A doctor has issued a warning about a popular Christmas plant that could cause hair loss.
The poinsettia is traditionally displayed in homes during the festive period and is usually a welcome addition to our Christmas decorations.
But Dr Bessam Farjo is advising people to be careful not to come into contact with the plant's sap.
"Although the chances are only slight, it is important to be aware that close contact with a poinsettia could potentially encourage hair removal," said Dr Farjo told PlymouthLive.
"People should always wash their hands if they've been in contact with one," he adds.
"The sap extracted from the plant has a depilatory (hair removal) effect.
"If the sap were to make contact with hair on any part of the body, including the scalp, and is then wiped away it can potentially remove the hair with it.
"This is especially the case if the sap has been on the hair or part of the skin for a considerable amount of time."
The milky sap, or latex, can be readily seen if a poinsettia leaf is broken off.
Hair removal creams like Veet and Immac work on the similar principal of essentially 'melting' hair in its shaft, rather than plucking it by the waxing method.
Poinsettias, which can grow up to 4m high, became symbolic of Yuletide celebrations, building on its reputation as a medical herb employed by the Aztecs to reduce fever and promote lactation.
As well as hair removal, the poinsettia has been used to banish warts.
Poinsettias first became associated with Christmas in the 16th century in Mexico. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolise the Star of Bethlehem, the red colour representing the blood sacrifice of Jesus's crucifixion.
Dr Leonard Perry a former horticulture professor at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont expands on the power of the poinsettia.
"The Aztecs used the plant they called "cuetlaxochitl" not only for decoration, but for practical uses," he says.
"They made a purplish dye from its bracts (the coloured parts we think of as the flowers), and it’s milky latex sap to treat fevers.
"In Guatemala, the latex has been used as a remedy for toothache and vomiting, and poultices of the leaves used for aches and pains. In both this country and Mexico, the latex has been used as a hair removal cream."
