Travel Tips.

[bonkling]

Hey gang,

I've seen a couple of posts/comments recently, discussing travel and the best way to proceed post and pre-surgery.

Feel like it would be a good idea to get some tips for everyone to use.

Specifically, tips regarding:

How early you flew out; how close you stayed to the clinic; tips for when going through airports, the flights, and security; how many days should you set aside post surgery.

Keen to hear any experiences.

[LaserCap]

Work closely with the office staff.  Try to always speak with the same person.  They know the area and can suggest a hotel near by. 

I would arrive late afternoon the day before.  If you are renting a car, I would suggest you drive to the office to make sure you know where it is.  (Phones now are of great assistance for this - so it's not much of an issue).  This is important as you want to get there on time.  Arriving late is always an issue. Many things need to happen before procedure.  (Collection of money, meeting with the doctor to design the hairline, etc). 

Travel light.  The last thing you want to have to deal with is luggage.

Sometime during the day ask the doctor if they can give you extra pain medication for you to take with you.  If you do run out, and are still uncomfortable, you don't want to be in a situation that will require for you to go see another doctor, get a prescription and wait in line at the pharmacy.

The post op kit can vary per clinic. Some are big and bulky. If so, check in your bag otherwise TSA will take it.

At the airport, when you first go to the counter, tell the agent you had surgery.  (You'll have a cap at this point).  Tell her your level of discomfort and request early boarding. It will be nice .

Make sure your phone is always charged.  If you run into issues you can always call.

Lastly, travel with a neck pillow.  This will help avoid having the back of the head touch the donor.  This area will be sensitive.

Can't think of anything else.....

[Lennney]

9 hours ago, bonkling said:

 

Specifically, tips regarding:

How early you flew out; how close you stayed to the clinic; tips for when going through airports, the flights, and security; how many days should you set aside post surgery.

BTW, neck pillow is mandatory.

I flew on cheapest flight, so arrival time was a little wacky. But I think you're talking about how early with regard to the procedure. I think many clinics see the patient the day before the operation, to handle paperwork and tests as well as consultation on the hairline. I would arrive as late as as, say 9pm the day before consultation. So if your consultation is at 12pm on the 5th, and surgery is 8am on the 6th, I would arrive as late as 9pm on the 4th.

You don't really need to do a whole lot during the pre surgery day, so it's essentially a rest day anyway. 

I wrote about my flight experience in my first post ever, but the long story short is: I had a not great itinerary, and I survived. I had 30 hours of travel about 72 hours post op. It's about as bad as it gets. But the only thing I had was swelling. I didn't have an issue with my head (only had medical cap, no bandage). I didn't have an issue with questions from security. I didn't have issues when I was at full swell mode in renting a car. So yeah, no issues with travel.

I think 3 days post op is about as early as I'd reasonably want to travel. If you only have 12 hours or less of travel, I'd say fuck it and travel 2 days post op.

 

Tips:

1. When you travel, you want to travel light... But, don't forget you'll get a bunch of post op care stuff. (Know that many medicines can be brought on plane with your documentation and notification of the travel clerk. I think it needs to be clearly stated in your post op care.)

A. Option 1, bring luggage you can check. You'll have no issues with the saline solution, lotions, and anything else. ( I also bought more medicine and put it into my luggage, since it's less expensive in India, and USA medicine cost is literal garbage.)

B. Option two is bring enough mini containers (you may not need to use them) to split the crucial medicines, and forgo the large saline solutions. You can easily buy saline in your home country for much less than the headache of checking luggage. I would buy the saline ahead of time to maximize convenience.

2. Regardless of the length of stay, book a nice hotel... Obviously. But what makes a hotel nice isn't just the room, it's also the food!!! Be sure to get a recommendation from your clinic as to where to stay, but also do research. Investigate their menu, and see what people say about it. Find out if there are restaurants within 5 minutes walking distance. I walked and did some take out during my post op. You won't want to hang out outside, but it's not that you can't... You're not a cripple afterwards. Take note of the food.

3. Travel and sightsee before hand. If you can't, it is what it is. I would still try as hard as you can to get time off from your home commitments. If you have paid time off, use it. If you don't, see if your work will allow unpaid time off. You may never come back to wherever you're going. Your travel will be nearly as memorable as the HT. You'll already commit a sizable amount to the flights, so it's only a little more per day to tour a country and experience their culture. 

 

Everything else regarding travel advice is county specific, so you'll have to ask more specific questions. 

[paddyirishman]

Lenney and Lasercap thats 2 great posts. Great tips and advice. Its good to know that airport security will allow you through with the saline spray with appropriate documentation from the clinic.

It would be good to have an outside aisle seat to get in and out to the bathroom easily to use the saline spray.

What kind of cap is provided? Can it be worn outside in windy and wet conditions or is it just to cover the bad look of the HT ?

..........Paddy.......

 

[Lennney]

This is the cap I got. I wore it in light rain, and windy conditions. You tie it around your head, not the hair or hairline. It does tie somewhat on the donor, but depending on how tight you tie it. Don't tie it snug. You only tie it so it doesn't fly off, there is literally no pressure on your head if you tie it appropriately. I tied it very lightly when it was windy, and had no issues. I also wore it for like 3 weeks. I washed it of course, but I did wear it everywhere I went outside my home. I had profound redness, and it helped me not draw attention. I transitioned to a conventional cap afterwards.

[paddyirishman]

Thanks LENNEY  for your information and tips and of course the picture you provided. So this is the famous HT cap that is worn 😃😃😃 Very interesting. 

That cap would sure hide any awkward questions about redness or whatever.  Thanks again Lenney very good of you to post the picture. I must look up your HT journey.

......all the best.....

.........Paddy.......

[Lennney]

I said it in one of my posts of my experience early on:

Tell people: I recently had a medical procedure on my head which needs to heal. I must wear this cap.

This is factually correct, answers the question, and brings medical procedure into the conversation, which usually gets people to mind their business. Most people don't talk about money or medical issues of others. 

 

I thought the pic would help more than a description. I knew nothing about HTs, and this forum provided me information which helped me make an informed decision. I am happy to post nearly whatever, in hope it helps alleviate anxiety. I think (some sizable portion of) self worth is tied to appearance. Fixing an issue we otherwise couldn't address is more important than the stigma of male cosmetic surgery, so I help here, and in about 7 months, will feel comfortable helping others I encounter in daily life.