Disclosing all medications you take — including supplements, herbal remedies, and over-the-counter products — to your surgeon before a hair transplant is not optional. Several commonly used medications have direct implications for surgical safety, bleeding risk, and recovery, and failing to mention them can cause preventable complications.
Blood-thinning medications are the most immediately relevant. Aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel, rivaroxaban, and similar anticoagulants significantly increase bleeding during extraction and implantation, making the procedure more difficult and recovery more complicated. These medications should be discussed with both your GP and your hair transplant surgeon before your procedure — stopping them requires medical guidance, particularly if they are prescribed for a serious cardiac or thrombotic condition.
SSRIs and other antidepressants can affect bleeding time and may interact with the sedative medications sometimes used for comfort during the procedure. Do not stop antidepressants without medical guidance — instead, ensure your surgeon is aware of them.
Finasteride and dutasteride should typically be continued if you are already taking them. Some surgeons pause them briefly around the procedure date, but this is a matter of clinical preference and should be explicitly discussed rather than assumed.
Minoxidil — as noted elsewhere — should be paused one week before surgery due to its vasodilatory effect, which increases scalp bleeding during the procedure.
Supplements — including fish oil, vitamin E, and herbal products such as ginkgo biloba — have blood-thinning properties and should generally be paused two weeks before surgery. Always disclose the full list rather than assuming supplements are irrelevant.
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