Occupational disease

Hand eczema: Water can also be poison for the skin!

Hairdressers and hairdressing apprentices should also wear gloves when washing their hair and ensure that the skin is moisturized.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/lev dolgachov)

The dream job can quickly turn into a nightmare: redness, blisters and inflammation of the skin make it impossible to work. But it's not just chemicals that damage the skin, moisture does too. This makes hand eczema the most common occupational disease, especially among hairdressers

"Hand eczema is an inflammatory, non-infectious change to the skin of the hands. The reaction pattern is defined by a succession and juxtaposition of redness, blisters, exudation (note: weeping areas), papules and scaling as an inflammatory reaction of the skin," says OA Dr. Daniel Wilfinger, Department of Occupational Diseases and Occupational Medicine, General Accident Insurance Institution, Rehabilitation Clinic Tobelbad, St., describing the clinical picture.

This is not a trifle. Around 15 percent of the population will suffer from hand eczema in the course of their lives, more than half of which is caused by work, and in more than one in four cases leads directly to incapacity for work. 

Cortisone ointments are often essential for eczema, but UV radiation and medication are also used.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Ольга Тернавская)

Skin diseases are most common in professions with a high proportion of wet work - water is actually considered a noxious agent here, as reported at a press conference in Vienna. Dr. Wilfinger: "Therefore, the occupational groups most at risk are hairdressers and beauticians, followed by metal and cleaning professions, the construction industry, healthcare professions and the food industry. In the hairdressing profession, allergens from hair dyes and bleaching agents, ingredients from permanent wave preparations, preservatives and fragrances play a particularly important role."

Paradoxically, wearing gloves during working hours is not always an ideal solution; they can themselves become a trigger for dermatoses.

The Austrian National Accident Insurance Fund offers a comprehensive prevention program for employees and employers to prevent and treat work-related skin diseases.

Dr. Daniel Wilfinger,

Bild: ungefiltert

Just don't wait until the problem has become more widespread, but seek help from a dermatologist at the first sign! It is not a weakness or even an exaggeration to have redness, itching or blisters clarified quickly. On the contrary. Otherwise there is a risk of sick leave, lengthy treatment or even hospitalization.

It also happens time and again that hairdressing apprentices in their final year of training can no longer get their complaints under control and are then unable to start their career at all, as Mst. Marcus Eisinger, Guild Master of the Vienna Hairdressers' Guild, Vienna Chamber of Commerce, emphasized.

Press conference for Skin Health Month: far left outside Marcus Eisinger, Vienna Hairdressers' Guild, 4th from left Dr. Daniel Wilfinger, AUVA.

(Bild: ungefiltert)

The basic therapy consists of moisturizing the skin. The treatment options range from medical ointments (corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors) to phototherapy with UV radiation and medication. However, these are only used when all other treatment attempts have been unsuccessful.

Skin diseases in occupational medicine

In addition to hand eczema, occupational skin cancer is also becoming increasingly important, as is psoriasis, which can also be considered an occupational disease if it is exacerbated by work-related factors. According to AUVA, awareness of work-related skin diseases must be further increased and preventative measures integrated into everyday working life.

The guild master of Viennese hairdressers brought up an aspect that is given far too little consideration: "When we think of a visit to the hairdresser, we associate beauty, style and the feeling of being pampered. But behind the mirror and the chic hairstyles lies another dimension of the hairdressing trade that has often received too little attention: hairdressers, as service providers close to the body, can also be important partners in the field of preventative healthcare. As they regularly work with their customers' scalps and hair, they can draw their attention to unusual patterns of hair loss, skin changes or other anomalies."

Veränderungen der Kopfhaut ernst nehmen

Der Friseur als Partner in der Gesundheitsvorsorge

In addition to discoloration and other skin changes, this also includes acute illnesses such as fungal infections on the scalp. The fact that skin changes on the scalp are often concealed by the hair and are difficult for those affected to notice themselves makes it all the more important to train hairdressers in this area.

Moles, skin cancer precursors and allergic reactions can also be observed during hair care in the salon. Even if the hairdresser cannot or may not medically classify such symptoms, it is valuable to be made aware of them and to seek further clarification.

Marcus Eisinger: "It can therefore also be beneficial for customers to choose well-trained hairdressers who not only have technical hairdressing skills, but also a heightened awareness of skin health."