Knee protectors can cause skin problems
January 12th, 2011 - 5:58 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 12 (ANI): A new research has revealed that knee protectors can form allergenic substances on the skin.
“Substances that appear at first glance to be harmless can cause allergic reactions since skin enzymes may help to form new, allergenic substances from them, giving rise to dermatitis and other skin problems,” said Kristin Samuelsson of the University of Gothenburg.
“This is the case for isothiocyanates, which are formed on the skin following repeated contact with rubber,” Samuelsson said.
Isothiocyanates are potent contact allergens that occur naturally in vegetables. They are used also in technical products.
Samuelsson used fluorescent isothiocyanates to study how allergenic substances are absorbed by the skin and lymph nodes, after being applied to the skin.
The results show that the reactive isothiocyanates are mainly restricted to the outermost layer of skin (known as the “stratum corneum”), which consists of dead cells. Even so, the isothiocyanates that were tested were potent allergens.
Diphenylthiourea is a substance that is used in the production of rubber, including the neoprene rubber that is used in mouse mats, wetsuits, knee protectors and other products with which we have close and frequent contact.
Isothiocyanates are among the substances that are formed from diphenylthiourea when it is applied to skin.
The number of patients with reported allergies against neoprene rubber is not actually very high, but this may be because it is difficult to confirm such allergies. (ANI)
- Breakthrough to help drug delivery through skin - Apr 27, 2012
- Blame your gut for your skin allergies - May 03, 2011
- Major shift in understanding how eczema develops - Dec 18, 2010
- Creams used to treat eczema can make it worse - Nov 14, 2010
- Simple test to figure out if products cause skin allergies - May 28, 2010
- Cell component that triggers cat allergy identified - Mar 10, 2011
- Why our skin doesn't dissolve in the bath - Mar 09, 2011
- Atopic dermatitis is a strong precursor to food allergies - Feb 06, 2011
- Prolonged use of cell phones may trigger skin allergies - Nov 23, 2010
- Prolonged cell use, body piercing, tattoos trigger allergic reaction - Nov 15, 2010
- Nanoparticles could offer relief from skin allergies - Apr 04, 2011
- Cricket fans, go easy on face paint and wear cotton! - Mar 03, 2011
- Biodiversity loss can trigger rising allergy levels - May 08, 2012
- Shampoos, conditioners, soaps can cause eczema - Mar 28, 2009
- Black rice may relieve inflammation caused by allergies, asthma - Oct 21, 2010
Tags: allergens, allergic reactions, allergies, dead cells, dermatitis, enzymes, first glance, isothiocyanates, knee protectors, kristin samuelsson, lymph nodes, mouse mats, neoprene rubber, outermost layer, skin problems, stratum corneum, university of gothenburg, vegetables