Just got home in what from step 1. I never considered myself that hairy,( Not talking about the pubic area) until they start ripping off tape from you. When I go in for my takedown I will shave my arms, inner thighs and stomach. I recommend it for any one going in for surgery

Gee, as a nurse, I always would shave before applying tape. I can't imagine not doing it!

Jan

I never shaved going in but then, I didn't have that much hair on my body. But what I had HURT
My surgeries were quite a while ago and they used silk tape on me. Later I was introduced to paper tape and then some that was even softer than that.
A lot of the pain is in the type of tape used so if you have to apply some on your own at home, go to a pharmacy and get some softer tape.

And the hairier you are the more tape those evil nurses use. If I ever have to be cut open I plan on shaving from the neck down to my toes.

lol when I had my wound and my bag I swear some nurses would go i'm gonna pull really fast and rip i.m like go slow!! I got to the point I would take it all apart lol one time she made me bleed I grow hair back very fast so I know your pain...

Most of the time they shaved me before I went in or I woke up shaved but it was the after care that got me .

LOL I know what you mean. I am by no mean s a hairy guy but its amazing how much hair you do have and not realize until some tape nazi covers you like a mummy and her little assitant decided a few hours later to remove a few layers. OUCH hahaha Just brought back some really painful memories hahahaha

My arms are not to hairy but my backside is. After my first take down I was cleaning for a while. Then one day I decided to get the clippers and a razor and very carefully while taking a hot bath I trimmed the evacuation site. It was a lot easier to keep clean. Has anyone else tried this?

Pulling off tape was on the most painful things ever!!!!

I am not too sure if shaving before surgery is the safest thing to do. I have heard that shaving at home can leave microscopic hairs, making infection more likely.

My advice would be to tell the surgical staff while in the OR to be careful where they put the tape. Also, the EKG things can be HORRIBLE to take off in a hairy spot. Just ask them to put it in a cleaner spot.

All i have to say is eakins in the hair - NO GOOD!

I shave under my wafer area with a mustache trimmer on an electric razor. It doesn't cut as close as a safety razor, which causes me lots of little irritations.

Jim

I am quite hairy. Jan you would be suprised how many nurses don't feel the need to shave an area. In my days of being hospitalized one of my brothers laughed at me all the time because of this issue. He couldn't get over the fact that I had no problem with people sticking needles in me all the time, various tubes going in and out of my body and just the general prodding around that those doctors love to do so much. But when it came time for the nurse to remove tape from some hairy place on my body, you would think that I was a child. I hated it so much and made such a fuss when the nurse came in with those evil, tormenting eyes, wanting to slowly rip hair from my body.

They shaved the hair on my stomach by the incision and a bit of my pubic hair after step 1. It still sucked that the tape from my ostomy went over my incision. OUCH!

They never shaved the hair around my IVs though. I asked and the nurse said it could invite infection. Hmm, then why did they shave the area around my incision?

I swear, if I ever end up going to the ER or hospital again I am shaving the hair around my wrists!