When looking at school photos Joanna was always aware of her ‘exceptionally high hairline’, a feature inherited from her maternal grandmother.
But like many women, Joanna, now 35, was extremely creative in finding ways to conceal her hair loss and forged ahead with a career that often put her in front of the camera.
“I became very fond of baseball caps and in Year 12 I set my sights on becoming a hairdresser. It was purely so that I could develop ways to disguise my thinning hair,” Joanna says.
“Hairdressing wasn’t for me, so I trained as a makeup artist and this supplemented income earned from modelling, acting and song writing.
“Prior to having children a big portion of my earnings were spent on solutions for camouflaging my thinning hair.”
Joanna says some of the solutions she chose included expensive hair extensions and treatments and combing her hair in a strict style to conceal thinning areas on her scalp.
After her two sons were born, Joanna’s hair loss became more pronounced and increasingly difficult to conceal.
But as a single mother investing in ongoing solutions for concealing her hair loss became increasingly unaffordable.
Joanna says she gained encouragement when a friend told her how the latest techniques in scalp micro pigmentation (SMP) are providing an affordable aesthetic semi permanent solution for concealing hair loss.
SMP, which involves applying micro organic pigment into the epidermis layer of the skin, creates the illusion of greater hair density.
The pigment appears as hair follicles, thereby creating the appearance of a fuller head of hair.
Matched to the patient’s existing hair colour and skin tone, the non-invasive procedure, which involves no down time or scarring, lasts up to five years.
After a consultation with trichologist Kate Dawes of Medical Hair Restoration Australia (MHRA) in Nedlands, Joanna decided to proceed with the treatment.
“I didn’t think twice about having SMP and I most certainly will have it done again when it starts to wear off in five years time,” Joanna says.
“Life is short so if something bothers you and you are in a position to do something about it, then do.”
Joanna says hair loss can be devastating for women, particularly given that women link the appearance of their hair to their overall attractiveness.
“Any woman will tell you they don’t feel right when their hair isn’t right,” Joanna says.
“It’s pretty hard to feel good when one looks in the mirror and sees evidence of balding.”
Trichologist Kate Dawes says demand is rising among both men and women for SMP treatment.
Kate says SMP provides an ideal alternative for people who can’t afford hair transplant surgery or who aren’t ready to commit to a completely permanent solution.
Her clinic’s staff have been trained to utilise the latest equipment developed by German and Spanish company, Goldeneye,
“Patients are delighted with the results achieved with SMP,” Kate says.
“Medical Hair Restoration Australia only use the highest standard quality pigments available and procedures are completed at our modern, hygienic and sterilised clinic in Nedlands.”
For more information about SMP visit: http://www.mhra.com.au/services/scalp-micropigmentation
