Carolyn Cole

Scalp Micropigmentation Clinic

By Laci Ollison Photos by JLG Photography

Many people feel their most confident when they feel they look their best. But for some people, hair loss has altered their appearance and stripped them of their confidence. That’s why Greensboro native Carolyn Cole has taken it upon herself to provide her clients with a service that restores something that they have lost.

Scalp Micropigmentation is a process that provides individuals with hair loss a new way to regain their confidence. During a Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) session, ink is deposited on the scalp to make real life hair follicles.

“SMP is great for people who have experienced hair loss, are completely bald, or have hair that is beginning to look thin,” Carolyn said. “This is different than other services like coloring or male hair units because those aren’t permanent solutions.”

Carolyn said that she decided to get into SMP after some of her clients began to lose their hair. “I have customers who’ve had hair, so I’ve known them before it started thinning,” she said. “So I did some research to find something that was healthier and more permanent than other solutions that are out there. To be able to offer them this service is like a light. Once the process is done, and I am able to see their reaction afterwards is what it’s all about. They are so amazed.”

When a client contacts Carolyn in order to receive SMP, she conducts a consultation in which the two will sit down and go over the clients hopes for their hair and what they wish to correct.

Carolyn notes that not everyone is a candidate for SMP. “Some people think that it’s a tattoo, but it’s not,” she said.

SMP is done in sessions. Depending on the shade of hair that the client wants will determine how many SMP sessions they will need. The good thing about SMP is that is doesn’t wash away. It is also healthier for hair compared to coloring which is more damaging to hair follicles.

Sessions can be done every seven days and during the seven days clients can decide if they would like to continue with another session. Clients can also return at a later date if they feel that they need more sessions.

Before each session, clients receive a 5% numbing Lidocaine Cream. “That kind of gives you the idea of the pain level that a client might receive,” said Carolyn. “It’s bare minimum to none. There are no injections and it is not surgical at all.”

Carolyn said that clients should even be able to return to work the same day if they choose. Redness may occur but will disappear within a few hours.

Adding SMP to her list of services has allowed Carolyn to not only make a difference in the lives of her clients, but to also increase her streams of income. “I wanted to add another service because the hair industry doesn’t stop, it keeps going,“ Carolyn said. “I wanted to be able to offer services to everyone, not just men or just women.”

Carolyn is also the first person in Greensboro to offer SMP. Although it is popular in other larger cities, it is now starting to become more popular in smaller cities.

The next step for Carolyn and her SMP services is to teach other barbers and hair stylist how to perform the service as well.

In addition to providing SMP, Carolyn is still a master barber and the owner of Art of Cuts Barber Lounge in Greensboro. Carolyn has been cutting hair since 2004 and has been providing SMP since she became certified Summer 2020. h

“I have customers who’ve had hair, so I’ve known them before it started thinning.... To be able to offer them this service is like a light. Once the process is done, and I am able to see their reaction afterwards is what it’s all about.”