Hairdressers are particularly prone to hand dermatitis, and today seems like a great day to discuss why. The constant wet and dry of their hands drys the skin and weakens its protective barrier. With the addition of the large number of irritating chemicals and the possibility of developing allergies to other chemicals, hairdressers have pretty beaten up hands.
PPD (paraphenylendiamine) in black hair dye and glycerol monothioglycolate in hair perming solutions are two allergens that hair dressers come ac. People are exposed to them and over time can become sensitized. This means that the immune system recognizes the chemical as an allergen and mounts an immune response to it upon subsequent exposures.
PPD is also used in "black henna". Henna is naturally green and has not been reported as an allergen before. However, PPD is used to blacken the color, so someone can become sensitized to PPD without having used hair dye. This web page has a great picture of allergic contact dermatitis to black henna (PPD).
Vinyl gloves are effective at preventing PPD sensitization, but not glycerol monothioglycolate sensitization. How do you treat allergic contact dermatitis? Avoidance is the only way to prevent it. And topical steroids can be used to help current lesions heal.
Take home points:
1. Black hair dye, black henna tattoos, and perming solutions contain common allergens
2. People can become allergic to something with repeated exposure over time
Redlick F, DeKoven J. Allergic contact dermatitis to paraphenylendiamine in hair dye after sensitization from black henna tattoos: a report of 6 cases. CMAJ. 2007 Feb 13;176(4):445-6.
Fisher AA. Management of hairdressers sensitized to hair dyes or permanent wave solutions. Cutis. 1989 Apr;43(4):316-8.
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