Hairdresser’s dermatitis is very common. It’s been proven that almost 70% of all hairdressers display symptoms of work-rated dermatitis at some point during their working life. The main symptoms of dermatitis include dry skin, soreness, skin irritation, flaking or scaling, painful splitting of the skin and blistering. Dermatitis, if not treated appropriately in a timely manner, can develop to become very painful. What most people employed in the hairdressing trade do not appreciate is that contact dermatitis is absolutely preventable.

It is particularly important to understand that contact dermatitis is not infectious, so you are not at risk of contracting it from another person. But, it can flare up at any time during your working life. Some employed in the hairdressing profession can find themselves continually subjected to its unwanted effects, others might spend their entire career without suffering any symptoms whatsoever. Each individual is different.

There are two separate types of dermatitis: irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. The two different kinds require different treatments, so it is vital to identify your dermatitis in order to treat it correctly.

Irritant-based contact dermatitis can occur if you’ve been in skin contact with strong chemicals such as bleach. This is notably prevalent with those employed in the hairdressing industry, it is also common for it to develop very gradually with recurrent wet work with milder chemicals, such as those found in hair conditioners etc.

Allergic contact dermatitis can develop relatively quickly following minor contact with substances such as shampoos or hair dies. It’s not unknown for this kind of allergy to take a few months or sometimes longer to fully develop after the first contact. Unfortunately, once you develop the allergy, you will most probably be allergic for the rest of your life. Even if you had never suffered from it before in your career, allergic contact dermatitis can occur without warning. With allergic contact dermatitis, the particular allergen you react to in your work environment can also be a problem in your home environment. Popular cleaning products or hair shampoos are an example..

Dry, cracked skin generally goes in tandem with the symptoms of contact dermatitis.

Dermatitis is avoidable.

First, wear disposable, non-latex gloves whenever washing, dying or rinsing hair. This will provide protection for your skin, but be aware that you need to dispose of the used gloves between customers.

Make sure that you dry your hands thoroughly each time your hands get wet. For this, a soft paper or cotton towel is best. Ensure that all the moisture has been soaked up off your skin.

It is also advisable that you employ a top quality combined barrier cream for the hands and moisturiser. Make sure whichever product that you choose is water resistant and is suitable to be used inside gloves. If possible, use the same cream at home as well as during your normal working day and be aware of the manufacturer’s recommendations which usually state using it before bed.

In the majority of cases, it is relatively easy to prevent contact dermatitis at source if you are working as a hairdresser. You may think that these few guidelines are simply too basic to prove effective. However, seventy-four percent of those employed in the hairdressing trade said that they could still manipulate their clients hair as required, and that they would observe these measures for water-based tasks in the future. Therefore, if you are prone to contact dermatitis, take these easy, but necessary, steps to improve your skin condition and prevent it from coming back.

Disclaimer: This posting is based on information freely available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with dermatitis. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist.

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