my personal hair restoration research journey

Some people think that clothes make the man but a good head of hair doesn’t hurt.

Growing up, I’ve always been the cool and popular guy with the great mane. People complimented me left and right and I enjoyed the positive attention; especially from women.

I found the idea of using a blow dryer terrible because that would just fry my hair. My technique was simple and involved two things: a towel and my hands. That’s it. No gel, hairspray, or anything.


With hair that framed my face and head like a crown, it was easy to exude and carry myself with confidence, but all that has changed. These last several years I’ve seen thinning in the back and at my hairline. To solve this problem, I’ve done three different and costly procedures.

The first was a hair transplant. I went to see someone that was recommended to me, even though they were out of state. I was that desperate. I had hair taken out of the back of my head where it’s thicker and then placed in the front at my hairline. It was pretty painful and I swelled up with redness in my forehead and my eyes were closed shut from the inflammation. I kept the hair implants for a short time and then realized how ridiculous this was because it wasn’t a good job. It honestly looked fake, so I ended up paying for electrolysis to have it all removed. Plus, I had an obvious line in the back of my head where they removed the hair for the procedure. I had to grow the area above it longer to cover up the white line of my scalp. This was more of an ordeal than I expected.

The positive relationship I once had with my locks had become one of constant anxiety and stress.

The second place I went to was pricey and temporary. Sometimes I want to kick myself for the money I’ve spent that could have been saved for a nice vacation. The best way to describe this treatment would be similar to a hair weave. You sit there anywhere from one to three hours depending upon how much you need. A trained technician takes individual strands of human hair and attaches it to your head. I sat there for about two hours in order to create the illusion of more thickness. I walked out the door feeling like a million bucks, but that feeling only lasts until the fake strands of hair eventually fall out. The extensions survive for about four to six weeks and then you go back and do it again. I mainly did it when there was a special occasion to attend.

The third procedure I tried was PRP for hair loss. PRP stands for platelet rich plasma. It’s a relatively new three-step process that helps stimulate hair growth. Your own blood is drawn, processed and then injected into your scalp. The injections are spread out over several months. After a year, I honestly haven’t seen a difference so that was a waste of money.

You know how when some people have a problem they want to solve, they become a research fanatic? I became that person. I was determined not to give up because I believed there must be something out there to fix this lousy situation.

I spend about several hours a day on the internet, seeking out products or the latest procedures for hair loss.

I found a temporary solution but nothing long term. I figured I’d give it a try. After all, it wasn’t going to break the bank and may lower my stress level a bit. Maybe even help me feel more comfortable going outside without a baseball hat.

This momentary fix comes in a bottle. It’s a powder that comes in different color hair shades and you sprinkle it where you need it. The two best selling ones are “Toppik” and “Caboki.” I always prided myself on never needing or having to use hair products. Now I was forced to.

I must say that it did exactly as was promised and I felt a little better about venturing outside without my trusty baseball cap. However, there are some negatives. It’s a challenge to do it yourself because it’s hard to see the back of my head. If I get caught in the rain, I could end up with ugly brown streaks that run down my neck and onto my forehead. Plus, it takes time to put on so it looks natural. It’s also messy and gets all over the floor when you first apply it. A windy day definitely puts a damper on things. One big gust and it’s all over. My hair, where the Caboki is, will part like the red sea and ruin all the effort I spent getting it to look just right. At that moment, my mood just goes south.

Caboki was supposed to be hope in a bottle but is more of a hassle than anything.

I have a wife and daughter and admittedly complain a lot when we’re going places because I’m so worried about how my hair will turn out. I’ve declined invitations to parties, and many of my daughter’s school events. I haven’t felt normal for years and want to get my life back on track. To be the confident person I used to be.

In the past six months, I stumbled upon SMP online. I hadn’t heard of it, but it definitely intrigued me to learn more. Finally, something that made sense and is low maintenance. Everything I read lead me to the conclusion that SMP is the answer I’ve been looking for. It’s the one cure for baldness that works. I can eliminate whether I’m having a good day or a bad day based on how my hair turns out.

