Skin health and safety at work in Croatian hairdressing apprentices.

BACKGROUND The risk of developing occupational skin disease (OSD) is high in hairdressers, but may differ between countries. OBJECTIVE To evaluate safety at work measures, and the prevalence and severity of skin symptoms and their impact on quality of life (QoL), among Croatian hairdressing apprentices. METHODS Data on self-reported skin symptoms, safety measures and QoL were collected for 101 final-year apprentices. The presence and severity of skin lesions were assessed with the Osnabrueck Hand Eczema Severity Index (OHSI). Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured on the forearm and hand. RESULTS Ninety-one percent of apprentices reported wearing gloves while dyeing hair, 45% while rinsing hair dyes, and 4% while washing hair. A history of skin symptoms was found in 35% of apprentices, and a history of dry hands in 37%. Skin changes were clinically observed in 40% of apprentices, most frequently erythema, infiltration, and desquamation. The OHSI score ranged from 0 to 6. Only washing hands >20 times per day was positively associated with TEWL. A history of skin symptoms negatively correlated with self-esteem, and social and mental functioning, and positively with anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate the need for the continuation of efforts to establish effective primary preventive programmes for OSDs at national and EU levels.