title: Patch-testing with hairdressing chemicals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hairdressing chemicals may be associated with allergic contact dermatitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review our experience of patch-testing with hairdressing chemicals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed results from patients who underwent patch testing with our standard allergen series (including 15 hairdressing chemicals) and a supplementary "hairdresser series" (18 additional hairdressing chemicals) at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN; Scottsdale, AZ; and Jacksonville, FL) from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred ten patients (mean age, 53.8 years [SD, 16.9 yr]; female, 94.8%) were patch-tested. The most common sites of dermatitis were the scalp, face, and hands. Patients had widely varying occupations. The most common occupations were cosmetologist (10.5%), housewife (9.5%), and beautician (5.2%); 14.3% were retired. The hairdresser series detected 13 additional patients with allergies (6.4%; 204 patients tested with both series) who would not have been detected with the standard allergen series alone. The highest allergic patch-test rates in the supplemental hairdresser series were with ammonium persulfate (14.4%), 4-aminoazobenzene (13.4%), and pyrogallol (9.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patch-testing with hairdressing-specific chemicals (standard series plus supplemental hairdresser series) was appropriate for numerous clinical situations and was not limited to patients in hair care occupations. The supplemental hairdresser series helped identify more patients than would have been identified with the standard series alone.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Michael Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Mark D P
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate; D001461:Barbering; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000379:methods*; D011748:Pyrogallol; D010128:p-Aminoazobenzene
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D011748:Pyrogallol; C031276:ammonium peroxydisulfate; D010128:p-Aminoazobenzene; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate