You have booked the flight, found the hotel, and picked a treatment you have been reading about for months. Then the intake form at the clinic asks a question you did not expect: what medications and supplements are you taking right now? If your first thought is “just a daily vitamin, nothing important,” this post is for you. That short list is often one of the most useful things you can hand a clinic before a procedure. This post covers why the question gets asked, which items matter most, and how to prepare an honest list before you leave home.
One thing first, because it matters more than anything else here: never stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own because of a cosmetic appointment. If a clinic suggests a change, the decision belongs to the doctor who prescribed it. Everything below is about telling the clinic what you take, not about deciding what to stop.
Why a skin clinic cares about what is in your bathroom cabinet
Many aesthetic treatments involve a needle, heat, or controlled injury to the skin. Fillers, skin boosters, botox, lasers, microneedling and peels all work this way to some degree. What you take every day can affect how your skin and blood vessels respond, how much you bruise, how your skin heals, and how sensitive it is to light and heat.
None of this means a medication automatically rules you out. More often it changes the plan: a different treatment, a different setting, or a different time. A clinic can only adjust for what it knows about. When a doctor plans your treatment, your medication list is part of the picture alongside your skin, your goals and your schedule.
There is also a practical reason for international visitors. Brand names differ between countries, so a pill you know by one name at home may be sold under a different name in Korea. A clear list with the active ingredient, written down, saves time and avoids confusion during consultation, especially when you are working through an interpreter or switching between languages.
The items clinics most often ask about
Every clinic and every treatment is different, and this is not a complete medical list. These are the categories that tend to come up most often, and why.
Blood thinners and antiplatelet medicines. This includes prescription anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, and low-dose aspirin taken for heart health. These medicines exist for serious reasons, and for injectable treatments they can mean more bruising or bleeding at the injection points. This is the clearest example of why you should never quietly skip a dose before an appointment. Stopping them on your own can carry real risk. Tell the clinic you take them, and if any change is ever discussed, it is a conversation for your prescribing doctor.
Over-the-counter painkillers. Many people do not think of ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin as “medication” because they are so common. Some of these can affect bleeding and bruising, so mention them, including how recently you took one. Jet lag headaches on day one of a trip are a very normal reason to reach for a painkiller, so it is worth noting if you took something on the plane or the night before.
Fish oil, vitamin E and other supplements. Supplements are the most commonly forgotten category. Fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, garlic extracts, turmeric and similar products are often mentioned in relation to bruising. Evidence varies by product and dose, and many people take them without any issue, but the clinic should still know. List anything you take regularly, including powders, gummies and “natural” products.
Acne medication, oral and topical. If you take, or recently took, oral isotretinoin, tell the clinic and say when you finished. Clinics often take this into account when considering lasers, peels or other resurfacing treatments, because it can affect how skin heals. Prescription retinoid creams, exfoliating acids and other strong topicals matter too, especially before treatments that work on the skin surface. Mention the product name and how often you use it.
Recent antibiotics. A course of antibiotics in the last few weeks is worth mentioning for two reasons. Some antibiotics can make skin more sensitive to light, which matters for laser and light-based treatments. And a recent course may mean there was an infection, which is useful context when skin is about to be treated. Say what it was for and when you finished it.
A history of cold sores. This is not a medication, but it belongs on the list. If you get cold sores, tell the clinic before any treatment around the mouth or lips. At MIO, our signature Rejuran Lips program works on exactly that area, and a history of cold sores is the kind of detail a doctor will want to hear about before planning anything near the lips. Some people with frequent cold sores take antiviral medicine, which should also be on your list.
Everything else. Hormonal medicines, thyroid medication, blood pressure tablets, allergy medicines, sleep aids and anything for a chronic condition should be included. You do not need to judge what is relevant. That is the clinic’s job. If you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding, say so as well, as this changes what many clinics will offer.
How to prepare an honest list before you fly
The easiest moment to write your list is at home, a week or so before you travel, standing in front of the cabinet where you keep everything. Doing it from memory at a reception desk after a long flight is where things get missed.
For each item, write down:
The name and the active ingredient. Brand names travel badly, active ingredients travel well. If you are unsure, the ingredient is usually printed on the box or the pharmacy label.
The dose and how often you take it. “Once a day, morning” is plenty.
Why you take it. One or two words is enough, such as “heart,” “thyroid” or “acne.”
When you last took it, and for anything you have stopped recently, when you stopped.
A photo of each package or pharmacy label on your phone is a good backup. It is quick to take and removes guesswork about spelling. Keep the list in your phone notes and on paper, so you can hand it over even if your battery is low after a day of sightseeing.
Be honest, including about the things that feel minor or slightly embarrassing. Clinics are not there to judge an occasional sleeping pill or a supplement you bought on impulse. They want the full picture because a surprise is far harder to plan around than a known fact. If you are not sure whether something counts, include it.
If you take prescription medicine, it is worth a short conversation with your own doctor before the trip. You can tell them what treatment you are considering and ask whether there is anything you should be aware of. If they suggest any change, follow their instructions, and pass that information on to the clinic. What you should not do is pause a prescription because a friend, a forum, or a blog post (including this one) said it might cause bruising.
What happens with your list at the clinic
At MIO, your list is read alongside the rest of your consultation. The clinic plans every treatment after looking closely at your individual skin and facial structure, and it describes using detailed photography and AI-assisted facial analysis to support the doctor’s judgment, not replace it. Your medications and supplements are part of that same picture. Our doctors are experienced clinicians, each with their own main areas of focus, and the goal of the conversation is a plan that suits you, not a longer list of procedures.
Depending on what you take, a few things can happen. The doctor may simply note it and go ahead as planned. They may suggest a different treatment that fits better, or adjust the approach. Sometimes the honest answer is that a particular treatment is better done on a later trip, for example if you recently finished a course of a medicine that affects healing. MIO’s philosophy is to avoid unnecessary treatments and avoid pressured selling, so you should never feel rushed into a decision because you only have a few days in Seoul.
If English is your first language, an English-speaking interpreter is available at the clinic, and having your list written down makes that conversation smoother for everyone. Bring questions too. It is completely reasonable to ask how your medication might affect bruising or recovery for the treatment you are considering, and how that fits around your flight home.
A short, honest list takes ten minutes to write. It helps the clinic plan around you instead of around guesses, and it keeps the important medical decisions where they belong: with you and the doctor who knows your health best. Put it in your phone tonight, next to your passport scan, and you will have one less thing to think about when you arrive in Gangnam.
Book at MIO Clinic, Gangnam
Seoul Skin Notes is the official English journal of MIO Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul.
Thinking about a treatment in Seoul? The MIO Clinic team handles consultations and bookings in English over WhatsApp — tell them what you are considering and they will walk you through your options.
MIO Clinic
2-3F, FINE TOWER, 372 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Gangnam Station, Exit 4 — 3-minute walk
Hours: Mon & Fri 10:00–21:00 · Tue–Thu & Sat 10:00–19:00 · Sun closed
Web: mioclinic.kr/en · Instagram: @mioclinic_global · Google Maps