Before Your Hair Transplant — Complete Preparation Guide
How you prepare in the days before your hair transplant directly affects the surgery and recovery. This guide covers everything Hairmedico patients need to do — and avoid — before arriving in Istanbul.
2 Weeks Before Surgery
- Stop finasteride (if applicable): If prescribed, discuss with Dr. Arslan before stopping — continuation is usually fine but some cases require a brief pause.
- Avoid blood-thinning supplements: Stop fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, aspirin (unless prescribed for cardiac reasons) 2 weeks before surgery.
- Stop smoking: Smoking reduces blood circulation to the scalp, affecting graft survival. Ideally stop 2 weeks before; minimum 3 days before surgery.
1 Week Before Surgery
- No alcohol: Alcohol thins the blood and affects anaesthetic response. Avoid entirely for 7 days before surgery.
- Avoid scalp products: No minoxidil, no styling products, no harsh shampoos on the donor or recipient zones for the week before surgery.
- Do not cut your hair: Leave donor and recipient zones at their natural length. Do not shave or trim unless specifically instructed by Dr. Arslan's team.
Day Before Surgery
- Wash your hair: Wash with a mild shampoo the evening before — no conditioner. Do not apply any styling products afterwards.
- Good sleep: Aim for 7–8 hours. Surgery begins in the morning; a rested patient responds better to local anaesthesia.
- Comfortable clothing: Prepare a button-front or zip shirt for the day of surgery — no pullovers that need to go over your head.
- Light meal: A light breakfast is recommended the morning of surgery. Do not arrive on an empty stomach.
What Hairmedico handles on arrival: VIP transfer from your hotel, full pre-operative consultation with Dr. Arslan, hair analysis and final graft planning, pre-operative photographs, anaesthetic preparation and the full surgery day. You do not need to arrange anything — our team coordinates everything. See the full journey overview →
Travel Preparation
- VIP transfer from Istanbul Airport or your hotel is included — provide your flight details in advance.
- Comfortable, non-tight clothing for the journey home after surgery (4–7 days post-op typically).
- A wide-brimmed sun hat or baseball cap for the return journey — to protect the scalp from direct sun.
- Bring any prescribed medications with you and inform Dr. Arslan's team in advance.
