Packing for a treatment trip is packing for a short holiday plus four documents and a handful of things that make the recovery days bearable.
The documents, which matter most
- Your written treatment plan and quote, printed. Not a screenshot in a chat thread.
- A list of every medication you take, with doses, and any allergies. Generic names, not brand names — brands differ between countries.
- Any recent X-rays or CBCT scans on a USB stick as well as by email.
- Travel insurance details, and the number to call on them.
For dental treatment
- Soft food you actually like. Hotel breakfasts are bread. Bring what you would want to eat when chewing is unappealing.
- A travel pillow — useful for propping yourself up in bed, not just on the plane.
- Lip balm. Retractors dry your lips out badly over a long appointment.
- Any nightguard or retainer you already wear.
- Paracetamol you recognise, even though the clinic will supply medication.
For a hair transplant
- Button-up or zip tops only. Nothing you have to pull over your head, for at least ten days.
- A loose hat for the flight home — the clinic usually provides one, but bring a spare that does not grip.
- A neck pillow, so you can sleep upright without touching the back of your head to anything.
- A dark towel for the first night or two.
Practical Istanbul
- A Type F plug adapter — Turkey uses the European two-pin.
- Some Turkish lira for taxis and small purchases; cards work almost everywhere else.
- An eSIM or a roaming plan, because everything is coordinated on WhatsApp.
- Clothing for the weather you are actually getting. Istanbul is cold and wet from December to March and genuinely hot in July and August.
- Comfortable shoes, and modest cover for shoulders and knees if you plan to visit mosques.
What to leave at home
Ambitious plans. People book a treatment week and a sightseeing week in the same five days and then spend day three swollen in a hotel room feeling they are wasting the trip. Plan the treatment, and treat anything else as a bonus if you feel like it.
