Occupational skin diseases are one of the most common types of workplace diseases. They can take different forms, such as:
- Rash (contact dermatitis) caused by skin irritation
- Rash caused by skin allergies
- Skin cancers
- Skin infections
- Skin injuries
- Other skin diseases
Occupations at Risk
Workers in multiple industries and sectors may face risks of absorbing chemicals through their skin.
Dermal Absorption
Dermal absorption happens when a chemical goes through the skin and travels into the body. Many chemicals used in the workplace can damage organs if they penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. Examples of these chemicals include pesticides and organic solvents.
How fast the skin absorbs chemicals depends largely on the outer layer of the skin called thestratum corneum.The stratum corneum provides a barrier by keeping molecules from passing into and out of the skin. This barrier protects the lower layers of skin. How much the skin absorbs chemicals depends on the following factors:
- Skin integrity (damaged or intact)
- The place on the skin where the chemicals are absorbed. (This includes features like thickness and water content of stratum corneum and skin temperature.)
- Physical and chemical properties of the chemical
- Concentration of the chemical on the skin surface
- How long the skin absorbs the chemical
- The surface area of skin that absorbs the chemical
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis, also called eczema, happens when the skin becomes inflamed from contact with a chemical. Contact dermatitis is the most common form of reported occupational skin disease. Research suggests that contact dermatitis makes up 90–95% of occupational skin disease cases in the United States. Common symptoms of dermatitis include the following:
- Itching
- Pain
- Redness
- Swelling
- Small blisters or wheals (itchy, red circles with a white center) on the skin
- Dry, flaking, scaly skin that may crack
Occupational contact dermatitis is often placed into two categories:
- Irritant contact dermatitis involves a chemical directly damaging and inflaming skin. The damage often occurs only to the place where the skin absorbs the chemical. The following factors may cause irritant contact dermatitis:
- Phototoxic responses (such as tar)
- Brief contact with highly irritating chemicals (such as acids, bases, or oxidizing/reducing agents)
- Mild irritants that cause damage over time (such as water, detergents, or weak cleaning agents).
- Allergic contact dermatitis happens when a chemical that the skin absorbs causes the body’s immune system to produce an allergic reaction. For this to happen, a worker must be sensitive or allergic to the allergen. When the skin absorbs the chemical allergen again, the chemical may cause an immune reaction that inflames the skin. The reaction can go beyond the place where the skin absorbed the chemical. The following factors may cause allergic contact dermatitis:
- Industrial compounds (such as metals, epoxy and acrylic resins, or rubber additives)
- Agrochemicals (such as pesticides and fertilizers)
- Commercial chemicals
The symptoms and the appearance of irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis are similar. Clinical testing (such as patch testing) is often necessary to tell the difference between them. Contact dermatitis can be mild or severe, depending on many factors that include the following:
- Characteristics of the chemical
- Concentration of the chemical
- How often the skin absorbs the chemical
- Environmental factors, such as temperature or humidity
- Condition of the skin, such as healthy or damaged, dry, or wet
FAQs
Direct—Exposure to chemicals can cause effects at the point of contact. These are called direct effects and include defatting/ drying, irritation, corrosion, changes in pigmentation, chloracne, and skin cancer.
What substances can be absorbed through the skin? ›
Many other materials may also be absorbed through the skin in significant amounts. These include mercury, isocyanates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), acrylates, and pharmaceutical products such as steroids and nicotine.
What are the most common skin contact hazards? ›
Some chemicals cause reddening, dryness, and cracking of the skin on contact. These chemicals are known as irritants. Irritation is most frequently caused by fiberglass, soaps, oils/cutting fluids, and solvents. A permanent change in skin color may result when certain chemicals contact the skin.
What are 3 types of chemical exposures that can cause injury? ›
The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways. There are three basic exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Inhalation is breathing or inhaling into the lungs.
What is skin overexposure? ›
UVB penetrates and damages the outermost layers of your skin. Overexposure causes suntan, sunburn and, in severe cases, blistering. UVB is connected to the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) on labels of sunscreen products.
Can your skin absorb toxins? ›
Dermal absorption happens when a chemical goes through the skin and travels into the body. Many chemicals used in the workplace can damage organs if they penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. Examples of these chemicals include pesticides and organic solvents.
What substances can pass through skin? ›
For a molecule to cross the skin barrier, journey through the epidermis, and enter into the dermis, it must possess properties similar to the skin's surface. It must be lipophilic (or fat-loving) with a slightly acidic pH (between 4.6 and 5.5) – and have a molecular weight smaller than 500 Daltons.
Does what you put on your skin get absorbed into your bloodstream? ›
In other words, you can rest assured knowing your favorite skincare products are very unlikely to ever get into your bloodstream—your epidermis and dermis layers are great at doing their jobs.
What part of the skin absorbs the most? ›
The drug dermal absorption varies from one body region to another with the exception of the genital area—body sites with the greatest absorption are forehead, scalp, and neck.
What is an example of skin toxicity? ›
The severe dermatoses are the erythrodermas, erythema multiforme, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and bullous or blistering diseases. The dangerous symptom common to most of these CADRs is the sloughing off of large areas of epidermis, leaving the underlying dermis unprotected from bacterial infection.
Dermal exposure occurs when a toxicant causes damage to the epidermal tissue or is absorbed through the epidermis and enters the blood stream.
What are the symptoms of toxic exposure? ›
It may cause headache, sweating, blurred vision, stomach aches and diarrhea. It is common for even mild symptoms from a harmful chemical to make people feel anxious. Once exposure is stopped, mild symptoms usually go away quickly.
What is the most common form of toxic exposure? ›
Inhalation The most common type of exposure occurs when you breathe a substance into the lungs. The lungs consist of branching airways (called bronchi) with clusters of tiny air sacs (called alveoli) at the ends of the airways. The alveoli absorb oxygen and other chemicals into the bloodstream.
What are the effects of skin damage? ›
Symptoms include the following: Wrinkling. Pigmentation changes such as age spots, liver spots (solar lentigines) and freckles. Loss of skin tone (decreased elasticity)
How does skin affect the body? ›
Skin also plays an important role in regulating your body temperature. It helps prevent dehydration and protects you from the negative effects of too much heat or cold. And it allows your body to feel sensations such as warmth, cold, pressure, itching and pain.
Can too much exposure damage your skin? ›
Over time, UV damage can take a toll on your skin and its underlying connective tissue. As a result, your skin may develop more wrinkles and lines. Too much sun exposure can also raise your risk for skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States.
What are the negative effects of skin care? ›
Serious side effects of Skin Care
Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
