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I am one of a rare breed, an hirsuit surgeon, with a full set, and a
good head of hair to boot. A former colleague, an anaesthetist, was clean-
shaven, and as nearly as bald as a coot. In the operating theatre he
declined to wear a hat on the grounds that I had more hair on my
(uncovered) chin than he had on his head.
We are not aware of our patients having had an high infection rate.
Is it perhaps time to review the long-established custom of wearing hats
in the operating theatre?
As a pharmacist who has worn a beard proudly for over twenty years,
as testified by the current poliferation of grey hairs replacing a once
resplendent red bushy growth, I am pleased to say that the days of the
beard are not over.
Commenting from the viewpoint of one who has spent many years with a
beard, but also with a diminishing stock of hair to crown my head, to the
extent that the majority of my hair now resides on my chin, and not my
head (incidently can anyone explain why I am going bald but my beard is
not affected?)- I was interested to note that although beards were
considered as breeding grounds for infection one hundred years ago, no
mention was made of "normal" hair. The cultural distinction between the
two types of hair would be the subject of an interesting study.
As a final comment I am proud that my beard would exclude me both
from the court of the German Emperor, and from working for the Walt Disney
Organisation!
An hairy and a smooth man
I am one of a rare breed, an hirsuit surgeon, with a full set, and a
good head of hair to boot. A former colleague, an anaesthetist, was clean-
shaven, and as nearly as bald as a coot. In the operating theatre he
declined to wear a hat on the grounds that I had more hair on my
(uncovered) chin than he had on his head.
We are not aware of our patients having had an high infection rate.
Is it perhaps time to review the long-established custom of wearing hats
in the operating theatre?
Competing interests: No competing interests