CPSC NEISS · code 1651

Combs, Not Specified

Combs, Not Specified: danger rank #482 of 838 is not ER-volume rank #557 of 838 (759 estimated ER visits a year; rising by about 31% over the last five years).

Personal Care & Safety Products CPSC NEISS through 2024

Danger score versus ER volume

Danger score versus ER volume

According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Combs, Not Specified ranks #482 of 838 by danger score (34/100) at ER-volume #557 of 838 (759/yr). They are not the same ranking.

#482
danger rank of 838
#557
ER-volume rank of 838
34/100
danger score
759/yr
estimated ER visits (avg)

Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.

Where this category's danger score sits nationally

Danger score (34/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories

34 Lower than most lower than 57% of 838 product categories

scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024

Composite verdict

Composite Safety Score: 31/100

One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.

B
Dimension Value National percentile Weight applied Source
Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) 3 25th 35% CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index
Annual ER injury volume 759 29th 30% CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries
5-year injury trend +31% 87th 15% CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries
Consumer incident reports 0 0th 20% CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count

Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.

Where 15,183 estimated ER injuries land on the body

Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1651. Segments sum to 15,183 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.

Two danger lenses

Same-group peer scores and this product's dial

The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Personal Care & Safety Products group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.

Personal Care & Safety Products danger scores

1. Massage Devices Or Vibrat…52/1002. Day Wear48/1003. Coins46/1004. Footwear46/1005. Fuel Multi-purpose Lighte…45/1006. Lighters, Not Specified45/1007. Nightwear45/1008. Combs, Not Specified34/100
Higher score = higher composite danger in this group. Peer set is other scored products sharing the same CPSC group.
0/100100/10034/100
PlainSafety danger score · Combs, Not Specified

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 34/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for combs, not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume 759 ER visits/yr Below median volume
  • Severity (hospitalization rate) 3.0% Below median admission rate
  • Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
  • 5-year trend+31%

Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for combs, not specified are rising by about 31% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2008 (1,119 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2018 (344 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 1,537 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the ear (909 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,846 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how combs, not specified fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

2004006008001K1K 20052008201120142017202020232024 850
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Combs, Not Specified, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 860 946 1,806
5-14 772 2,074 2,846
15-24 794 1,994 2,788
25-34 514 1,400 1,914
35-44 227 1,561 1,788
45-54 211 1,022 1,233
55-64 47 908 955
65-74 247 445 692
75+ 451 707 1,158

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Eyeball Contusions, Abr. 1,537
Ear Internal Injury 909
Neck Strain, Sprain 893
Ear Other 775
Head Other 527
Head Internal Injury 487
Neck Other 480
Ear Laceration 449
Shoulder Strain, Sprain 440
Ear Puncture 383
Upper Trunk Other 359
Hand Puncture 349
Ear Contusions, Abr. 341
Ear Foreign Body 341
Internal Ingestion 271

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 94.9% (14,415)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 2.6% (391)
Left Without Being Seen 2.1% (321)
Treated And Transferred 0.4% (56)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 42 · Female · Head · Other · 2024

42 YOF COLORED HAIR USING HAIR DYE, USED NEW COMB, NOW HAS WELTS AND RASH TO HER SCALP DX: CELLULITIS OF SCALP

Age 20 · Female · Neck · Strain, Sprain · 2024

20 YOF COMES BY EMS FOR RIGHT SIDED NECK PAIN THAT STARTED WHEN SHE WAS COMBING HER HAIR. DX: NECK STRAIN AND PAIN

Age 15 · Female · Upper Leg · Foreign Body · 2024

15YOF REPORTS FROM HOME AFTER ACCIDENTALLY SITTING ON A METAL COMB. DX FOREIGN BODY TO THIGH

Age 29 · Female · Eyeball · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

29YOF REPORTS WITH EYE INJURY WHEN SHE SCRATCHED IT WITH A METAL COMB. DX CORNEAL ABRASION

Age 18 · Female · Neck · Strain, Sprain · 2024

18YOF PRESENTS FOR EVALUATION OF LEFT SIDED SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN THAT BEGAN THIS MORNING. SHE STATES SHE WAS COMBING HER HAIR THIS MORNING AND SHE BENT TO THE RIGHT AND FELT A POPPING SENSATION THAT IS LOCALIZED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HER NECK. DX: STRAIN OF NECK MUSCLE; TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE STRAIN

Age 61 · Female · Shoulder · Strain, Sprain · 2024

61YOF WAS COMBING HER HAIR WHEN SHE FELT A POP IN RIGHT SHOULDER DX: STRAINED SHOULDER

Age 14 · Female · Neck · Other · 2024

14YOF WAS COMBING HER HAIR WHEN SHE FELT A POP IN HER NECK DX: TORTICOLLIS

Age 222 · Male · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

22MOM WITH SWALLOWING PIECES OF A COMB DX: FOREIGN BODY SWALLOWED

Age 22 · Male · Foot · Puncture · 2024

22 YOM STEPPED ON A METAL COMB LAST NIGHT AND IT PUNCTURED LEFT HEEL. DX: PUNCTURE WOUND OF THE FOOT

Age 24 · Male · Upper Trunk · Puncture · 2024

24YOM FELL FROM BED AND IMPALED BY COMB TO BACK DX: STAB WOUND

Age 23 · Male · Ear · Foreign Body · 2024

23YOM HAS A PIECE OF COMB EMBEDDED IN RT EAR, UNABLE TO GET IT OUT. DX: FOREIGN BODY EAR

Age 21 · Female · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

21YOF SWALLOWED PART OF A COMB DUE TO PICA DX: SWALLOWED FOREIGN BODY

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to combs, not specified on the CPSC website.

Compare beyond Personal Care & Safety Products

Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization

Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Combs, Not Specified: cross-group products nearest on danger score (34/100), estimated annual ER visits (759/yr), and hospitalization share (3.0%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.

Read with this product

About this data

CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.

According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Combs, Not Specified ranks #482 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #557 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does combs, not specified rank on danger score versus ER volume?

Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, combs, not specified ranks #482 by PlainSafety danger score (34/100) and #557 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (759/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.

What are the most common injuries from combs, not specified?

The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 1,537 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from combs, not specified increasing or decreasing?

Up 31% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for combs, not specified injuries?

The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,846 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by combs, not specified?

Of all ER visits involving combs, not specified, approximately 3.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with combs, not specified?

You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.

Data on Combs, Not Specified is compiled directly from CPSC NEISS and SaferProducts.gov records, current through 2024. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.

PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.