Male Chest Hair and Scrub Tops

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  1. Should a male nurse with chesthair wearing a scrub top be required to wear a T shirt?

    • 822
      Ok to go without the T shirt
    • 1018
      The T shirt should be required
    • 653
      I'm a male voter
    • 1010
      I'm a female voter

3,503 members have participated

What is your vote?

Should a male nurse wearing a scrub top and has chest hair be required to wear a T shirt underneath in order to cover up the chest hair?

I would definitely wear a shirt underneath.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

for what it's worth I shave/wax my chest AND wear a shirt underneath lol :jester:

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Specializes in Interested in Pediatrics, ER.

I'm a nursing student with an extremely hairy chest and I wear a t-shirt under my scrubs out of habit/self-consciousness. I do think that it's accepted, common professional behavior to be well-groomed at work and since I don't really have the time between my full-time job and school in the evenings to "manscape", as I hear they call it now, it's easier for me to wear a t-shirt.

Now when I say my chest is extremely hairy, I really mean it. Obviously everyone's body is different, and for most men I don't think their chest hair is anywhere near as unruly as mine, so they may not have to trim it in order to meet a basic appearance of being "well-groomed." I think there's a happy medium, as it were - to have one's chest hair curling an inch or two beyond the confines of one's scrub top (as mine would) probably is not professional. But I don't think that there should be a standard set in the workplace declaring any display of chest hair at all to be outside of appropriate professional appearance. It's something that is simply a part of being a man and having a man's body - and wearing an undershirt with a scrub top may not be comfortable for a lot of men. It's not entirely unlike women having breasts - obviously you couldn't ever ban women from wearing clothing that showed that they have breasts (or mandate that they wear extremely tight bras), but women should (and do, for the most part) adhere to unspoken professional standards as to how much of said breasts should be visible at any given time.

Am I thinking way too hard about this?

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If your hair is coming out of your shirt and creeping towards your neck and long enough to make a ponytail, then YES please cover it up or shave it off. If it's just a few stragles, then I guess it's ok, still wouldn't want to see it though. If you don't wear a v neck shirt on the reg w/ your chest hairs coming out...why would you at your place of work.

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EEEEEWWWWW YUCKY! For some reason I think it looks dirty, when a man wears any shirt without a t shirt underneath. Especially a v neck scrub top. It is unprofessional, and if I were a patient I would be grossed out!! :lol2:

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What is your vote?

Should a male nurse wearing a scrub top and has chest hair be required to wear a T shirt underneath in order to cover up the chest hair?

I think scrubs demand a T shirt or other undergarment for both sexes.

If a hairy chested guy goes t-shirtless (or wears a wifebeater), then gold chains and a Media mustache should be mandatory accessories.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
If a hairy chested guy goes t-shirtless (or wears a wifebeater), then gold chains and a Media mustache should be mandatory accessories.

:lol2:

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/geriatrics.

I agree I don't want to see chest hair... it makes me think of Austin Powers. We had an instructor in nursing school who would shave chest hair if it wasn't covered.

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Love the poll! Kuddos.

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Specializes in Cardiology (ITU), Acute Renal/Dialysis.

Couldn't agree with you more! We're not allowed to be hairy or adults anymore! and now men are at the mercy of society's scrutiny and have to be hairless and a certain shape, makes me sick!

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This is a great thread, this is my first post but it will be an important one. I'm just a student now, but I have been a Certified Nurses Aid for the past 3 years. It has been mentioned to me by colleagues that it may be a little unsanitary to have my chest hair hanging out. I have a Bic'ed head and a beard, so typically I ask them if they would like for me to put a net on my bear also and then I ask if they would be willing to wear a net to contain their 1980's jerry Curl. :) I never actually say the last part but I think it. If most standard precautions only require you to wash your hands before laying my bare hands on a pt, then why would it be necessary to cover my chest hair. On the other hand, I do feel that it would be necessary to gown up for a sterile dressing change....

I didn't look to see if this was old thread or not, so i apologize if I am resurrecting something that has died a while ago. I had to respond considering my SPN Clinical Instructor made a comment to me just the other day.

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Specializes in LTC, Acute care.

I hate seeing chest hair anywhere outside of the beach. I think people would look more professional if they wore a T-shirt that covered their chest hair and for ladies to wear something inside too when they wear those scrub tops that reveal their private business when they bend down or lean over.

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