Do you have thinning hair? Are you interested in getting a hair treatment? If so, this article is for you. We had a chat with Joslyn Francis of Defined Lines, located in Oakville, Ontario, to discuss an up-and-coming beauty trend - Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP).

Here's the Q & A

Question: What is SMP (scalp micro pigmentation)?
Answer: SMP or scalp micro pigmentation is where we're recreating the look of the hair follicle on the scalp to mimic the look of natural hair stubble.

Question: When did you get into SMP?
Answer: I took my course about a year ago.

Question: Who would you recommend SMP to? Who’s the ideal client, if there is one?
Answer: SMP really can be used on anybody who's starting to get thinning hair. It kind of goes by the Norwood Scale of baldness. So really, anybody can get it from somebody who just wants to do a density filling if they're just starting to lose their hair or somebody who's like a ten on the Norwood Scale, which is pretty much that they're completely bald.

Question: How does someone go about getting SMP? What are the first steps that they would have to take?
Answer: Calling me and having a consultation, that's all they need to do. It's a pretty simple service. They talk with me, and we discuss what they are looking for. There are different hair patterns and ages we have to take into consideration. So if somebody's a little bit older and wanted to get some SMP, maybe they're between seven to 10 on the Norwood Scale, I'm not going to give them the hairline of a 20-year-old because that's not going to look right. We’d set up a consultation to discuss what sort of look we're going over what would look best on the client. From there, we book the appointments.

Question: What is the typical cost for SMP?
Answer: The price also varies for that. It goes from $1,800 to $3,800 (plus tax). A few people do it slightly lower, and a few people do it marginally higher, but that is around the average cost.

Question: How many appointments are needed?
Answer: There are about three appointments that run about four to five hours each, so it is it's a lot of work because we're doing a lot of building towards our end result.

Question: What's the healing process like?
Answer: It's a very quick healing process. It's only a couple of weeks in between each session. And the healing process is straightforward; it's just keeping it clean and dry, not wearing any hats or things that go on your head. You want people coming in with everything freshly washed, they can wear a hat if they want but it must be clean. You don't want to be putting a dirty hat on a freshly done tattoo, right?

Question: What would you say the following steps are after the procedure?
Answer: Honestly, there's not a lot. Keep it clean. It's effortless as far as aftercare. Keep it clean and keep your hands off of it.

Question: What would you say the pain level is on a scale of one to 10? (10 being the most painful)
Answer: Oh no! The pain is minimal, and we can use a numbing agent on top to pre numb a little bit.

Question: Where does the procedure start?
Answer: Typically, you would start more from the middle because that's where you can just kind of go out from there.

Question: Is SMP the same as micro-needling?
Answer: No, not at all. I mean, micro-needling can be done on the scalp. And that can be used with a serum to encourage hair growth. But micro-needling is going in with a tool with multiple very tiny needles that are piercing the skin and tricking the skin into thinking there's damage. Then your body starts producing more collagen and elastin. I'm not sure about the effectiveness of that one. I don't do it. But that's why there is SMP as well. It's great for people who have even already had hair transplants. And many people use SMP because it’s excellent for covering up those scars. Because doing a hair transplant is not 100% guaranteed, it will not always take 100%. So you may not get the fulfillment you want. SMP is great as an addition to hair transplant surgery. Because then you can create like fill in a density in the areas where it can take you can also cover up with scars so that people it's not as noticeable that they had that done.


SMP appears to be a procedure that could help anyone experiencing hair loss from thinning hair or Alopecia. It will create a stubble look to define your hairline and can take a few years off your face. If you’re interested in getting SMP or setting up a free consultation, head over to Defined Lines' Instagram! and send them a DM to book.


✨Consultations are free✨

Call: (905)638-2545 or check out our Instagram to learn more!

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Defined Lines
56 Church St, Oakville