Overview of typical hairdressing risk factors
Activity | Products | Can lead to inflammations | Can cause allergies | Appropriate skin- protection measures |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hairwashing, Hair care, Hairstyling | Shampoo, Rinse, Conditioner, Tonic, Hair gel, Hair wax | yes | yes | Long-cuff; Single-use-gloves |
Colouring agents | Oxidation agents, Bleach, Blonding agents | yes | yes | Single-use gloves |
Perms | Perming liquid | yes | yes | Single-use gloves |
Hair straightening | Brazilian Straightening | yes (with "Brazilian Straightening" also severe burns and cancer risk) | yes | Single-use gloves; Do not use "Brazilian Straightening", extremely dangerous to your health! |
Cleaning | Cleaning agents | yes | yes | Reusable gloves |
Contact to work devices | e.g. scissors and shavers | no | yes | Use of nickel-free tools |
Skin protection | Protective gloves | no | yes | Use of latex- and accelerator-free gloves |
Skin protection | Skin protection preparations, skin cleaning agents, skincare creams, skin protection creams | yes | yes | Low-allergen preparations without perfumes, artifical colours or preservatives, mild ph-skin-neutral skin cleansers (syndets) |
Hair cutting | Hair | yes | (yes, with colouring residue on the hair) | Arm protectors and closed shoes |
There are some people that have a genetic oversensitivity of the skin and mucous membranes to natural substances (atopy). This can be bronchially manifested in conditions such as neurodermatitis (or atopic dermatitis), hay fever, or allergic asthma. These so-called “atopics” have far more sensitive skin. The above-named “outer” risk factors can more easily harm the skin in such cases, and can more easily produce occupational skin diseases than in “non-atopics”.
Atopics who work as hairdressers should pay particularly close attention to their own skin, and should protect and care for it diligently.