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 The chemical, p-phenylenediamine (PPD), "is a strong contact
allergen used in hair dye known to cause allergic contact
dermatitis," Dr. Cezmi Akdis, of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and
Asthma Research in Davos Platz, and colleagues write in the Journal
of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Both private and occupational exposure to PPD is frequent, but
whether it has adverse effects in people with work-related exposure
who don't show allergic symptoms isn't known, the study team writes.
For the current study, researchers tested the effect of PPD exposure
on the activity of genes known to be involved in dermatitis and
active in skin that has been damaged. They examined gene activity in
skin cells after PPD exposure in seven hairdressers without any skin
symptoms suggesting an allergic reaction to the chemical, in four
people with mild allergic skin reactions to the chemical and in five
people with severe allergic skin reactions.
The researchers found that hairdressers without obvious allergic
reactions to PPD still had gene activity changes in their skin that
suggest the skin can be damaged even when the PPD doesn't cause
allergic symptoms like a rash.
Hairdressers who apply hair dye to clients several times a day are
particularly at risk for PPD exposure. The chemical can also cause
allergic reactions in people who regularly dye their own hair,
particularly if they use darker colors.
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Many salons ask customers to do patch tests to see if they will have
an allergic reaction to dye before they get their hair colored, but
sometimes this can make people more sensitive to the chemical and
lead to a rash when their hair is colored a second time.
Semi-permanent dye may cause less of a reaction than permanent
color.
Wearing gloves when dying hair may also reduce the risk of skin
damage from PPD.
Photographers who develop film and people who get black temporary
tattoos and henna tattoos can also be exposed to PPD and have
allergic skin reactions as a result, the authors note.
In the study, PPD exposure resulted in damage to the epidermis, or
outer layer of skin, which plays a crucial role in preventing
allergens from entering the body and causing damage, the study team
notes.
Because they found skin damage both in hairdressers without allergic
contact dermatitis and those with mild or acute cases of dermatitis,
the results suggest that occupational PPD exposure directly causes
skin damage, the study team concludes.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/34ZlNOQ The Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology, online November 26, 2019.
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