title: Shaving effects on percutaneous penetration: clinical implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human/animal shaving biology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of shaving on percutaneous penetration and skin function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We screened 500+publications in Pub Med, Scopus, Cochrane Library and pertinent journals out of which only 17 were deemed relevant. Terms for searches included shaving and skin, percutaneous penetration and shaving, skin absorption and shaving, absorption of dyes and shaving, skin penetration, effects of shaving and absorption, shave and dyes, axillary shaving and stratum corneum, shaving and breast cancer, shaving and infections, etc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Shaving appears to have an exaggerated effect on percutaneous absorption; however, some studies do not support this evidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shaving enhances percutaneous penetration of some chemicals; however this effect is species and chemical specific. Further investigations of chemicals of varying physio-chemical properties are mandated before a generalized theory can be promulgated.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , University of California San Francisco , San Francisco , USA and.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.affiliation: b Sindh Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences , Karachi , Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hassaan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tohid
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology , University of California San Francisco , San Francisco , USA and.
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maibach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051520:Antiperspirants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001557:Benzenesulfonates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006204:Hair Removal; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D051520:Antiperspirants; D001557:Benzenesulfonates; D003358:Cosmetics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C008769:sulfan blue; C006796:brilliant blue
keywords: Blade and absorption; dyes and skin permeation; hair removal; razor and shave; shave and absorption; stratum corneum and axillary shaving