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Seoul Hair Loss

Hair loss in men and women, explained for visitors to Seoul

Pathway

Hair loss treatment on a short trip to Seoul

A short trip can allow an initial assessment and, when the diagnosis is clear, a prescription or a first scalp procedure. Some test results and treatment decisions take longer. The months of treatment that follow happen at home. Book the consultation early in the trip, bring your history and photos, and leave with written results, a prescription record and a follow-up plan.

A path through green hills toward Seoul, with N Seoul Tower on Namsan and granite peaks behind the city

Written by the Seoul Hair Loss editorial team and medically reviewed by a Korean Board-Certified Dermatologist (AAD International Fellow · ASLMS member). Last reviewed: .

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What can be done in two to five days?

A sample plan for a short stay

When

First full day

What can happen
Consultation, trichoscopy, photos and any blood tests
Why it is placed here
Leaves time for test results to come back before you fly
When

Day two

What can happen
Results that are ready, diagnosis and, when it is clear, a prescription or first scalp procedure
Why it is placed here
Leaves time to follow the aftercare advice before the flight
When

Middle of the trip

What can happen
Pharmacy, rest, sightseeing
Why it is placed here
Avoid saunas and hard exercise on procedure day
When

Before you fly

What can happen
Written summary, copies of prescriptions and photos
Why it is placed here
Your doctor at home can continue the same plan
A short sand-coloured path of four stepping stones leading into a long green line that stretches across the frame
A short trip covers diagnosis and the start of treatment; the months that follow happen at home.

What should I bring to a hair loss consultation in Seoul?

  • A list of all your medicines and supplements, with generic names and strengths.
  • Past hair loss treatments: what, for how long, and what changed.
  • Photos of your hair from earlier years, if you have them.
  • Recent blood test results, especially iron (ferritin) and thyroid tests.
  • For women: details of periods, pregnancy plans and recent childbirth.
  • Your questions, written down, with space for the answers.

If you are more comfortable in Japanese or another language, ask when you book whether an interpreter or a staff member who speaks it will be present. The Korean and Japanese terms in hair loss diagnosis at a Seoul clinic help with forms and pharmacy labels.

Can I start medicines in Seoul and continue them at home?

Often, once the diagnosis is clear; for pattern hair loss, medicines are usually the main part of the plan. They need months: trials of finasteride and dutasteride measured results at 24 weeks to two years[1][2]. Ask the doctor how many weeks of supply to take home and how to get a repeat prescription where you live.

Every country sets its own limits on medicines that travellers bring in. For Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare allows up to one month’s supply of prescription medicine for personal use; a larger amount needs an Import Confirmation, which must be received before leaving home (MHLW guidance, checked 2026-10-18). Carry medicines in their original packs with a copy of the prescription.

Is a scalp PRP session worth doing on a short trip?

It depends on what happens next. The trials behind scalp PRP measured hair density after a course of treatment, at three and six months[3]. A single session during a trip makes sense if you can return for the next sessions or continue the course at home. If neither is likely, the budget may do more for you as medicines and follow-up. The evidence for each option is summarised in in-clinic treatments.

Before booking a scalp procedure, confirm its aftercare requirements and how long the clinic wants you to stay nearby before flying. Tenderness and small marks after scalp injections usually settle within a few days.

How does follow-up work after I leave Seoul?

  1. Before leaving, agree on review dates, usually around three and six months.
  2. Take photos of the crown, the parting and the front at each review, in the same light and from the same angles.
  3. Send the photos and any side effects to the clinic, or take them to your doctor at home.
  4. Use the written summary so that any doctor can continue or adjust the plan.
Three evenly spaced green circles linked by a thin sand-coloured line, standing for review points after a trip
Photos at regular review points, taken the same way, make follow-up from abroad useful.

Hair sheds more in late summer and autumn, so keep the season in mind when you compare photos; see autumn hair shedding.

Which questions should I ask before I leave Seoul?

  1. What is my diagnosis, and can I have it in writing?

    Why it matters.
    A doctor at home needs the diagnosis, the test results and the plan to continue your treatment safely.
    What a good answer includes.
    A short written summary in English with the type of hair loss, the findings, the medicines and the review dates.
    Treat with caution.
    A plan that names products and packages but not the diagnosis they treat.

  2. When can I judge whether the treatment is working?

    Why it matters.
    Hair grows slowly, and stopping too early wastes the months already spent.
    What a good answer includes.
    A clear review point, usually around six months, and a description of what counts as a good response.
    Treat with caution.
    A promise of visible change within a few weeks.

  3. Who do I contact about side effects after I fly home?

    Why it matters.
    Some side effects of hair loss medicines appear weeks after starting.
    What a good answer includes.
    A named contact channel at the clinic and advice on when to see a local doctor instead.
    Treat with caution.
    No follow-up route once you have left the country.

What are the limits of treatment on a short trip?

  • A scalp biopsy result usually arrives after you have left, so agree how it will be explained.
  • Alopecia areata and scarring alopecia need regular reviews, which work better with a doctor near home.
  • Side effects of a new medicine may appear weeks later, so you need someone to contact.
  • A course of procedures cannot be compressed into one week.

Can I start with an online consultation before I fly?

Photos and your history can help a clinic plan the visit, but the diagnosis needs an examination and trichoscopy in person.

Can I wash my hair after scalp PRP?

Clinics commonly advise waiting until the next day. Follow the instructions you are given on the day.

Do I need a Korean phone number to book?

Not usually. Clinics that see foreign patients often take bookings by email or messaging apps; ask which channel they answer fastest.

References

Bibliographic records retrieved from PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).

Can I start medicines in Seoul and continue them at home?

  1. Kaufman KD, Olsen EA, Whiting D, et al. Finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;39(4 Pt 1):578-89. PubMed: 9777765
  2. Gubelin Harcha W, Barboza Martínez J, Tsai TF, et al. A randomized, active- and placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of different doses of dutasteride versus placebo and finasteride in the treatment of male subjects with androgenetic alopecia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(3):489-498.e3. PubMed: 24411083

Is a scalp PRP session worth doing on a short trip?

  1. Zhang X, Ji Y, Zhou M, et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Cutan Med Surg. 2023;27(5):504-508. PubMed: 37533146