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Barrier Creams and Emollients

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Handbook of Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Contact dermatitis is the most frequent manifestation of occupational skin disease. Since the course may be chronic leading to disability, and since treatment is frequently of limited efficacy, prevention should be emphasized to reduce the incidence and prevalence of irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Apart from total elimination of cutaneous exposure to hazardous substances and the use of gloves or protective clothing, barrier creams (protective creams) (BCs) are targeted as one of the classical means of skin protection against noxious chemicals from the environment (Lachapelle 1995). Skin protection in the workplace consists of preexposure BCs, mild skin cleansers and post-exposure skin-care products such as emollients or moisturizers (Table 1). While BCs are designed to prevent skin damage due to irritant contact, skin cleaning should remove aggressive substances from the skin, and skin care is intended to enhance epidermal barrier regeneration (Wigger-Alberti and Elsner 1997a).

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Authors
  1. W. Wigger-Alberti
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  2. P. Elsner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Dermatology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Lasse Kanerva M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Occupational Dermatology, Karolinska Hospital, 117 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan E. Wahlberg M.D., Ph.D.

  3. National Institute for Working Life, 117 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan E. Wahlberg M.D., Ph.D.

  4. Klinik für Hautkrankheiten, Klinikum der FSU Jena, Erfurter Straße 35, 07740, Jena, Germany

    P. Elsner

  5. School of Medicine, University of California, Box 0989, Surge 100, 94143-0989, CA, San Francisco, USA

    Howard I. Maibach M.D.

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Wigger-Alberti, W., Elsner, P. (2000). Barrier Creams and Emollients. In: Kanerva, L., Wahlberg, J.E., Elsner, P., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Handbook of Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07677-4_62

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07677-4_62

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-07679-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-07677-4

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