Tricopigmentation in the correction of alopecia

Author: Anna Savina, President of the Society of Aesthetic Dermopigmentation Specialists (OSED), Head of the Russian Branch of the Biotek Academy of Permanent Makeup (Russia, Moscow)

Hair loss, or alopecia, is a serious aesthetic and psychological problem for people of any gender. Alopecia (from Ancient Greek ἀλωπεκία through Latin alopecia - baldness, baldness) is pathological hair loss, leading to thinning or complete disappearance in certain areas of the head or torso. The most common types of alopecia include androgenetic; diffuse, or symptomatic (effluviums); focal, or nested (areata); scarring. The prevalence of the problem in both men and women forces scientists around the world to look for new ways to treat it.

Tricopigmentation is a method of aesthetic dermopigmentation that helps to hide the absence of hair by drawing it onto the skin. For many clients, it has become a real salvation, an alternative to surgery and constant wearing of wigs. In addition, trichopigmentation is often used as a final procedure after hair transplantation to make the effect more convincing. The Tricopigmentazione® technique was registered in 2008. Its authors are Italian dermopigmentation specialists Tony Belfato and Ennio Orsini. Together with the company Biotek, which has released a special line of equipment and pigments for trichopigmentation, they have developed a whole system for correcting alopecia using dermopigmentation.

Scope and features of application

The trichopigmentation technique was born as a way to correct androgenetic alopecia, which affects the majority of the stronger sex in Italy. In order to visually smooth out the balding fronto-parietal area with the remaining hair, men often resort to shaving the entire surface of the head. Absolutely shaved men can be found everywhere in Italy; in Russia this method is less common. But even on a smoothly shaved head, areas where hair no longer grows are clearly visible. For androgenetic alopecia and total baldness, it is possible to apply small strokes or dots, creating the effect of a “shaved head”. The same method is used to correct alopecia in the area of mustache, beard, and sideburns.

Applying dots requires special care from a specialist, since the scalp is thinner than on other parts of the body and is very stretched. Deep injection of pigment can lead to the formation of unsightly stains and aggravate the problem instead of solving it. During the training process, specialists are taught to apply dots with very light and at the same time even pressure of the hand, with a certain rhythm of movements. To facilitate the performance of such complex and responsible work, a special program and a pulsating motor operating mode were installed in the trichodermograph apparatus. There is also a separate program for working on the frontal area, where the hairline should be especially light and tapering off.

Each person's hairline has a unique pattern. To preserve this individuality, the tricopigmentation specialist asks the client to show youthful photographs where the hairline and temples are visible. Tricopigmentation differs from classic permanent makeup in that immediately after the procedure, the effect of the work performed is almost unnoticeable; it appears only after a month. Without knowing this feature, a specialist will not be able to achieve the desired result.

Working with diffuse alopecia is another area of application of trichopigmentation. Diffuse alopecia is defined by uniform thinning of hair throughout the scalp. Often this type of alopecia is the result of severe stress, psychological and physical stress and is widespread among people holding responsible leadership positions. Tricopigmentation allows you to solve a similar problem by simulating hair thickness. To do this, rather long strokes are applied over the entire surface of the head, corresponding to the growth of natural hair, using a fan technique. The work is divided into several procedures. In one procedure, an area of 10–20 square meters can be comfortably treated for the client. see. A repeated procedure on the same area can be carried out no earlier than a month later. The pigment is selected depending on the color of the hair roots. Despite the fact that working with diffuse alopecia is a rather long and labor-intensive process, the result lives up to all expectations.

I would like to dwell in more detail on the correction of cicatricial alopecia, since this particular technique has recently gained particular popularity. Considering the fact that plastic surgery is becoming more and more accessible to residents of our country from year to year, there is a need for postoperative correction of cicatricial alopecia. Small scars remaining after a circular facelift, forehead correction, etc. can easily be disguised using trichopigmentation. The scar is covered with strokes that imitate natural hair, and, if necessary, supplemented with flesh color if the surface of the scar differs from the surrounding scalp. After the first procedure, it is absolutely impossible to detect the scar area even from the closest distance.

