Home hair removal has led to injury for 26% of DIYers

A quarter of people who shave, wax or use scissors to remove their pubic hair injure themselves in the process, according to a new survey by Jama Dermatology.

The most common accidents were cuts, rashes and burns, the report found, and 1.4% of respondents admitted they had sustained injuries that required medical attention.

Dr Benjamin Brever, a urologist at the University of California San Francisco, conducted the web-based study of 7,570 people (55.5% men and 44.5% female). Around 26% of men and women who groom their pubic hair have been injured at least once, while 32% said it has happened five times or more, he found.

The study also discovered that 3% of adults who came to A&E at the university’s hospital had grooming injuries. Injuries requiring medical attention occurred more commonly when the person was grooming while on his or her back, or when someone else was doing the grooming, the study reported.