Facial trauma and hair

Q: In severe facial trauma eyebrows should be shaved?

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Ideally, eyebrows should not be shaved or clipped in facial trauma. The reason behind this is that they provide an anatomic landmark for repair. Moreover, they may not fully grow back. 

Similarly, facial hairs such as beards should not be shaved though they can be clipped if dense. Skin shaving creates debris. This debris can contaminate the wound and is hard to remove if it moves deeper.

#trauma

Further reading:

1. Braun TL, Maricevich RS. Soft Tissue Management in Facial Trauma. Semin Plast Surg. 2017 May;31(2):73-79. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1601381. PMID: 28496386; PMCID: PMC5423789.

2. Kretlow JD, McKnight AJ, Izaddoost SA. Facial soft tissue trauma. Semin Plast Surg. 2010 Nov;24(4):348-56. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1269764. PMID: 22550459; PMCID: PMC3324223.

3. Ridgway EB, Pribaz JJ. The reconstruction of male hair-bearing facial regions. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011 Jan;127(1):131-141. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181fad328. PMID: 21200207.