Separately, it is necessary to note the technique for correcting scars remaining after hair transplant operations. During this operation, hair follicles are taken from the occipital area of the head and transplanted into alopecia areas. Unfortunately, this leaves a fairly noticeable, unaesthetic scar. As a result of correction using the trichopigmentation method, the scar “disappears”, as if by magic. To do this, the surface of the scar is covered with a flesh-colored pigment, and then neat dots are applied, as in the technique of creating a “shaved head”. The device also has a special program that regulates the power and speed of the machine in such a complex area as a scar.

It must be said that not every permanent makeup artist (PM) can do tricopigmentation. The fact is that the procedure requires the specialist to know a special technique, which differs from that used for conventional PM. The erroneous assumption that work in the head area can be carried out with the same means and methods as in the face and body can lead to complications in the form of the formation of unaesthetic blurry blue spots, the correction of which will require a long time using laser depigmentation.

There are only about a hundred certified trichopigmentologists in the world. Each of them has a personalized diploma, which contains the serial number of his tricopigmentation machine (individual for each master). This protects consumers of this service from impostor masters. Specialists who have completed international courses on tricopigmentation are included in the register published on the official website www.tricopigmentazione.com. In Russia today, only 14 masters have the right to work using the Tricopigmentazione® method.

Equipment and materials

The machine for trichopigmentation is called a trichodermograph. It uses needles and pigments specially designed for this procedure (tattoo pigments and pigments are not suitable for permanent makeup), which, by the way, can only be purchased by a certified specialist. Unlike conventional needles, whose diameter ranges from 0.15 to 0.35 mm, trichopigmentation needles are strictly 0.22 mm. The thickness of the drawn line or the diameter of the dot depends on the diameter of the needle. And the sharpening of the needle and the height of its working part (in tricopigmentation, needles with a diamond-shaped sharpening and a shortened working part are used) determine the depth of penetration into the skin.

The pigments used in the tricopigmentation procedure contain much less water base and more isopropyl alcohol than PM pigments, which also reduces the possibility of pigment spreading in the skin. And their color range is designed in such a way that it eliminates the reddening of the pigment over time and matches the natural color of the hair roots.

Techniques used

The dot technique allows you to draw microscopic dots on the skin, which, as already mentioned, create the appearance of slightly grown hair or stubble. This technique is characterized by particularly light pressure when introducing pigment and a chaotic arrangement of dots (dots arranged in a clear order look very artificial and catch the eye). The acupressure technique is usually used when working with male clients. With progressive baldness, it is necessary to “put additional points” as the skin becomes exposed.

The linear technique is used to create the effect of hair in diffuse, focal and cicatricial alopecia. The lines should be very thin and evenly colored. To do this, use needle units created specifically for working with thin scalp.

The shading technique is used to paint scars to match the color of the surrounding skin (scar tissue is a different color from healthy scalp). Most often, stroke movements are performed crosswise.

In addition, another problem directly related to alopecia is total alopecia of the eyebrows and eyelashes. If such a problem arises in women, it can be solved using classic permanent makeup, while simultaneously adjusting the color and shape depending on the individual image. But for men, such an option will look unnatural, too decorative. To create the effect of natural male eyebrows, there is another, specially developed technique. Men's eyebrows are wider than women's, have more angular, rigid lines, the hairs grow in different directions and often cross in the middle. When simulating male eyebrows, several types of needles are used: 3 soft liner - a thin triple needle for contour work and 1 rhomb - a unit needle with a diamond-shaped sharpening, as well as several colors of pigments - in the same range, but one is lighter, the other is darker. The technique involves applying a base background of wider and lighter strokes and then detailing the hairs with dark pigment using a fine needle.

Thus, trichopigmentation makes it possible to visually correct the problems of alopecia in clients, but today few specialists in aesthetic medicine, surgery and cosmetology know about this direction and its possibilities.

Source: KOSMETIK international journal, No. 2/2012, pp. 84-86