Nickel release from metal tools in the German hairdressing trade-A current analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nickel is one of the most common contact allergens. Despite EU regulations concerning the maximum permissible release of nickel from metal objects, nickel release at inappropriately high levels from metal objects has been detected in various studies. OBJECTIVES: To screen current nickel release from metal tools in the German hairdressing trade. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-nine metal tools from the German hairdressing trade were tested with the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test for nickel release. Additionally, an employee survey was conducted to collect data about the metal tools. RESULTS: The DMG test showed that 21 of 229 metal tools (9.2%) released nickel. Nickel release was detected in 8 of 45 hair clips (17.8%), 2 of 27 tail combs (7.4%), and 11 of 17 tweezers (64.7%). CONCLUSION: It must be assumed that hairdressers in Germany have prolonged skin contact with nickel-releasing metal tools. This should prompt further testing for nickel release from metal tools, and the development of regulations to eliminate nickel-releasing metal tools in the (German) hairdressing trade.

Sunbeds and carcinogenesis: the need for new regulations and restrictions in Europe from the Euromelanoma perspective.

Experimental investigations have definitely assessed that ultraviolet A (UVA) as well as ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation induce mutagenic DNA photoproducts and other cell damages with a carcinogenic potential. Artificial tanning increases significantly the lifetime risk for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma particularly in subjects with fair skin type, subjects with a history of skin cancer or frequent childhood sunburn or if exposures took place at an age younger than 18 years. In addition, experimental and clinical evidence indicate that UVA exposure promotes skin photoageing. Therefore we are dealing with a recreational activity (for customers) and a profitable business (for the tanning industry) with human costs, i.e. an increase in morbidity and mortality by skin cancer, and health and social costs leading to an increased expenditure by the European national health systems. In a few European countries, legislation has recently prohibited the use of sunbeds for minors, pregnant women, people with skin cancer or a history of skin cancer and individuals who do not tan or who burn easily from sun exposure. However, this legislation seems to be insufficient from a photobiological perspective, and importantly, it is largely disregarded by consumers and tanning industry. Therefore the Euromelanoma group proposes a new, more stringent regulation for the tanning industry and restrictions for customers, particularly for those individuals with constitutional and anamnestic risk factors. Finally, we ask for an enhanced commitment to increase the awareness of the general population on the risk of artificial tanning.

Actions taken by the European commission to address the safety of sunbeds.

The safety of sunbed, especially when it comes to protecting young and vulnerable consumers, is a key concern that the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers has been trying to address in various ways. This document presents a brief overview of activities undertaken at European level to address the main concerns related to the use of this product.

Sunbed use legislation in Europe: assessment of current status.

BACKGROUND: The use of UV-emitting tanning devices for cosmetic purposes is associated with an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Young women are the most frequent users, therefore, there is an increasing concern about the regulation of sunbed use. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective is to assess the current legislation on sunbed use among European countries. METHODS: We developed a 30-item questionnaire to gather the most relevant information about sunbed use legislation. The questionnaire was sent to Euromelanoma coordinators and to designated coordinators out of the Euromelanoma network. RESULTS: We obtained a response rate of 64%. More than 25% of the countries did not report any specific legislation. Roughly one-third of the countries does not have a restriction for minors. Even in countries with a specific legislation, a lack or insufficient enforcement of age limit was observed in up to 100% of the inspections based on the PROSAFE report from 2012. Self-tanning devices were reported in 50%, and almost 40% of countries do not require supervision of use. Although a warning display is required in 77% of cases, a signed informed consent is not required in 80%. In the vast majority of cases, the number of licensed or closed tanning centres is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the evidence of its harmful effects, and its frequent use by young people, many of whom are at high risk of skin cancer because of fair skin, a significant number of European countries lack a specific legislation on tanning devices. In order to limit the access of young people to sunbeds, a more strictly enforced regulation is needed, as well as regulation regarding advertisement, and location of tanning centres, in addition to health promotion campaigns that target the vulnerable population of young women seeking its use for improved cosmesis.

New pattern hair loss in young Turkish women; What's wrong in their daily life?

BACKGROUND: The application of heat, used to straighten the typically coiled hair, has long been hypothesized to play a role in the etiologic factor for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermal hair straightening on hair loss pattern in Asian women exist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with hair loss who have been using hair straightening devices and 25 patients with telogen effluvium were enrolled in this prospective study. Laboratory analysis and dermatoscopic findings were used to compare these groups. RESULTS: The peripilar white halo around hairs, peripilar dark/gray halo around follicular orifices, the predominance of a single hair perifollicular unit (FU), hair diameter diversity, the thin miniaturized hair, interfollicular pinpoint white dots, and white patches were statistically higher in hair straightener group (P < 0.001). White patches of the scalp increased by the time of the application of these devices (P < 0.01). White patches of vertex region were significantly higher than the midfrontal region (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The common side effects of thermal hot comb strengtheners' were summarized as damage to the hair shaft; decreasing in the brightness of the hair, burns, and scars on the scalp; and lastly CCCA-like hair loss.

