Epicutaneous Testing Results in Hairdressers

Abstract

Between 1981 and 1988, 55 hairdressers were assessed for cutaneous problems in the Occupational Health Clinic at St Michael's Hospital (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). All were patch tested with a standard screening tray and 53 were further tested with one of two sets of hairdressing chemicals. Eighty percent had allergic contact dermatitis; 51% of the hairdressers had a positive patch test response to paraphenylenediamine and 24% to glyceryl monothioglycolate. There was no increase in epicutaneous test reactions to nickel in the hairdressers in comparison with a referent population. Paraphenylenediamine, glyceryl monothioglycolate, and formaldehyde are suggested as the three agents most useful in the initial screening of hairdressers with possible allergic contact dermatitis.