How to Prepare for a Hair Transplant in Thailand: Checklist and Clinic Rules

One r/HairTransplants poster heading to Ankara for surgery wrote in December 2023 that the clinic "has already sent me this in extensive detail": how many days before to get off certain things, and how many weeks after to skip working out. What the poster wanted was "smaller things that can make the whole process easier." (u/looncall11, 12 Dec 2023)

This page is part of our hair transplant guide, written for anyone with hair loss who is weighing surgery in Thailand. The clinics we compared ask for much the same things before hair transplant surgery: blood tests, a few medicines and supplements to stop, no nicotine or alcohol, a plan for your hair, a ride home and clothes that button. They differ on timing, so your clinic's own pre-op instructions come first.

The American Hair Loss Association calls it "of utmost importance to follow your surgeon's pre-operative instructions to the letter", because the steps "may vary depending on the type of surgery you are having, whether it is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)." Thai Hair Clinic says its own sheet applies only to its own patients.

Below is a printable checklist, then the windows Thai clinics publish for medicines, nicotine, alcohol, hair and the trip, side by side.

Printable Hair Transplant Checklist

Tick items as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser on this device. The Print button prints this page, ticks included.

Your surgeon will give you specific instructions, and they win over this list. Where an item says to ask, the clinics we compared disagree, so the sections below show how.

Weeks Before: As Soon as You Book

• Get your clinic's written pre-op sheet and keep it next to this list. If the two differ, follow the clinic's sheet.
• Tell the clinic about every medical condition, every medicine and supplement you take (hair loss treatments included), and any drug allergies.
• Ask which blood tests the clinic needs, how old your results can be, and whether it screens on the day.
• If you take a prescribed blood thinner or another regular medicine, ask your own doctor and the clinic before changing anything. Don't stop it on your own.
• Ask the clinic for its dated list of painkillers, vitamins and supplements to stop. Clinics name aspirin, ibuprofen and similar anti-inflammatories, vitamin E, fish oil, ginkgo, garlic and ginger.
• Ask whether to pause minoxidil and whether to keep taking finasteride.
• Stop smoking and vaping from the date your clinic gives you. Clinic sheets run from the day before to 4 weeks.
• Stop alcohol from the date your clinic gives you. Clinic sheets run from 1 to 2 days to 2 weeks.
• Don't get a haircut until you've asked how long your clinic wants your hair. Ask whether to color gray hair first.
• Ask how many days to stay in Thailand. If your clinic asks for it, arrive 1 to 2 days before the procedure.
• Avoid red-eye flights and tight itineraries. Plan recovery days before flying home when you can.
• Ask about the deposit date, the balance and which cards or cash the clinic accepts. Check with your card issuer that you have enough funds.
• Check the entry rules for your passport and your reason for travel. Thailand's foreign ministry says its visa exemptions are for tourism purposes only, so ask your clinic and the Thai embassy for your country.
• Ask your employer for time off.
• Print a medical summary and your medication list.
• Find the nearest emergency department to your hotel. Confirm who provides aftercare and how fast you can reach them.

The Final Week

• Keep your scalp out of strong sun and avoid being sunburned. Scalp irritation can delay surgery.
• Ask whether to skip exercise in the last days. One US practice asks for none the night before and the morning of.
• Buy button-front tops, more than one.
• Plan how you'll sleep upright: extra pillows for your bed, and a neck pillow if your clinic suggests one.
• Ask what the clinic supplies (antiseptic shampoo, headband, bandana, comb) and what you should buy.
• Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep in the day or two before, as one Thai clinic asks.
• Ask about tea and coffee. Thai clinics ask you to skip them on the day, and one asks for 24 hours before.

The Day Before and the Night Before

• Confirm the appointment time and the clinic address.
• Pick up the clinic's antiseptic shampoo if it provides one, and settle the payment it wants before the day.
• Wash the way your clinic says. One clinic asks for its antiseptic shampoo twice the night before, at least 5 minutes each time.
• No alcohol and no smoking.
• Lay out a button-front top and comfortable pants.
• Pack your bag using the list below.
• Get plenty of rest.

The Morning of the Procedure

• Shower and wash your hair thoroughly. No gel, spray, cologne or perfume.
• Ask whether you may eat that morning. Most clinics we compared allow breakfast without coffee; one hospital asks for nothing to eat or drink for six hours.
• Take your regular medicines unless your doctor or clinic told you not to.
• Wear a button-front top and comfortable pants. No tight hat or cap.
• Arrange for someone to take you there and bring you home. Two Thai clinics require a driver because of the sedation.
• Arrive on time.

