hair transplant surgeons), physician’s assistants, or registered nurses.
While you can typically expect an SMP artist who's a physician to charge more for their time and expertise than someone who isn’t a certified medical professional, that isn’t always the case—artists with decades of experience and impressive portfolios of high-quality work that truly looks like natural hair follicles will charge more than a medical professional who recently started to dabble in scalp micropigmentation.
If you live in a major metropolitan area like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or Miami, chances are very good that the average cost of scalp micropigmentation near you will be higher than what you'd pay in smaller cities, or suburban or rural areas.
But even in a major metro area, some neighborhoods have higher rents than others, and part of that cost gets passed on to patients. It can be worth your while to find a skilled artist who's practicing in a less desirable part of town, where rents are more affordable.
It’s also important to consider supply and demand when analyzing SMP costs. If you live in the suburbs near just a few qualified providers who see lots of demand for their services, you may still end up paying as much as you would in a major city.
Some providers evaluate each patient's level of hair loss on the Norwood scale (from early thinning or a receding hairline, through the stages of male pattern baldness or more severe hair loss), to estimate the amount of time and work that will be needed to create the desired result.
If you only have a small patch of thinning hair or just want to cover up old hair transplant scars, you’ll spend less time in the chair, and your provider will have to do less work.
Creating the illusion of a buzz cut over a full head of hair follicles takes much longer, which ramps up your treatment cost.
If your SMP artist needs to put in a lot of work on your scalp tattoo to create the illusion of hair density over a large treatment area, they’ll likely split it up over multiple sessions, allowing you to heal between appointments.
Most people need two to four sessions to achieve their desired results. Unsurprisingly, each treatment session adds to your cost.
Some people have more complex goals than others, which can also impact cost. For example, lowering or changing the appearance of your hairline (like getting rid of a widow’s peak) is a meticulous process, which can require more time and skill.
If you see a hair transplant surgeon for SMP in a smaller area, they may also recommend layering in some FUE grafts over the micropigmentation. This adds texture for a more natural look, but it also adds cost.
Scalp micropigmentation is considered a permanent solution, but the pigment can fade over time (just like a traditional tattoo), sometimes requiring touch-ups a few years down the road.
While you likely won’t have to pay the full price of your original treatment for this, you should still anticipate touch-ups as part of the total cost of scalp micropigmentation.
Like many aesthetic procedures, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find seasonal discounts on scalp micropigmentation on providers’ social media accounts or coupon sites.
Before you snap up a deal, just make sure you’ve done your own research (including reading their SMP reviews and looking at the photos they've posted) to confirm that the artist is skilled and trustworthy.
Unfortunately, the cost of scalp micropigmentation won't be defrayed by health insurance.
Even if your hair loss was induced by a medical condition like alopecia, scalp micropigmentation is still an elective, cosmetic procedure, rather than one that's considered medically necessary.
There’s a legitimate reason that the cost of an SMP procedure is steep: it’s highly technique-dependent. If you or anyone you know has a tattoo, you know you get what you pay for. Cheaper tattoos tend to look cheap and fade quickly (and require more touch-ups to sharpen up the work), while the work of higher-end artists looks more professional and is more durable over time.
Especially if you want to create the look of a buzz cut (rather than just fill in thinning hair), the goal of getting a scalp tattoo is to be able to show it off. You don't want to go through SMP treatment only to end up with a bad result you want to hide, like a discount tattoo you got on spring break.
One other factor to keep in mind: SMP costs $3,000 less, on average, than hair transplant surgery. If you think you'll be happy with the look of a hair tattoo (rather than the true new hair growth you'd get from a hair transplant procedure), it can be a much more cost-effective option.