[Glycerol monothioglycolate eczema in a hairdresser. Persistence of the allergen in the hair several weeks after the application of a permanent].

Abstract

Glyceryl thioglycolate has been used for a pair of years in acid permanent wave solutions. It appears to be much more sensitizing than ammonium thioglycolate which is usually the main component of this kind of cosmetics. A case of allergic contact dermatitis due to glyceryl thioglycolate is reported. The patient was a 43-year old woman with an eczematous dermatitis of both hands. She was a hairdresser and eczematous eruptions were strictly work-related. She had no direct contact with most cosmetics and only used tools (scissors, clips, pins, rollers, combs...) and hair spray. Patch testing was however done with the standard patch-test screening tray and all the products used in the shop. The only positive reaction was due to a permanent wave solution containing only glyceryl thioglycolate and glycerol. Positive patch-test reactions were also obtained with hair treated with the permanent wave solution and cut immediately or several weeks after the application of the preparation. This observation shows that glyceryl thioglycolate may be responsible for allergic contact dermatitis in hairdressers; it emphasizes the long remanence of the allergen in the hair that makes its eviction specially difficult.