Manual Hair Removal for Intraoral Flaps: a Simple Practice for Professional Education and Patient Cancer Care

After resection of malignant tumors of the head and neck, reconstructions are commonly performed using surgical free flaps. In non-irradiated patients, hair may continue to grow at the reconstruction site after surgery, causing undesirable effects such as difficult to maintain oral hygiene, food and saliva accumulation, halitosis, dysphagia, moral distress, and impact on intimacy and sexuality. Until a standardized laser therapy protocol is available, manual depilation is an option that should not be underestimated to improve the patient's quality of life and available to every oral healthcare team. This case illustrates a simple practice that contributes to improving patients' quality of life and oral health in an interprofessional way.