In recent times, hairdressers are being urged to wear gloves whilst working to protect their skin. Each day they are leaving their skin to come into contact with harmful chemicals such as bleach and on top of that, constantly putting them under hot water. This then leads to painful and irritating conditions like dermatitis. The simple action of wearing hairdressing gloves can reduce these risks considerably.
Due to the amount of chemicals and water a hairdresser’s hands actually endure, they are shockingly seventeen times more likely to suffer from work related skin issues than any other kind of worker. A whopping seventy percent of hairdressers will suffer skin problems for their work during their career.
Many hairdressers even need to take time away from work due to skin conditions such as dermatitis, meaning they are costing not just themselves, but also salon owners a lot of money for the sake if not wearing hairdressing gloves.
Dermatitis in particular is rather unpleasant. Skin starts to become inflamed and irritated, often leading to of unsightly red patches that flake away as the condition gets worse. If this isn’t treated correctly it can get so bad that work commitments can no longer be met and in some cases can end someone’s career entirely. There are two kinds of dermatitis; one manifests itself due to exposing skin to unsuitable conditions repeatedly and the second is an allergic reaction that occurs when certain substances are allowed to have prolonged contact to the skin.
As hairdressers work for hours each day with shampoos and water combined with the dry conditions created by hairdryers and other heated equipment, their skin’s natural defenses are greatly weakened. Along with this are the many chemicals used for dying and treating hair, which also have very negative effects on the skin. After seeing the facts it seems only natural that hairdressing gloves should be worn at all times.
Long sleeved gloves have proven to be particularly effective in cutting the risk to skin, as they can be turned down to create a kind of cuff that stops water from entering the glove completely.
One common issue though is that a lot of hairdressers believe hairdressing gloves will hinder their ability to work well. Trials in the United Kingdom however have greatly helped to dispel this idea. Each participating salon was given a supply of vinyl and nitrile gloves to use during any task that involved water and products, as well as whilst coloring, bleaching and straightening hair. The statistics after the trial were very surprising. Eighty percent claimed the gloves were easy and comfortable to wear and seventy four percent said that they were able to complete their client’s hair without any snagging. This feedback has pushed other salons to try out hairdressing gloves for themselves, which is great news for the hairdressing community.
Other professions have very strict guidelines for health and safety and many now believe that hairdressers should follow suit and wear gloves whenever possible to protect not only their skin, but also their careers.
Tags: Gloves, hairdressing
