Hairdresser's hands are at high risk

Working with gloves has long been a part of everyday life in hair salons. After all, the most vulnerable body parts for hairdressers are their hands. While hand eczema used to often mean losing a job, today, with proper preventative measures, most can continue working.

Washing, toning, coloring, styling hair – the Hairdressers' hands are exposed to two major dangers: Water and chemicals"Chemicals are by no means the greater danger," says Sabine Schoening, prevention expert at Professional Association for Health Services and Welfare (BGW), the statutory accident insurance for the hairdressing industry: "Frequently wet hands are enough to damage the skin barrier so severely that foreign substances can penetrate."

This often leads to inflammation and allergies that last a lifetime. "It sounds paradoxical, but water dries out the skin. It washes out the skin's natural oils." This is exacerbated by detergents and shampoos. Constant hair washing throws even healthy skin out of balance.

Professional skin protection is standard in many hairdressing salons

But there are Effective protection: Work with glovesNot always, but always when water and chemicals come into play. Hairdressers should alternate between wet and dry work, such as dry cutting, several times a day. Even in protective gloves, the skin becomes moist over time due to perspiration. Furthermore, no gloves made of highly allergenic latex, but from Vinyl or nitrile Finally, it is also important to treat your hands with skin protection and care creams before work, before putting on gloves, during breaks, and after work.

Professional skin protection is now standard in many hair salons. It's also taught at vocational schools. "It doesn't just apply to hairdressers who already have itchy and red patches on their hands," emphasizes Sabine Schoening of the BGW.Skin protection is a preventive measure for allBecause it doesn't have to get that far." Surveys show that customers quickly get used to being served with gloves. 88 percent don't mind it, or even find it pleasant.

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Thanks to the now widespread preventative measures, most hairdressers who develop skin problems can remain in the profession. This wasn't always the case. In the early 90s, a career change was still the inevitable consequence of a skin disease. At that time, the BGW received around 4.500 reports of suspected skin diseases per year from the hairdressing trade. Since the BGW has promoted skin protection measures, the number has fallen to only around 1.000 (2006). This saves enormous rehabilitation and retraining costs.

The BGW claims to offer a wide range of preventive services. It advises hairdressing businesses, operates seven training and counseling centers nationwide for insured individuals with skin conditions, and offers free skin protection seminars nationwide. In September 2007, it opened "studio78" in Bochum. Young hairdressers can learn everything about perfect customer service and optimal skin protection from professionals.