The days before an eyebrow transplant

At the consultation, and before the date is fixed, I need to know about:

• Every medicine you take regularly — prescribed or over the counter — and the doses.
• Anything that thins the blood: aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers, fish oil and omega fatty-acid supplements, vitamin E, and herbal products such as garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng and St John’s wort.
• An ongoing health condition: diabetes, blood pressure, heart, thyroid, epilepsy; a bleeding or wound-healing problem; a tendency to keloid scars.
• Known allergies — especially to local anaesthetics, antibiotics, latex and adhesive dressings.
• A possible pregnancy, or breastfeeding.
• Anything done to the brow area before: microblading, permanent make-up, tattooing, laser, an earlier transplant.
• Treatments that affect how skin heals — oral retinoids for acne, for example — and when they ended. A course of oral isotretinoin must have ended at least 1 month before the procedure day.
• Smoking, vaping and nicotine products, and how much you drink. Nothing to be embarrassed about; I need to know because they affect bleeding and healing.
• Whether you use a brow serum, minoxidil or any other product meant to encourage hair growth.

These are the windows I ask of everyone. The written list repeats them against your date and adds anything specific to you:

• Stop grooming your brows 1–3 days before the procedure day: no tweezing, waxing, threading, tinting, henna or brow-shaping products. I need to see the natural direction of growth and the hairs you already have; I design your shape around them.
• Have nothing new done to the brow area: no microblading, permanent make-up, laser, peels or strong acid treatments. Anything done more than 3–4 weeks ago is not a problem; if it is more recent, write to me.
• Stop brow serums and hair-growth products such as minoxidil 1–3 days before the procedure day; they can increase bleeding during the procedure.
• Stop blood-thinning supplements (fish oil, omega, vitamin E, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, St John’s wort) 1–3 days before the procedure day, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) 1–2 days before. If any of these was prescribed to you, only with the approval of the service that looks after your health. Paracetamol can be used for pain if needed.
• From 3–5 days before the procedure day, stay out of the sun and tanning beds. I would rather not place grafts into burnt or irritated skin, and I may have to move the date.
• Stop alcohol completely 1–2 days before the procedure day. Pause smoking, vaping and nicotine products at least 12 hours before.
• No heavy exercise or sweaty training from the day before.
• Do not start a new supplement, diet or herbal product.

• Go to bed early. Arriving rested makes the day easier.
• Drink water throughout the day.
• No alcohol; and from the evening, no smoking or nicotine.
• In the evening, wash your hair and face with your usual shampoo and cleanser; no gel, spray, hair dye or brow tint.
• The time and the address are in the written list. Plan how you will get there, and back, the day before.

• Have a light but proper breakfast. Do not arrive hungry.
• No coffee, tea, energy drinks or other caffeinated drinks.
• No make-up on your face; no pencil, gel or tint on your brows; no heavy cream, oil or sunscreen on your skin. Arrive with a clean face and nothing on it.
• Take the regular medicines we agreed you continue, at their usual time.
• Wear a comfortable top that buttons or zips at the front, so nothing has to go over your head at the end of the day.
• No jewellery or hair clips. If you wear contact lenses, come in your glasses that day.
• A medicine to help you relax during the procedure is sometimes planned, and it is part of the package; if it is, we agree it in advance and you do not drive that day. Arrange a lift or a taxi for the way back.

• Your ID or passport.
• A list of the medicines you take and, if you have one, the written note from the service that looks after your health.
• Your glasses, if you wear lenses.
• A few photographs of brow shapes you like. They are not a promise; they are a starting point for the conversation, and we draw the shape together around the proportions of your face.
• Headphones, a charger and a light snack for a long day.
• If you are travelling from another city or abroad, having someone with you for the way back is not required, but most people prefer it.

• A fever, flu or an ongoing infection.
• A cold sore on the face; spots, eczema or an open wound around the brows.
• A medicine or treatment you have just started.
• Finding out that you are pregnant.
• A recent sunburn, or a cosmetic treatment on your face in the past few days.
• Simply not feeling well. Postponing is never the wrong decision.