Before your procedure

How to prepare for your hair transplant

Good preparation protects your result and makes the day itself calm and straightforward. Here is a simple countdown, from two weeks before to the morning of surgery, with the things that genuinely matter.

Read this first. This is general guidance, not personal medical advice. Your own written instructions, which you receive with your treatment plan, always come first. Most importantly, never start or stop a prescribed medicine on your own. Always check with the doctor who prescribed it.

The full checklist, day by day

1. Two weeks before

   • Send us a full list of everything you take: prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements and workout aids. Some of these can affect bleeding or healing.
   • Blood-thinning medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen and anticoagulants may need to be paused, but only on the advice of the doctor who prescribed them. Never stop prescribed medication on your own.
   • If you use topical minoxidil, most clinics ask you to pause it around two weeks before, as it can increase scalp bleeding. We will confirm the timing for you.
   • Reduce or stop smoking and vaping. Nicotine narrows blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the scalp, which can affect how well grafts survive.
   • If you colour grey hair, do it within these two weeks, so the hairs are easier to see on the day.

2. One week before

   • Pause blood-thinning supplements if advised: vitamin E, fish oil, omega-3, ginkgo biloba, garlic and high-dose vitamin B can all thin the blood.
   • Avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin unless your doctor has told you to keep taking them.
   • Keep yourself well rested, hydrated and eating normally. This is not the time for crash diets or late nights, because your body heals better when you are in good shape.

3. Two to three days before

   • Stop drinking alcohol. Give yourself at least three clear days, as alcohol affects both bleeding and healing.
   • Do not colour or chemically treat your hair after this point.
   • Confirm your travel, hotel and transfer arrangements so the days around surgery are calm.

4. The day before

   • Wash your hair as normal with your usual shampoo, and use no gel, spray, wax, fibres or concealer afterwards.
   • Get a good night of sleep and eat normally.
   • Lay out a comfortable button-up or zip top for the next day, so nothing has to be pulled over your head afterwards.

5. The morning of surgery

   • Eat a normal breakfast, as you will be at the clinic for several hours.
   • Avoid coffee and other caffeine that morning, as caffeine can increase bleeding and sensitivity.
   • Wear your button-up or zip top, and bring your medication list, photo identification and a loose, clean cap for afterwards.

Why smoking and alcohol matter most

Of everything on this list, these two make the biggest difference. Newly placed grafts depend on a good blood supply to survive and grow. Nicotine narrows blood vessels and reduces that supply, and alcohol affects bleeding and healing. Cutting both down in the weeks around surgery is one of the simplest things you can do to support your result.

A note on medicines and supplements

The reason we ask about everything you take is that some common items thin the blood or affect healing, which matters during a procedure that creates thousands of tiny wounds. These are the ones most often paused before surgery, always on medical advice:

• Aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers
• Prescribed blood thinners and anticoagulants
• Vitamin E, high-dose vitamin B and multivitamins that contain them
• Fish oil, omega-3, ginkgo biloba, garlic and similar herbal supplements
• Topical minoxidil, usually paused around two weeks before

The golden rule. If a medicine was prescribed to you, do not change it without speaking to the doctor who prescribed it. Your pre-operative blood tests, carried out before surgery, may also change these instructions for you.

Next, see our photo guide for the pictures we need to assess you, read the frequently asked questions, or request a free consultation.