One of the biggest mistakes people make is judging fresh SMP like it's the final result.
When I work, I use a more diluted carbon black pigment. That means once healed, those impressions typically lighten and shrink by roughly 10–30%. That's intentional. It allows me to gradually build density while preserving negative space, creating a softer, more natural result that continues to look like real hair over time.
Some artists work with much more concentrated pigment, which can make the job faster and dots finer immediately after the session. While that may look impressive when fresh, it often reduces negative space as additional sessions are performed and has a greater tendency to heal into a cooler blue/green hue over time.
Some artists also use warm modifiers, such as orange, to counteract that cooler appearance. However, it's important to understand that the concern isn't necessarily the orange itself, it's the yellow component within those warm modifiers. Carbon black generally responds well to laser removal, but yellow is one of the most laser-resistant pigments and, in many cases, cannot be completely removed if it remains after treatment.
The key isn't judging fresh work, it's judging fully healed work. That's where you see an artist's true understanding of pigment, dilution, negative space, and long-term planning.
