Skin irritation thresholds in hairdressers: implications for the development of hand dermatitis

• Published in: British journal of dermatology (1951) Vol. 146; no. 5; pp. 849 - 852
• Main Authors: Smith, H.R., Armstrong, D.K.B., Holloway, D., Whittam, L., Basketter, D.A., Mcfadden, J.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.05.2002; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Beauty Culture; Biological and medical sciences; Dermatitis, Irritant - etiology; Dermatitis, Occupational - etiology; Dermatology; Disease Susceptibility; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hair Preparations - adverse effects; hairdressers; hand dermatitis; Hand Dermatoses - chemically induced; Humans; irritant threshold; Irritants - toxicity; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Patch Tests - methods; Prospective Studies; Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects; Human; Skin disease; Contact dermatitis; Hairdresser; Occupational exposure; Hand; Irritation
• ISSN: 0007-0963; 1365-2133
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04718.x

Summary Background Individuals vary in their ability to react to irritants. Objectives To observe the development of clinical hand dermatitis and sensitization prospectively in trainee hairdressers and to compare this with their irritant threshold to sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). Methods Subjects were patch tested to a limited series of occupational importance and their irritant threshold to SLS was determined; patch testing was repeated 6 months later and subjects were assessed for hand dermatitis. Results The development of hand dermatitis was associated with a lower irritant threshold. A similar association was not found for sensitization. Conclusions The development of clinical dermatitis in prospectively followed subjects with greater irritant reactivity has not previously been identified. The association of greater irritant reactivity with a proinflammatory cytokine polymorphism may partly explain this. Further development of the irritant threshold test could contribute to the identification of non‐atopic subjects at risk of occupational skin disease.