Exposure of hairdressers to the main cosmetics used in hairdressing salons in France: A preliminary study

• Published in: Archives of environmental & occupational health Vol. 71; no. 5; pp. 247 - 258
• Main Authors: Ramirez-Martinez, A., Granda-Torres, P., Wesolek, N., Ficheux, A. S., Roudot, A. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 02.09.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Beauty Culture; Cosmetics - analysis; Dermal exposure; exposure assessment for professionals; Female; France; Hair Dyes - analysis; hairdressing salons; Humans; inhalation exposure; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Young Adult; Dermal exposure; exposure assessment for professionals; hairdressing salons; inhalation exposure
• ISSN: 1933-8244; 2154-4700
• DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2015.1024390

In recent years, more attention has been given to chemical exposure in hairdressers. This increasing interest is largely due to the various respiratory and skin symptoms observed in hairdressers. According to these symptoms, hairdressers are in contact with various sources of exposure. Particularly in France, little information is available to assess professional exposure of hairdressers. In order to gather information to assess exposure in hairdressers, 11 hairdressing salons were visited. All the salons were located in Brest City (France). Preferentially, small hairdressing salons were visited. Observations were performed to obtain salon characteristics and to record workers' practices. Calculations revealed that in the worst-case scenario, dermal professional exposure reaches 14.68 and 13.67 mg/kg/day for hair coloring and highlighting mixtures, respectively. Inhalation exposure represents 14.2 and 18.1 mg/kg/day for hair coloring and highlighting mixtures, respectively. These exposure values represent baseline values for exposure of French hairdressers working in small hairdressing salons.