Shaved hair style scalp medical tattooing technique for treatment of advanced male pattern baldness patients

Abstract

Background The most infallible approach to male pattern baldness (MPB) is hair transplantation in the thinning area in parallel to medical treatment to prevent further alopecia progression. For an individual with advanced stage hair loss, a megasession surgery is recommended to meet the high donor hair requirement. Yet a most effective therapeutic regimen for alopecia, hair transplantation inevitably has its advantages and disadvantages for it is done with the expense of donor hair sacrifice, intraoperative and postoperative pain, and unavoidable scars. Also, with poor donor condition, surgery may not even be an option. Nowadays, more patients with such limitations are undergoing shaved style scalp medical tattoo (SMT).Objective To assess the effectiveness of SMT technique for shaved hair style.Methods and materials A total of 80 patients who were included in the study underwent SMT for shaved hair style between June 2014 and June 2017 and were followed for at least 6 months afterward. Patients and the surgeon completed a survey about donor and recipient site surgical results using a 5-point Likert scale. ResultsThe average satisfaction scores of patients and surgeon were 4.8 and 4.9, respectively.Conclusion Shaved style SMT can be considered one of the most effective treatment methods for patients with advanced stage hair loss.

Applications of Medical Tattooing: A Systematic Review of Patient Satisfaction Outcomes and Emerging Trends

“…Two studies were identified which describe this application and provide meaningful outcome data. 2 , 3 …”

“…A recent illustrative study by Park et al published in 2019 treated and observed 80 patients for over 6 months with what the authors termed “scalp medical tattooing”. 3 Their technique applies a “shaved hairstyle” scalp tattoo ( Figure 2 ) performed by a physician. Of the 80 patients, 26 of them previously had at least 1 hair transplant surgery prior to the medical scalp tattoo treatments.…”

“…Results were evaluated by 2 expert hair transplant surgeons who were not involved in the scalp tattoo procedure and averaged 4.7. 3 …”

“…(A) Before top view, (B) before front view, (C) after top view, and (D) after front view. Photographs courtesy of Park et al 3 …”

Scalp Micro-Pigmentation via Transcutaneous Implantation of Flexible Tissue Interlocking Biodegradable Microneedles

“…DHT-reducing agents, such as Finasteride and Minoxidil, are prescribed to prevent further hair thinning [17,18]. However, any discontinuation of medication brings back the normal rate of hair loss [19], and these medications neither restore the lost hair, nor reverse baldness, constraining patients with progressive alopecia to seek hair transplants [20]. Hair grafting, while effective, is an invasive procedure, resulting in a large permanent scar upon the scalp.…”