While some people with more minor concerns or cases of hair thinning are able to achieve their desired results in only one session, most clinics that offer the procedure will recommend planning for closer to 3 or 4 sessions to get the absolute best results. The plan for multiple sessions allows for ensuring any fading or minor changes can be made, depending on how you and the provider feel about the appearance of the results after the first session. The addition of touch-ups or subtle changes can help to make the treatment appear much more realistic and allows for the fading to take longer while also occurring more naturally. Additionally, the expertise level of the provider of the SMP treatment may also affect how many sessions are needed and how long each session could be. If the procedure is also being used to help reduce the appearance of scarring or blemishes, it is likely that you will need more than 2 sessions. The actual procedure itself will take around 2 to 5 hours, depending on how much shading is needed to achieve the desired results and how effectively the pigment takes to the skin. Depending on the recommendations of the provider and how your skin heals, it is typical to space the sessions around 10-20 days apart.