Prevent it

Here's how to wave goodbye to bad hand days. Five small steps to prevent dermatitis becoming a big problem:

Step 1

Wear disposable non-latex gloves when rinsing, shampooing, colouring, bleaching, etc.

Step 2

Dry your hands thoroughly with a soft cotton or paper towel.

Step 3

Moisturise after washing your hands, as well as at the start and end of each day. It's easy to miss fingertips, finger webs and wrists. See 'Skin care' [PDF 62kb] for more information.

Step 4

Change gloves between clients. Make sure you don't contaminate your hands when you take them off. See 'Correct removal of gloves' [PDF 62kb] for more information.

Step 5

Check skin regularly for early signs of dermatitis. See 'Skin checks' [PDF 59kb] for more information.

Myths, misundertandings and prevention checklist [62kb]
Information on gloves and creams
Recommended product types and information on suppliers.
Skin care [62kb]
Method for using hand cream, soap and cleanser.
Skin checks for dermatitis[59kb]
Regularly check your skin for early signs of dermatitis.
Correct removal of gloves [62kb]
Remove gloves carefully to protect your skin from contamination.
SR11 - Hairdressing: Harm via skin or eye contact [149kb]
SR12 - Electrolysis, piercing, tattooing and micro-pigmentation: General ventilation [136kb]
SR13 - Nail bars: Engineering control [155kb]

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