Hairdressing: Maxine's story

Case study: Maxine

Sector : Hairdressing

Condition: Allergic contact dermatitis

Maxine had been a hairdresser for over 22 years and even owned her own salon for five of them. She left work to have a family but 18 months after her return to the salon she spotted a rash on the back of her hands which she initially ignored. However, her hands swelled up and starting cracking and this spread all over her body, resulting in infection.

Her symptoms got so bad that she was forced to use prescription steroid creams. Not only was her career that she loved becoming a struggle but her home life was also suffering. Simple tasks such as washing dishes or peeling potatoes, onions or fruit, was irritating her skin and even bathing the children was causing her immense pain.

Maxine now resorts to applying the strongest of steroid creams but doesn't use them on a daily basis as it thins her skin. She wears gloves the majority of the time, especially when washing clients' hair.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Skin at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/index.htm
  2. Overview - Employers, employees and traineeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/index.htm
  3. Overview - What are work-related skin diseases?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/whatare.htm
  4. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/dermatitis.htm
  5. Urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/urticaria.htm
  6. Skin cancerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/cancer.htm
  7. Sun exposurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/sunprotect.htm
  8. Overview - Latex allergieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/latex.htm
  9. Selecting latex gloveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/latex-gloves.htm
  10. How does exposure happen?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/exposure.htm
  11. Overview - How can they be prevented?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/prevention.htm
  12. Gloveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/gloves.htm
  13. High-risk jobshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/highrisk/index.htm
  14. What does the law say?https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/law.htm
  15. Overview - H&S and medical professionalshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/index.htm
  16. Overview - Causes of skin diseasehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/index.htm
  17. Causes of Contact dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/dermatitis.htm
  18. Causes of Contact urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/urticaria.htm
  19. Causes of Acneshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/acnes.htm
  20. Causes of Cancershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/cancers.htm
  21. Causes of Leucoderma (Vitiligo)https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/leucoderma.htm
  22. Structure and functions of the skinhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/structure.htm
  23. Skin infectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/infections.htm
  24. Overview - Causative agentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agents.htm
  25. Skin irritants and sensitisershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable1.htm
  26. Causes of contact urticariahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable2.htm
  27. Agents that cause skin cancerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/causes/agentstable3.htm
  28. Managing exposure riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/managerisk.htm
  29. Legal requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/legal.htm
  30. Information for inspectorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/inspectors.htm
  31. Training resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/trainingresources.htm
  32. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/information.htm
  33. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/publications.htm
  34. Postershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/posters.htm
  35. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/index.htm
  36. Photographic chemicalshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/photographic.htm
  37. Tiler: Ted's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/tiler.htm
  38. Hairdressing: Maxine's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/hairdressers.htm
  39. Hairdressing: Julie's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/julie-hair.htm
  40. Hairdressing: Marie's storyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/marie-hair.htm
  41. Latex allergies - Nursinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/alison-nursing.htm
  42. Latex allergies - Radiographyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/pip-radiographer.htm
  43. Latex allergies - Dental practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/julie-dental.htm
  44. Catering industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/catering.htm
  45. Meat processinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/meatprocessing.htm
  46. Paint manufacturinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/paint.htm
  47. Fabric coaterhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/casestudies/fabric.htm
  48. Image galleryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/imagelibrary.htm
  49. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/statistics.htm
  50. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/research.htm
  51. Presentationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/presentations.htm
  52. Videoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/professional/videos.htm
  53. Linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/links.htm
  54. Overview - FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/index.htm
  55. General questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/general.htm
  56. Hairdressing FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/hairdressing.htm
  57. Catering FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/catering.htm
  58. Cleaning FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/cleaning.htm
  59. Dental practice FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/faq/dental.htm
  60. Skin checks for dermatitis (Free poster)https://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/assets/docs/skindermatitis.pdf
  61. Keep your top on: INDG 147https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf
  62. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
  63. HSE Bookshttps://books.hse.gov.uk/
  64. The National Eczema Societyhttp://www.eczema.org/
  65. Cateringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/catering/index.htm
  66. Constructionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm
  67. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
  68. Health serviceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/index.htm
  69. Printinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/printing/index.htm

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Updated 2021-05-04