Prevention of skin damage in hairdressers

The incidence of occupational dermatitis of the hands is particularly high in the hairdressing trade. To elucidate the role of various risk factors, a nd to ultimately improve primary prevention of occupational hand dermatitis , a prospective cohort study was conducted between 1992 and 1997, including 2352 hairdressing trainees. Already six weeks after the start of training (median) 35.4% had - usually mild - irritant skin changes, mainly involving the interdigital web spaces. These were associated with subsequent, possib ly more severe, hand dermatitis. Reduced exposure to wet work, i.e., improv ed skin protection with gloves, often led to the resolution of dermatitis o f the hands. In conclusion, early irritant skin damage is a sentinel event that heralds possibly disabling occupational skin disease and should prompt adequate preventive measures.