Pre-operative Hair Removal: A Literature Review

Abstract

In pre-operative preparation, has traditionally included the routine removal of body hair from the surgical site. However, there are many studies suggesting not to shaving the incision site. The objective of this review was to determine if shaving compared to non-shaving the surgical site will result in reduced level of infection. Fifteen studies were included in this review; three of them are systematic review. There is inconclusive evidence that hair removal has effects on surgical site infection (SSI). However, there was some evidence that hair removal by clipper and depilation cream was superior to shaving.