Hair-sparing approach versus traditional hair clipping for cerebral spinal fluid shunt procedures: a retrospective comparative study.

Objective: Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) diversion methods, including ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, are the standard treatment for hydrocephalus. Hair clipping (HC) has been a routine neurosurgical practice of the great majority of neurosurgeons, due to the perception that this will either decrease the risk of shunt infection or allow for a faster, unimpeded opening and closing of the skin. The benefits of not cutting or clipping hair in terms of normalizing appearance and self-esteem are obvious.