Guidelines: Clipping not shaving intervention guidelines

This document has been produced to encourage health care professionals to clip, not shave, hair prior to surgery to improve the safety and quality of care that patients receive. Clipping not shaving is the third in a series of SSI Improvement Programme intervention guidelines.

Studies have shown that preoperative hair removal by any means is associated with increased SSI rates (CDC 1999). Hair should not be removed unless it interferes with the operation. If removal is necessary, remove by clipping and not by shaving (Nichols 2001). Clipping rather than shaving will improve the safety and quality of care that patients receive.