I watched plenty of video testimonials of happy consumers who had SMP and read boatloads of blogs on the subject. A seed of faith was planted. I familiarized myself with all the hair restoration companies in the U.S. The one that stood out the most and what I compared to the ones where I live in New York, is Mark Weston Hair. Although based in Florida, his sounded the most credible.

Part of doing one’s due diligence is to look at both the positive and negatives of a business they’re considering to use. Seek and you shall find and find I did. I read some conflicting information that didn’t check out.

Ninety-nine percent of these hair restoration clinics stated on their websites that they were the first creators of scalp micropigmentation. Everyone wanted the credit to say they were the first. They were all lying, except for one. Mark Weston. Weston’s site under the FAQ section gives some solid historical background with links and a legal investigation that he had to endure to maintain his brand and the truth that he was the first to offer this procedure to the commercial public in the United States in 2009 before any of these other companies.

There was a second red flag and this one was pretty significant. After I emailed all the New York based companies about my interest in their services, I was told that I would need multiple sessions and that after several years, I would need to come back for retouching because SMP fades. I also found some evidence of poor workmanship in the photo galleries when I compared them to Mark Weston’s work. This is why it’s so important to shop around.


The bad SMP jobs featured men with scalps that had the appearance of shellac or a helmet. In Mark’s photo gallery, I couldn’t tell the difference between whether this was someone’s real hair or not. It was very impressive. Weston has had many men come to him after botched jobs. For me, that was another good sign of a professional. He fixed what appeared to be hopeless cases and changed people’s lives for the better.


Another crack in the information I received during email and phone conversations with the other SMP clinics is their use of numbing creams to decrease discomfort during the procedure. Some facilities even use anesthesia. Mark’s method doesn’t use numbing solutions. The reason being is that it can change the cellular structure of the skin where the ink is applied resulting in migration of the pigment or rejection of it. That explains the appearance of the “helmet” head look where the SMP is all one piece. The evidence kept pointing more and more toward The Weston System.

Many of the people who are operating their own SMP businesses were actually proteges of Mark, but when I emailed to ask if they knew Mark, they said they never heard of him. On Mark’s site, he talks about some of the unfortunate legal issues he’s had with such proteges who denied any connection with him. Ironically, he did their hair restoration procedures so it’s a slap in the face to deny any connection with him or to give him credit for the great work he did. Then again why would they because it would take work away from them.


Mark is the only one who has a patent on these special needles he uses to achieve a realistic appearance resulting in so many satisfied customers. The other companies cannot replicate a natural hair follicle since they can’t use his needles. Mark’s work is unbelievably natural and everyone’s head looks like real hair follicles. That’s a huge selling point. Who doesn’t want their SMP to look like real hair?

Plus, he uses a unique pigment called SMART pigments that do not fade with time. They actually change color naturally as you age so if there’s gray in some of the follicles, they will blend in as gray. The majority of other companies use ink that fades and can turn a shade of blue.

The Weston system requires a one-time treatment that lasts a lifetime. I thought that was remarkable.

When I called and emailed the other hair restoration companies, the majority of them said that it’s impossible to do a single session that lasts a lifetime. I was told that I would need to have several sessions and that the ink will eventually fade. I’ll need to come back for retouches. I wasn’t thrilled to hear that.

My research paid off in spades because it only made Mark’s integrity and his business stand out much more. I learned that the cost of doing multiple sessions is unnecessary and the clinics that tell you otherwise, force you into paying more over time. That’s how these companies rack up and screw the client.

After speaking with Mark on the phone, I just liked the fact that he wasn’t a hard sell. He was very personable, upfront about everything and answered all my questions. His talent precedes him and sells itself.

If I could offer anyone advice who is considering hair restoration, I would say definitely do your homework to make an informed decision that’s best for you. With great confidence, I can say I know I did.