What to Bring

• Passport or photo ID.
• Payment for the balance, in the form your clinic accepts.
• Your medication list.
• Headphones, a charger and something to do. The day can be long.
• A neck pillow, if your clinic asks you to bring one.
• A snack and a gentle shampoo, if your clinic advises it.
• Leave valuables at the hotel.

Arrange Before You Go: The First Days After

• A driver or companion for the day, and someone to stay with you at least the first night.
• A way to sleep semi-upright for the number of nights your clinic gives you.
• The headband, bandana or loose hat your clinic gives you or allows.
• Button-front tops for the first days. One Reddit commenter says you'll need them for the first 7 to 10 days.
• A pillowcase or pillow you don't mind staining.
• Easy meals and time off work.
• A hair-wash plan from your clinic. One Thai clinic has patients come back daily for a wash until departure.
• A plan for getting in and out of a car without hitting your head.
• Plan to hold off on exercise, swimming and alcohol as your clinic says.

Before You Book: Medical History and Blood Tests

Start by giving the clinic the full picture. Do it before you pay a deposit, because clinic rules on health conditions differ.

What to Tell the Clinic

Hairtran Clinic in Bangkok asks you to "inform your doctor of any existing medical conditions and all medications or supplements you are taking." Hairsmith Clinic adds "any history of drug allergies", and Absolute Hair Clinic and Thai Hair Clinic want to hear about a recent fever or sickness.

A 2023 international expert consensus statement, written by 38 experts from 17 countries, says other health conditions should be assessed when planning surgery. A 2026 review in Frontiers in Medicine calls "screening for bleeding disorders and a detailed medication review" essential.

Blood Tests Thai Clinics Ask For

• Hairtran Clinic: its English page says an HIV test is "required before every procedure". Its Thai article adds a hepatitis test and checks of blood cells and clotting, free basic screening on the appointment day for patients who book, and no fasting for the draw. It accepts results from elsewhere if they're complete and no more than 6 months old (our translation from Thai).
• Thai Hair Clinic: "A mandatory blood test for HIV at our clinic prior to the surgery is required."
• Yanhee International Hospital: its general page lists a complete blood count and an anti-HIV test among common pre-operative tests, and says which tests you need "depends on your procedure, your age and your medical history."

Yanhee's general surgery page also lists an X-ray, electrolytes, an ultrasound and an ECG among common tests, depending on the procedure, age and medical history. Ask which tests your clinic needs and whether it accepts results from your own doctor. A list written for hair transplants comes from Venkat Center in Bangalore, India, not Thailand.

When a Clinic Won't Treat You Yet

Thai Hair Clinic's prerequisites page says conditions such as heart disease and diabetes must be well controlled first, and that it doesn't operate on patients with high blood pressure, high blood sugar or similar conditions. Hairtran's Thai article on chronic conditions says high blood pressure brought under control with medicine doesn't rule out a transplant (our translation from Thai).

Policies on infections differ too. Thai Hair Clinic says it doesn't treat patients who are HIV positive. Hairtran's English FAQ says treatment is theoretically possible if the viral load is "undetectable and non-transmissible", and its Thai article says it varies from doctor to doctor.

So ask before you book and before you pay a deposit.

Sort Out the Cause of Hair Loss First

The consensus statement above also says patients should have had adequate medical treatment for alopecia (hair loss) before a transplant. In the UK, the NHS says to "See a GP to get an idea about what's causing your hair loss before thinking about going to a commercial hair clinic."

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) says to write your questions down ahead of time, so you and the physician "have the same expectations of results." Our pages on whether you are a candidate, consultation questions, risks and infection cover the next steps.

Medicines and Supplements: What Clinics Ask You to Stop

Clinics ask you to stop some painkillers, vitamins and supplements because of bleeding. Bernstein Medical says B and E vitamins "will increase bleeding", and the Frontiers review lists NSAIDs, vitamin E, alcohol, ginkgo and ginseng among the things that "can increase bleeding risk."

The windows run from 1 week to 1 month. Each row is that clinic's own page, not a standard, and a cell that says Not stated means the page doesn't say, not that there's no restriction.

NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, as Utah Facial Plastics' sheet lists them. Beta-blockers are a group of blood-pressure medicines.

The Windows, Clinic by Clinic

The Aesthetic Society's patient page names "aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal medications that can cause increased bleeding" and gives no number of days. The consensus statement says medications that raise bleeding risk "should be withdrawn before surgery", and names no drug and no day count. So the day count comes from your clinic: ask for it in writing, with dates.

Prescribed Medicines: Don't Stop on Your Own

The table lists what clinics ask. A prescribed medicine is different: whether to pause a blood thinner or a blood-pressure medicine is for the doctor who prescribes it to decide with your surgeon.

Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration, a US clinic, tells patients not to stop prescribed medicine without discussing it with their doctor. Hairsmith's Thai page says the same about blood-thinning medicines: if you take them for a condition, ask your own doctor for permission first (our translation from Thai).

The Frontiers review says that for people on blood thinners the risks of bleeding and thrombosis (clots) "should be assessed individually to determine whether temporary discontinuation is appropriate." A 2013 review of skin surgery in general, not hair transplants, found that patients who stop their blood-thinning treatment risk "thrombotic events, which greatly outweigh any risk of bleeding from dermatologic surgery."

Absolute and DHT ask patients on a beta-blocker to tell their doctor, who changes the drug for a short time. No page we compared says what to switch to, and that's a decision for your own doctor.

Minoxidil and Finasteride

Three pages we compared give a window for pausing topical minoxidil, and all three say about a week before surgery. Minoxidil and finasteride are hair loss medicines, and most Thai pages we compared say nothing about them before surgery. Aventus says topical minoxidil is "often discontinued approximately one week before surgery because increased scalp blood flow may contribute to bleeding during the procedure."

Around surgery, finasteride is covered by three, and for different forms: Absolute says tablets can continue, Yanhee says oral finasteride is normally continued, and Utah stops topical finasteride and dutasteride. Ask your surgeon about the form you use, and see our finasteride and minoxidil page for restarting after surgery.

Painkillers Clinics Name Instead

Utah Facial Plastics' sheet says to "Use Tylenol in place of other over the counter pain relief medications as it does not have blood thinning properties." Thai Hair Clinic's step-by-step page names Tylenol for soreness in the 2 to 3 days after surgery, but no Thai page we compared names a substitute for the painkillers it asks you to stop, so ask your clinic which painkiller it allows.

Vitamin C: Two Clinics, Two Answers

Utah Facial Plastics' sheet tells patients to start vitamin C two weeks prior to surgery. Bangkok Hair Clinic's list names vitamin C among the supplements to stop. This page gives neither as advice, so ask your clinic.

If You Took One by Mistake

Tell the clinic right away. Xyon Health, a US telehealth company that sells hair-loss medicines, says the clinic "will advise whether it's safe to proceed or whether rescheduling is safer."

Smoking, Vaping, Alcohol, Tea and Coffee

Windows for nicotine and alcohol run from the day before surgery to four weeks. Each row is that clinic's own page.

Nicotine

The reason clinics give is blood flow. Bernstein says smoking "causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased blood flow to the scalp, predominantly due to its nicotine content", and Hairsmith's Thai page gives the same reason (our translation from Thai). Bernstein adds that nobody knows exactly how long to stay off it, with a common recommendation of one week before to two weeks after.

Longer windows come with outside evidence. A 2020 World Health Organization news release on surgery in general, not hair transplants, says smokers who quit "approximately 4 weeks or more before surgery have a lower risk of complication and better results 6 months afterwards." The Frontiers review lists "smoking cessation for at least 1 month before surgery" for preventing tissue death after hair transplant.

Patients quote their own clinics' windows too. One commenter was told "no nicotine for a week before and 3 weeks after" (u/flabdestroyer, 23 Feb 2023); another's surgeon asked for no alcohol or nicotine "2-3 weeks before" (u/Fresh-Pomegranate31, 16 Feb 2026). That's more spread, not a source for a window.

Alcohol

The reason is bleeding again. Hairsmith's Thai page says every kind of alcohol widens blood vessels (our translation from Thai), and the Frontiers review lists alcohol among the things that can increase bleeding risk.

Windows run from 1 to 2 days at Thai Hair Clinic to 14 days at Hairtran. Even one practice gives two answers: Utah Facial Plastics' PDF says at least 2 weeks before surgery, while its blog says one week before and one week after. Use your own clinic's current sheet, and see our alcohol after a hair transplant page for the days after.

