We were able to increase the use of gloves and reduce the incidence of hand eczema in hairdressing apprentices by implementing a training program in hairdressing schools.
The prevalence of nickel allergy was lower among young hairdressers in comparison to older hairdressers. This may possibly be a result of the European Union (EU) Nickel Directive or a consequence of a decreased use of nickel-releasing work tools in salons. When nickel allergic hairdressers present with hand eczema, their work tools should be investigated for nickel release.
We found good agreement between self-reporting of hand eczema and clinical examination. There was good sensitivity and high specificity. Self-reporting of hand eczema among hairdressing apprentices is considered to be a valid method for estimating the prevalence of hand eczema, although it might underestimate the true prevalence.
These results indicate a healthy worker effect, as there was a lower reported incidence of hand eczema and eczema on wrists or forearms, and there were fewer cases classified as having atopic dermatitis, among hairdressing apprentices than in a matched control group from the general population.
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