Biosafety in beauty centers: knowledge and practices in a state capital in Northeast Brazil. / Biossegurança em serviço de embelezamento: conhecimento e práticas em uma capital do nordeste brasileiro.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge and biosafety practices adopted by professionals of the beauty segment. METHODS Descriptive study, of survey type. 238 professionals of the beauty segment were interviewed between August 2014 and 2015. The variables were expressed by means of absolute and relative frequencies, as well as average and standard deviation. RESULTS 62.6% of the interviwed professionals reported having had contact with blood from customers when they were not wearing gloves; 74.4% said they washed their hands before and after each service, and only 16.8% of the respondents reported reusing nonsterilizable materials. None of them was able to inform the correct number of sets of tools needed , and 32.8% of the respondents did not use Personal Protective Equipment during their work activities. CONCLUSIONS The most frequently reported diseases associated with the risk of infection and transmission in the work activities were viral hepatitis, HIV and fungi. Regarding the biosafety procedures adopted, autoclave is the least used method for sterilizing devices.

Biossegurança em serviço de embelezamento: conhecimento e práticas em uma capital do nordeste brasileiro / Bioseguridad en los centros de embellecimento: conocimientos y prácticas en una capital del nordeste brasileño / Biosafety in beauty centers: knowledge and practices in a state capital in Northeast Brazil

Resumo OBJETIVO Avaliar o conhecimento e as práticas de biossegurança adotadas por profissionais do segmento da beleza. MÉTODOS Pesquisa descritiva do tipo survey. Foram entrevistados 238 profissionais de serviços de embelezamento entre agosto de 2014 e 2015. As variáveis foram apresentadas por meio de frequências absolutas e relativas, bem como média e desvio padrão. RESULTADOS 62,6% dos profissionais tiveram contato com sangue de clientes sem uso de luvas; instrumentais para o atendimento e 32,8% dos entrevistados não utilizaram equipamentos de proteção individual durante suas atividades laborais. CONCLUSÕES As doenças mais citadas quanto ao risco de contágio e de transmissão na prática laboral foram as hepatites virais, HIV e fungos. Quanto aos procedimentos de biossegurança adotados, o autoclave é o equipamento menos usado na esterilização dos instrumentos.

Resumen OBJETIVO Evaluar el conocimiento y las prácticas de bioseguridad adoptadas por profesionales del segmento del embellecimiento. MÉTODOS Evaluar el conocimiento y las prácticas de bioseguridad adoptadas por profesionales del segmento del embellecimiento. RESULTADOS: 62,6% de los profesionales tuvieron contacto con sangre de clientes sin el uso de guantes; el 74,4% higienizaban las manos entre los atendimientos, el 16,8% reutilizaban materiales desechables. Ningún profesional informó la cantidad adecuada de instrumentos y el 32,8% de los entrevistados no utilizaban equipos de protección individual durante sus actividades laborales. CONCLUSIONES Las enfermedades más citadas con respecto al riesgo de contagio y de transmisión en la práctica laboral fueron las hepatitis virales, el VIH y los hongos. Acerca de los procedimientos de bioseguridad adoptados, el autoclave fue el aparato menos utilizado en la esterilización de los instrumentos.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge and biosafety practices adopted by professionals of the beauty segment. METHODS Descriptive study, of survey type. 238 professionals of the beauty segment were interviewed between August 2014 and 2015. The variables were expressed by means of absolute and relative frequencies, as well as average and standard deviation. RESULTS 62.6% of the interviwed professionals reported having had contact with blood from customers when they were not wearing gloves; 74.4% said they washed their hands before and after each service, and only 16.8% of the respondents reported reusing nonsterilizable materials. None of them was able to inform the correct number of sets of tools needed , and 32.8% of the respondents did not use Personal Protective Equipment during their work activities. CONCLUSIONS The most frequently reported diseases associated with the risk of infection and transmission in the work activities were viral hepatitis, HIV and fungi. Regarding the biosafety procedures adopted, autoclave is the least used method for sterilizing devices. Keywords: Beauty and aesthetics centers. Exposure to biological agents. Prevention of diseases.

[Manicure and pedicure in the city of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso): practices and risks]. / La manucure et la pédicure dans la ville de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso): pratiques et risqué.