Tea, Coffee and Breakfast on the Day

Six of the Thai clinics we compared ask for no coffee on the day, and the ones that give a reason say bleeding. Hairtran's English page says tea and coffee "can increase bleeding risk", and its Thai article asks for at least 24 hours without them (our translation from Thai).

Breakfast is where the sheets split. Absolute allows a light breakfast and Thai Hair Clinic a full one, and Hairtran's Thai pre-op article says no fasting is needed because the procedure uses local anesthetic (our translation from Thai). Yanhee International Hospital asks for "Nothing to eat or drink for six hours before you come in", so ask which rule applies to you.

Hair Length, Shaving, Dye and Washing

Some clinics want your hair long, some shave the donor area themselves, and they disagree on dyeing gray hair. Each row is that clinic's own page.

Keep It Long or Shave It

Thai Hair Clinic advises against both: "we recommend that you refrain from either having your hair cut or shaving your head prior to surgery." It says longer hair "does help somewhat to conceal the newly implanted grafts as well as any redness or swelling." Aventus says patients are "typically advised not to shave or cut their hair before surgery unless instructed by the clinic."

Who does the shaving differs. Absolute shaves the donor hair at the clinic, Hairsmith's Thai FAQ says ordinary FUE may need a palm-sized donor area cropped short, and Utah Facial Plastics asks FUE patients to shave the back and sides to zero the day before.

One patient's version: "Don't get a haircut! Let it grow out. Easier to get the donor hair." (u/nderthevolcano, 30 Aug 2024) Our pages on long hair transplants and no-shave transplants cover the alternatives, and the FUE page explains the technique.

Dyeing Gray Hair: The Pages Disagree

Absolute, Hairtran and Bernstein all say to dye before surgery. Absolute gives the reason that you shouldn't color for at least a month after, Hairtran says the surgeon needs to see gray or light hair during graft placement, and Bernstein says about three days before, with the scalp scrubbed free of dye.

Bangkok Hair Clinic's FUE page says the opposite: no curling, perming or coloring for 1 month before. Utah says dyeing isn't required. Yanhee says gray donor hair "may be dyed first" because "an unpigmented hair is hard to see and therefore hard to punch out cleanly", which reads as something the hospital does on the day.

So ask your clinic whether to color first, and how long before.

Washing: The Night Before and the Morning Of

On the morning, the sheets agree: shower and wash. The Aesthetic Society says to "Take a shower and wash your hair with regular or antibacterial soap the morning of your procedure", and Bernstein adds no sprays, gels, other styling products, cologne or perfume.

The night before, they differ. Absolute asks you to "Shampoo your hair with given antiseptic shampoo at least 5 minutes x 2 the night before the surgery", collected at the clinic the day before. DHT's Thai page asks for the clinic's antiseptic shampoo the day before too (our translation from Thai).

Absolute also asks for a 1-2% ketoconazole shampoo daily for the week before, which none of the other pages we compared asks for. The Frontiers review says no specific guidelines exist for hair transplantation here, and that antiseptic shampoo "may be considered in selected high-risk cases."

Sun, Products and Scalp Exercise

Keep your scalp out of strong sun. Aventus says "Scalp inflammation may delay surgery if the skin becomes irritated", and Bangkok Hair Clinic's DHI page says to avoid scratching the scalp or irritating products in the weeks before. Parsa Mohebi says to skip Toppik and similar hair fibers for a few days before.

The same clinic says patients having FUE don't need scalp exercise. Some strip (FUT) patients are given scalp exercises by the surgeon before the procedure. Do them only if your surgeon assigns them.

Planning the Trip to Thailand

For a trip, the questions are how long to stay, how to pay and what you need to enter the country. Each row is that clinic's own rule, not a general rule for Thailand.

Arrival and Length of Stay

Thai Hair Clinic recommends that you "stay in town at least for 1-2 days prior to your appointment" to be rested. Its FAQ gives at least 4 to 5 days in total: "Day 1 for consultation and surgery, days 2-5 for post-op checkup and hair washing."

Hairtran recommends two weeks, with a three-day minimum "provided you rest adequately before traveling home." The gap is large, so ask your clinic how many days it wants and whether you'll come back daily for a hair wash.

