The risks of SMP micropigmentation Ink on the body and its side effects on FUE transplanted hairs?

SMP, or scalp micropigmentation, is a painless procedure that uses highly specialized equipment and unique techniques to carefully and expertly inject all-natural, color-tailored pigments into the scalp creating a completely natural look of the patient’s hairline. A typical procedure involves an initial consultation and two pigmentation sessions to achieve the desired results. You can wash your head the fourth day after the treatment and, during that time, avoid any strenuous activity that will prompt undesired sweating. Once the procedure is complete, the results of a Scalp Micropigmentation treatment can last up to five years.
At the Foundation for Hair Restoration in NYC, I work with the world-renowned hair expert Dr.Jeffrey Epstein and his team to create beautiful, natural results for any hair type.
The depth of SMP needles is more superficial than the hair bulb and so no danger exists to natural or transplanted hairs. 
Consult with an experienced hair restoration surgeon for a complete range of options that are appropriate for your situation.

patient001,Thanks for the question. If you were to have the  smp first, I would recommend waiting until after 6 weeks because we normally do a one month post-smp procedure follow up with a touch up if needed. We used 100% organic ink, no harmful chemicals or metals. This avoids the changing to unusual colors or pose the risk that chemicals have on your health.Since the ink is organic, the body will eventually metabolize it so will fade in 1-3 yrs. 

Each doctor is different and have different requirements.  You can have SMP after your FUE area has healed.  This can be several weeks to months.  SMP will not damage hair follicles.The risk of SMP is same as the risk of any tattoo.  Any foreign substance deposited into your body can be a potential cause for infection or even cancer.  When the ink fades, your body's immune system is taking it away and and expelling it. 

Hello.It may be a better option to have your hair transplant first so that can see what your density will be prior to having the shading from the micropigmentation on teh scalp.  Just a thought. The ink is placed very superficial and over time your immune cells, specifically pac-man like cells called macrophages, will eat the pigment and break it down.  If you have older tattoos that are starting to fade out and become blurry, that gives an indication how your body will respond to the pigment.  The follicles of the hairs are anchored deep so the pigment won't affect the hairs' growth rate or thickness in the area.  There is no harm with this process unless there are chemicals or metals that you are allergic to.  Some people are allergic to a chemical that makes red ink.  Red may be a component of brown ink.  These are things to talk to your SMP specialist about.  I am a dermatologist and specialize in hair loss conditions-diagnosing and managing all hair conditions-whether they are reversible or not.Hope this helps.  Nikki D. Hill, MD

These are very interesting questions.  A pubmed NIH search doesnt show anthing that would directly answer this but in general scalp trauma should be avoided after an fue procedure for at least a month, or until the hairs start to grow. 

I would do SMP after the hair transplant. The hair transplant will  give you the real 3D hairs, SMP will come after for added density. But if you choose to start with SMP, there will be no harm for the hair as SMP is superficial. It wont reach to the follicle thus no damage. FUE can be done after 6 weeks of SMP. As for pigments, ask your SMP specialist what ink or pigment they are using. We use a brand that have no hard metals or arsenic, We keep it safe. 

The depth penetration of the inks are very superficial and not as deep as the hair follicles, so the impact of the SMP on hair transplants is negligible in good hands. Many different people use many different types of inks (pigments) some of which contain heavy metals such as mercury or arsenic. You have to be sure that the pigments you are going to be getting are all organic an do not have toxic metals in them. Many people buy the pigments from China or use India Inks and these often have heavy metals in them. See our discussions in our web-site below: