Intro
How are you doing? I’m Craig. I’m here at Evoke on Saturday morning, ready for my Scalp Micropigmentation.
Describe the experience of losing your hair.
Craig: Well, I actually have a condition for people that don’t know, which is Alopecia Universalis and that’s total body hair loss. So obviously that includes the entire head. I have suffered from that around 15 years ago. So it’s been quite a while now. As you can imagine, it was quite a traumatic time to go through that. I was very sort of hair look-orientated. So it was a tough thing to deal with. It didn’t affect my social life, the way I lived. I carried on outwardly socializing and enjoying life as it were. But inwardly, it has always affected me, not to the degree where it stopped me from doing anything, but naturally it’s always felt like a loss. And I’d always been hoping that maybe one day it will grow back. But as the years went on it, it was quite apparent that that wasn’t going to happen. So yeah, it was a tough time and it’s got easier as the years gone on. But I’ve never stopped being curious about what it’d be like to have a head of hair again.
What made you look into SMP and why did you contact Evoke?
Craig: Again, as I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s been a long while and I was aware of Scalp Micropigmentation for some time but didn’t know the details of it. And I met a gentleman in my local gym, who’s not too far away from me, who spoke to me about SMP and asked me if I knew anything about it. He’d actually got it, so there’s nothing better than a walking advertisement, something like that. I was really impressed with the look of it. As I said, I had seen it on the internet once or twice, but never really got into it and it would be fair to say that that seed was well and truly planted. But like with many things, it subsided a little bit. And then it sort of, for one reason or another… And I think age plays a factor the older you get. I’d always felt as though my face was a bit plain if you like.
So I started looking into the Scalp Micropigmentation again. Obviously there are various establishments that do it. I happened upon Evoke. The beauty of that initially was it was on my doorstep, literally up the road from where I worked. And I looked into the testimonials online, the type of business it was and then arranged the consultation. So, that’s basically the story prior to that.
How are you feeling before your first session and what are you hoping to achieve?
Craig: I mean I’m excited about the session naturally. I’m not looking forward to sitting for several hours, but that’s just because I’m a natural fidget. But I’m sure it’d be absolutely fine. I’m slightly apprehensive because obviously it’s quite a big deal. I’ve been bald for quite some time but I’m certainly more excited than I am worried. So yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. It’s soon to come around. I can’t wait to get on with it now and see what the results of the first session are and then obviously we’ll have several more and hopefully I’ll be delighted with the results.
After the Procedure
Craig: I think it’s safe to say that it definitely has improved it for the better. It certainly had a massive positive effect on me I suppose psychologically. I was never a guy lacking any confidence but it’s certainly improved that area and I think, given being that age. So yeah, I think all around it definitely has improved my life. Yeah.
It’s been an overwhelmingly positive sort of reaction from everybody. All the reactions have been slightly different in there. To some people, shocked, some people kind of accepted it straight away, but everybody, to a man and a woman have basically said, “I think it’s a big improvement.” And some of them were a bit sceptical before I had it done, and I think sort of the scepticism has been way laid really. So yeah, usually positive response to having it done.
I would certainly recommend having SMP. I think to anyone in my situation or even sort of a situation to a lesser degree I would say 100% have it done. I cannot see any negative aspect to it whatsoever. I can only say it’s positive. And in terms of using Evoke, absolutely no regrets about that whatsoever. I think that was the right choice. The whole process from start to finish with Adam and his team here at Evoke has been fabulous. I can’t thank them enough. Obviously the hair, the SMP (scalp micropigmentation) was the main thing, but in terms of the service, the rapport, the after care service, it’s all been absolutely spot on. More than I could have expected to be honest.
I’ve got to tell you, the best thing apart from the end result, which is the ultimate thing that I was after, was being part of the whole process, watching it build up, being allowed to have some input on how we design the hairline stage by stage. It was a real kind of boost to be able to come back and add to that and watch the thing be created. So, that was something I really enjoyed. In terms of bad points, nothing really to speak of. The sessions weren’t particularly painful. I would describe them as uncomfortable, I suppose, given the amount of time that you sat there for it or anything sort of that you had to put up with was well worth what you got in the end. See I can’t really see any negative aspects at all to be honest.
