Figure 1.

A new optimized protocol minimizing skin injury during mouse depilation. (A) Photographs of mouse skin after depilation with warm wax (WW), warm wax followed by clearance with mineral oil (WW + MO), (C) cold wax (CW), cold wax followed by clearance with a commercial oil wipe (CW + OW), cold wax followed by clearance with mineral oil (CW + MO), and our optimized method. (B) Distribution of wound severity in optimized (n = 10) vs. each of the other methods (n = 15). Dots correspond to individual mice. Wound severity was classified as no wounds (Ø, when no wounds were present), minor wounds (minor, when only erythema and/or superficial/erosive lesions where present) or deep wounds (severe, skin with several erosion sites and/or ulcerative areas). (C) Representative images for Ø, minor and severe wounding, and accordingly to classification used for quantifications in (B,D). (D) Quantification of wound severity using the new optimized protocol in C57BL/6J, B6129F1 and Sv129. Values are mean ± s.d. of 3–4 independent experiments for each strain, C57BL/6J (total of n = 19 mice), B6129F1 (total of n = 17 mice) and Sv129 (total of n = 17 mice). No significant differences were observed in depilation outcomes in the different strains using two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple-comparison correction statistical test (C).