Payment and Deposits

Payment rules belong to the clinic. Thai Hair Clinic's payment page asks for payment in full on the day of surgery, before the service, and asks card payers to confirm with their card issuer that they have enough funds to cover the whole cost. Absolute takes Thai cash or WISE for the balance, charges 2.5% on Visa and Mastercard, and offers no financing.

Yanhee International Hospital says to "Ask for the quotation in writing and ask what it covers."

Entry Rules

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its 3 September 2026 press briefing summary that its visa exemption and visa-on-arrival schemes "apply to travel for tourism purposes only", and that foreigners entering for other purposes must refer to the relevant visa category.

Whether your trip counts as tourism is a question for your clinic and for the Thai embassy for your country. Yanhee says its international coordinator guides patients on tests, recommendation letters, visa, hotel and airport transfer before travel.

Travel Basics and Time Off

Xyon Health, a US telehealth company that sells hair-loss medicines, lists a few travel basics. Carry a printed medical summary and your medication list, know the nearest emergency department to your hotel, and confirm who provides aftercare and how fast you can reach them. It also says to avoid red-eye flights and tight itineraries, and to plan recovery days before flying home when possible.

Thai clinics put time off at 1 to 3 days (Thai Hair Clinic) or 2 to 3 days of rest (Hairsmith). Patients report longer, as the patient section below shows.

The Night Before, the Morning of and What to Bring

The checklist has the full list. These are the lines that need a reason or a warning.

The Night Before

Rest comes first. Hairsmith's Thai page asks for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep in the day or two before, so the body is refreshed and blood pressure stays normal (our translation from Thai), and Utah Facial Plastics asks you to skip exercise the night before and the morning of, to avoid excessive bleeding. Absolute's day-before list adds: confirm your appointment, pick up the antiseptic shampoo, clear the payment.

The Morning Of

Take your regular medicines unless told otherwise. Absolute says "Continue your regular medicines unless the doctor told you to stop taking them", and Bernstein says other prescriptions, heart and blood-pressure medicine included, are taken as prescribed through the day of the procedure.

Absolute asks for a front button-down shirt and comfortable pants, and no tight hat or cap; it provides a bandanna. Hairsmith recommends a button-up or dark wide-necked shirt so nothing touches the surgical site when you dress.

What to Bring and How Long the Day Is

Yanhee asks you to bring your passport or a valid photo ID. Xyon's day-of list adds payment details, your medication list, headphones, a charger, an entertainment plan, a gentle shampoo as advised and a snack. Absolute and Bernstein both say to leave valuables at home.

The neck pillow is disputed. Absolute says "Bring a neck pillow with you", while patients disagree about whether it helps on the day or only afterwards.

The Aesthetic Society says a transplant "can take anywhere from two to eight hours depending on how much hair is being transferred and the procedure method." The ISHRS patient brochure says 3 to 8 hours, usually under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Plan for a long day. The duration varies by case, so ask the clinic how long yours is likely to take.

Set Up the First Days Before You Go

Arrange these before you leave home or in your first days at the hotel. What to do after surgery is on our aftercare page and our recovery timeline.

A Driver and Someone to Stay

Two Thai clinics require a ride. Absolute says to arrange someone to take you to and from the clinic "because you have to take oral sedation in addition to local anesthetics", and Thai Hair Clinic says "You must have someone drive you home after your transplant due to the relaxing medication that you will receive."

Hairsmith says the opposite: because hair transplantation is a minor procedure, "you can come alone and leave alone on the day of the transplant." The Aesthetic Society recommends that someone drives you home and stays with you at least the first night.

One commenter described being sedated and "knocked out for the better part of the day" (u/rotmoset, 4 Aug 2024). When in doubt, plan for someone to be with you.

Sleeping Semi-Upright

Sources give different angles and lengths, so ask how many nights your clinic wants. The ISHRS brochure says patients may be asked to sleep semi-upright for 2 to 3 days to minimize swelling and bruising. DHI Thailand says head elevated 30 to 45 degrees for the first 2 to 3 nights, and Bangkok Hair Clinic says a high pillow or two pillows for at least 1 week.

Utah Facial Plastics says 30 to 45 degrees, not on your side, for 2 to 3 weeks or until swelling has subsided. The Frontiers review gives 20 to 30 degrees in the first postoperative days. DHI Thailand's sleeping article says a neck pillow "keeps the head stable in one position and reduces the chance of tilting toward the transplanted area."

