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When you think of people being exposed to occupational hazards, hairdressers don't come to mind. That may be why regulators often overlook the risks faced by people in this profession. Scientists have uncovered one such risk, with hairdressers regularly coming into contact with substances that can trigger eczema or allergies.

Washing hair and handling chemicals day after day can wear down the skin's natural barrier, leaving hairdressers' hands more vulnerable to irritants and allergens. Their daily use of metal tools adds another layer of risk, exposing their skin to metal ions.

A cross-sectional study published in Contact Dermatitis investigated whether professional hairdressing tools—like scissors, hair clippers and razors—release the metals nickel and cobalt, which can cause skin allergies and hand eczema.

Of the tools tested, 13.9% tested positive for releasing nickel and 6.8% tested positive for releasing cobalt. The release wasn't exclusive to cheaper tools; more expensive scissors weren't necessarily free of nickel release.

Hairdressers often develop eczema on their hands because of the soaps, perm solutions and dyes they work with every day. Studies have found that about 38% have it at some point in their lives, about 20% have it in any given year and some even get it while still apprentices. The situation is made worse by an increased risk of contact dermatitis because the skin barrier weakens from all the wet work hairdressers do.

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