Pedicure-manicure represents the aesthetic care of hands, feet and nails. In Burkina Faso, the use of manicure-pedicure products, the techniques used and the level of risk remain unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the practice of manicure-pedicure in the city of Ouagadougou. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of all practitioners with at least six months experience in aesthetic care and customers present at the time of the survey from December 2010 to November 2012. We interviewed a total of 313 practitioners and 313 clients. The average age of practitioners was 19 years and of customers was 32.2 years. Fixed location practitioners were mostly women (96.87%) while mobile practitioners were mostly men (68.37%); 64.53% of customers were women. The percentage of practitioners who did not receive professional training was 93.92%. 29.7% of practitioners soaked the instruments in javel water for at least ten minutes; 75.71% knew that the use of certain tools was dangerous and 26.51% had side effects. 40.25% of customers knew that the used equipment may pose some risks and 30.35% were victims of accidents. The manicure and pedicure is done in hair salons by untrained hairdressers to the professional practice. The origin and composition of the products is not known. Not recommended products are used (foot soak shampoo, razor blade and scissors for feet scraping). The use of manicure and/or pedicure is sometimes necessary but that should not obscure the risks to which it exposes customers. Customers education and practitioners training seem necessary to minimize risks.

Tanning beds: Impact on health, and recent regulations.

As the use of indoor tanning beds gained popularity in the decades after their appearance in the market in the early 1970s, concerns arose regarding their use. Clinical research has revealed an association between indoor tanning and several health risks, including the subsequent occurrence of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, the development of psychologic dependence, and a tendency toward other high-risk health behaviors. In the face of mounting evidence, legislation has been passed, which includes the restriction of access to tanning beds by minors in 42 states and the District of Columbia, and the recent reclassification by the Food and Drug Administration, which now categorizes tanning beds as class II devices and worthy of restrictions and oversight. Early evidence suggests that these labors are resulting in cultural change, although continued efforts are necessary to limit further exposure and better inform the public of the dangers associated with indoor tanning use.

The Growing Public Health Challenges of Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation From Use of Indoor Tanning Devices in the United States.

Ultraviolet radiation is recognized as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the world's authority on cancer research. In particular, exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lead to melanoma of the skin, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer in the United States. Yet despite the significant public health burden that is associated with skin cancer in the United States, each year over a million Americans engage in indoor tanning where exposure to artificial ultraviolet radiation occurs. In this article, we argue for an immediate ban on the use of commercial indoor tanning by minors and, based on international precedents, the phasing out of all commercial tanning operations in the United States. We consider the use of indoor tanning devices in the United States, epidemiological data on indoor tanning devices and cancer, regulation of tanning devices, and scientific evidence for increased government intervention.

Survey of UV Emissions from Sunbeds in the UK.

Increased use of indoor tanning for cosmetic purposes has led to concerns for its impact on the risk of cutaneous cancers. The effects on UVR on skin depend on radiant dose, i.e. combination of irradiance and exposure duration. While a number of studies surveyed accessible emission from sunbeds, majority did not include the information on doses received during tanning sessions. Spectral irradiance of 195 sunbeds in five areas of the United Kingdom was measured in order to assess the radiant doses for comparison with the SED. Erythema weighted irradiance of more than 85% of all tested solaria exceeded 0.3 W m(-2) , consistent with the findings of other studies. However, evaluation of radiant doses showed no evidence of increasing exposure per session in the United Kingdom in the last decade despite the increasing sunbed emission levels. Use of sunbeds for cosmetic purposes should be discouraged, with effective enforcement of the ban on under-18 use, strict control on tanning duration and promotion of information on health risks of sunbed use. Such an integrated approach on safe equipment, safe use, and information should reduce the risk of detrimental impact of sunbed use on public health.

High dermatophyte contamination levels in hairdressing salons of a West African suburban community.

Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection of scalp is commonly spread by currently infected patients, asymptomatic carriers or by fomites, such as hairdressing tools. However, studies on the risk factors of Tinea capitis remain scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dermatophytes contamination level of the hairdressing tools to which hairdressing salon customers are exposed in Sirakoro-Méguétana, a suburb of Bamako, the capital city of Mali. A total of 41 hairdressing tools were sampled in five hairdressing salons. Two anthropophilic dermatophytes species, Microsporum audouinii (53.3%) and Trichophyton soudanense (46.7%), were cultured from 30 (73.2%) samples. This first study, addressing hairdressing salons dermatophyte contamination, revealed a strikingly high contamination of hairdressing tools with dermatophyte propagules, which exposes hairdressing salons customers to an important dermatophytosis risk. The sterilisation of hairdressing tools is central to preventing dermatophytoses spreading. Appropriate community information and hairdressers training should be implemented in this view.