Headband, Hat and Car Doors

Bangkok Hair Clinic says to wear the headband it gives you for 4 to 7 days to prevent facial swelling. Thai Hair Clinic says a headband for 5 to 7 days for forehead swelling, and that a bandana or loose-fitting hat can be worn after. So ask what your clinic gives you and what it allows.

Thai Hair Clinic also says: "Take special care not to hit your head. This often occurs while you are getting into a car."

Meals and the Donor Area

Aventus says to "prepare easy meals for the first few days." Thai Hair Clinic says no exercise for 3 to 5 days and no swimming for 2 weeks after surgery.

The ISHRS brochure says most patients feel some tightness in the donor area for 1 to 2 days. Our donor area page covers healing there.

What Patients Say They Wish They Had Known

These are patient comments from r/HairTransplants and r/Hairtransplant. They're unverified, and where a thread names a country it's Turkey or Greece; many comments name none. None is about Thailand, so treat them as practical tips, not as facts about any Thai clinic.

• Shirts. "Wear a buttoned shirt, not a normal t-shirt." (u/hairthrowawayuk, 4 Aug 2024) Another commenter: "Buy more than one. You'll need them for the first 7-10 days" (u/oaklandRE, 4 Aug 2024).
• Pillows. One patient says a neck pillow is "not necessary to bring to the surgery" because "they have a comfy headrest thing", but "sleeping at the hotel is hard" (u/hairtodaygonetmrw82, 5 Aug 2024). Another had "better sleep success stacking pillows to keep me upright than with using a travel pillow" (u/Exotic_Eye_7956, 12 Nov 2025).
• Head bumps. "As soon as you see the car arriving, think: don't bump head." (a commenter, 4 Aug 2024)
• A pillowcase. "I did still have a lot of discharge though and ruined a pillow so kinda be aware of that." (u/GerDeathstar, 12 Dec 2023) The thread's starter, who was still preparing for surgery, put a "dark pillow sheet for blood" on their draft list of things to bring (u/Pero2022, 22 Feb 2023).
• Time off: One patient took "a week off work to recover" and "swelled up like crazy" (u/Exotic_Eye_7956, 12 Nov 2025). Another had "10 days off from work" and called it "the bare minimum" (u/Jollyfeck, 12 Nov 2025). A desk worker wrote "I could've gone to work the same day as the surgery if I would've wanted" (u/C981, 26 Jun 2024).
• Hours to fill. "You will likely spend many hours alone in a hotel room so audiobooks, movies on iPad, book, etc. are a great idea." (u/PsychologicalReply99, 12 Nov 2025) In a later reply (12 Nov 2025), the same commenter was face down for the harvesting with no headphones, then "put in headphones and listened to an audio book during the implantation."
• Numbing. "The extraction pain can suck so don't be afraid to ask for more numbing injections if needed." (u/baldymcbaldyface, 4 Aug 2024)
• The hairline. One commenter's advice is to "spend some time really looking at the hairline design they give you, because once they start it's off to the races." (u/hairtodaygonetmrw82, 5 Aug 2024) Another: "Agree on the hairline and overall plan with your doctor at least a day before the surgery, if not longer." (u/AppleIcy9821, 26 Jun 2024) Our hairline transplant page covers design.
• Shock loss. "You will probably look worse than you did before a surgery for a few months- get ready for that." (u/crossfitsz, 4 Aug 2024) See our shock loss page.
• Rest first. "It's important to be rested prior to the procedure and the procedure itself was exhausting for me." (u/PsychologicalReply99, 12 Nov 2025)
• Ask the clinic. One commenter advised asking the clinic for help and tips after surgery "not Reddit because Reddit oftentimes will give you too much information when you just need the most critical information at the moment." (u/GabrilliusMordechai, 4 Aug 2024)

Questions to Ask Your Clinic Before You Pay

These questions come from the points where the pages above disagree. They're our judgment, not a clinic's list. Our consultation questions page has the questions for the surgeon and the price.

