Skin problems in sugar artists.
Sugar artistry is a growing profession amongst bakers and confectioners and an increasingly common hobby in amateur cooks. The main work consists of manual manipulation of sugar which is formed into figures and objects for table and food decoration. The sugar must be warmed up to 50 degrees C in order to be liquid and malleable and so the artists suffer from diverse thermally induced skin problems on their hands. Such changes have not to date been reported in the dermatological literature. In this study we report our experience in 50 Swiss sugar artists who have suffered from skin problems. The study took the form of a questionnaire survey. The response rate was 30 out of 50. Twenty-six reported no chronic skin disorder. Four suffered from a palmar vesicular relapsing type of chronic eczema. The main skin problems on the hands during work with hot sugar were increased sweating, seen in 20 out of 30 (67%), and burning with erythema and blistering, seen in 12 out of 30 (40%). Most participants (83%) were highly irritated by the skin problems during their work, and applied a protective cream before working with sugar, or wore rubber gloves. Topical therapy with a preparation containing 10% aluminium chloride hexahydrate, used once daily for 3 weeks, evaluated in 14 participants, decreased sweating in 10 (71%) and reduced the thermally induced erythema in one (7%).
Bangha
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E
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
Elsner
P
P
D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001154:Art; D001252:Astringents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002056:Burns; D002712:Chlorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004485:Eczema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects*
D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D001252:Astringents; D002712:Chlorides; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D013395:Sucrose