Unlike the pigments used for permanent treatments (scalp micropigmentation), temporary pigments are explicitly designed to break down more easily and naturally fade within the body. This accelerated reaction occurs due to the compound of the pigment. Temporary pigment particle sizes are smaller and therefore are broken down more quickly and removed from the body via your immune system.
The pigment typically starts to fade from around 6 to 18 months after the treatment although not necessarily evenly or completely. This option typically requires a further application after 12 months depending on skin type, tone, desired effect, and sun exposure. The shade on the scalp surface may last 2-3 years with this type of pigment but is still likely to reside in the dermal layer for longer.
How does tricopigmentation complement hair restoration surgery?
In case of patients with lack of donor material, tricopigmentation could complement hair restoration surgery in several ways. By increasing the overall density given by a hair transplant surgery (density effect), by filling in the remaining recipient area after a hairline reconstruction or even by reducing the white dot visibility after multiple FUE sessions.
Tricopigmentation is a temporary version of scalp micropigmentation that involves a similar technique but with different pigments and different durability. A yearly maintenance is therefore required.
The option of a temporary result more often convince people to resolve their hair loss problem because tricopigmentation is not permanent.
Since the pigments fade out after 6-18 months, a tricopigmentation doesn’t cause any problem when the hair of the patient loses its pigment and becomes white. In case of a scalp micropigmentation it might on the contrary become a problem when the pigments are dark and the patient’s hair becomes white, this will give an unnatural look.