• Which painkillers, vitamins and supplements do I stop, and from which day? (Clinic pages range from 1 week to 1 month.)
• Do I pause minoxidil, and do I keep taking finasteride? (Only some pages say.)
• Do I take my regular medicines on the day? (Several pages say yes unless told otherwise.)
• May I eat or drink on the morning of the procedure? (Most pages allow breakfast; one hospital asks for nothing for six hours.)
• From which date do I stop smoking, vaping and alcohol? (Windows range from the day before to 4 weeks.)
• Do you want my hair long, trimmed or shaved, and do I color gray hair first? (Pages disagree on dye.)
• Which blood tests, how old can results be, and do you screen on the day? (Only Hairtran's Thai page gives an age limit, 6 months.)
• Do I need a driver or a companion, and for how many nights should someone stay? (Two Thai clinics require a driver; one says patients can come alone.)
• Do I bring a neck pillow, and what do you supply, such as shampoo, headband or bandana? (Absolute says bring one; one patient says it isn't needed on the day.)
• How early do I arrive, how many days do I stay, and are there daily hair-wash visits? (Stay lengths on the pages we compared run from 48 hours after surgery to 2 weeks.)
• What are the payment rules: deposit date, balance, accepted cards or cash? (Absolute and Thai Hair Clinic differ on what they accept.)
• What's your policy if I have a health condition, such as HIV or high blood pressure? (Clinic policies differ.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to shave my head before a hair transplant?

It depends on the clinic, so ask before you cut anything. Thai Hair Clinic advises against a haircut or shaving beforehand, Absolute shaves the donor hair at the clinic, and a US practice, Utah Facial Plastics, asks FUE patients to shave the back and sides to zero the day before. Our long hair transplant page covers the no-shave option.

Which medicines and supplements do I stop before a hair transplant, and when?

Clinic pages ask you to stop aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, vitamin E, fish oil and herbal supplements such as ginkgo, garlic and ginger. The windows run from 1 week to 1 month before, depending on the clinic. Ask for your clinic's dated list.

Can I stop my prescribed blood thinner or blood-pressure medicine on my own?

No. Whether to pause a prescribed medicine is for the doctor who prescribes it to decide with your surgeon, and Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration tells patients not to stop prescribed medicine without discussing it with their doctor. Tell your clinic about every medicine when you book, and see our risks page for what can go wrong.

Should I stop minoxidil or finasteride before a hair transplant?

The pages that give a window agree on topical minoxidil, about a week before. On finasteride the pages cover different forms: Absolute says tablets can continue, Yanhee says oral finasteride is normally continued, and Utah Facial Plastics stops topical finasteride and dutasteride a week before. Ask your clinic, and see our finasteride and minoxidil page for timing after surgery.

Do I need blood tests before a hair transplant in Thailand?

Two Thai clinics we compared say yes: Thai Hair Clinic and Hairtran both require an HIV test, and Hairtran's Thai article adds hepatitis and checks of blood count and clotting. Hairtran accepts outside results no more than 6 months old. Ask which tests your clinic needs, and see our candidate page for who suits surgery.

Can I eat breakfast and drink coffee on the day?

Five of the Thai clinics we compared allow breakfast and ask for no coffee, and Hairtran's Thai pre-op article says no fasting is needed. Yanhee International Hospital asks for nothing to eat or drink for six hours before you come in. Ask your clinic, and see our alcohol and food page for the days after.

How many days should I plan to stay in Thailand?

Thai Hair Clinic recommends at least 4 to 5 days, and Hairtran recommends two weeks with a three-day minimum if you rest well before traveling home. Ask your clinic how many days it wants and whether it has daily hair-wash visits. Our recovery timeline shows the weeks after surgery.

Do I need someone with me, and can I drive myself home?

Plan for someone to be with you. Absolute and Thai Hair Clinic both give a sedative by mouth and require a ride, the Aesthetic Society adds someone to stay the first night, and Hairsmith says patients can come and leave alone. Our aftercare page covers the first days.

How We Put This Page Together

We compared the pre-op instructions that Thai clinics and hospitals publish on their own sites, read on 9 and 10 October 2026, with patient pages from professional societies, a few clinics outside Thailand and peer-reviewed reviews. Nobody at AsiaPatient has had hair transplant surgery at these clinics or visited them.

The windows in the tables are what each page publishes, not a standard. We translated the Thai-language pages ourselves. Patient quotes are unverified Reddit comments, mostly from patients treated outside Thailand.

This page is general information, not medical advice, and your own surgeon decides. See our editorial policy and how we evaluate clinics.

Next Step

If you want quotes from Thai clinics, tell us your hair loss stage and your goals and get a free quote from the clinics that fit your case. Take the questions above to every consultation, and keep this checklist for the rest of the process.