Why do we give hair to the patient?

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2009

Because in the event that they die...the family may want it...or they may wish to keep it as a momento of their struggle.

#1rnstudent · Feb 3, 2009

When we shave the head or any other body part we don't save it. Hair & teeth are the only things we don't have to send to the lab(s).

shodobe · Feb 3, 2009

usually it is to match up to a wig if desired. Color is somtimes hard to match and patients, if they like want to make it not obvious they have had surgery.

MJN2007 · Feb 26, 2009

I work in a children's hospital. We save the "crani" hair often because it's baby's first hair cut, or in the event that the child might not survive the surgery =/

surgnurse1 · Feb 27, 2009

That is a leftover from the OLD, OLD days of the operating room when mortality of crani patients was very high and the funeral home could use it to replace the patients hair for viewing. We did away with that policy years ago. I agree with the fact that if it was for children though, the parents may want it.

SavannahSheila · Feb 27, 2009

I have had patients want a total head shave. They wanted the hair for a pillow. Also I had a patient who believed if a Voodoo person got her hair they could cast a spell. She said it must be burned. So you could add this to the list of why we give hair back. :up:

BrianLee · Mar 4, 2009

I was taught to save the hair for several reasons. For funeral and hair piece purposes, religious and personal preferences, sentimental reasons. I am aware that there are several religions which put spiritual significance on the burial or burning of hair that has been shaved. I have even heard of patients requesting other products of surgical intervention, like the torn and destryed clothes they were wearing during a trauma, removed orthopedic implants, gallstones, organs, ect. But to my knowledge they need to go through a bunch of red tape with the Pathology department for requests like that.