International Space Salon? Watch UAE astronaut use trimmer, large vacuum to shave onboard ISS

It has been four months that UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi has been in space and it has been been a totally different way of 'living' for the Emirati.

The daily routines have been quite different on the International Space Station (ISS) as compared to on earth.

And the 42-year-old AlNeyadi gets asked many questions about life in space during his interactions with citizens from the UAE and also abroad.

One of them happens to be about grooming and more importantly shaving aboard the ISS.

And on Friday, the astronaut took to social media to show how he shaves in space. Astronauts have their personal hygiene kit.

"Of course, there are no barbers. We cut our hair and shave by ourselves or with the help of other colleagues. What do you think of space shaving?," AlNeyadi tweeted.

He also shared an almost 6-minute video where he shows how he gets it done.

AlNeyadi uses a trimmer that has a suction device which prevents hair from floating and contaminating the microgravity environment aboard the ISS.

The reason for the vacuum is to make sure loose hairs don't float around the orbiting space station. According to Nasa, loose hair can clog filters and affect air circulation and filtration. Floating hairs can also create a safety hazard because they can be inhaled or irritate an astronauts' eyes.

Astronauts trimming and shaving hair in space has been documented by space agencies. Hair growth in space was also one of the scientific experiments earlier conducted.

Back in 2016, the hair follicles of 10 astronauts who had spent around six months each on the ISS were collected and studied. The follicles were gathered at different points during their time in space, including before their launch and after they returned.

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