Barrier Disruption
Irritant contact dermatitis often occurs on the hands of those who frequently get them wet. The root cause is largely unestablished, speculated to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, however wet-work—occupations within which workers have to immerse their hands in liquids either repeatedly or for long periods of time—is a primary culprit, part and parcel.
First signs of irritant contact dermatitis appeared when I was nineteen. Over the years, different histories, all intersecting, have been offered up as explanation: My first year of art school was spent using oil paints and their accompanying chemicals without care. Turpentine to thin the paint, turpentine to clean the brushes, turpentine not washed off skin. The proceeding years were spent in bars and kitchens, hands permanently submerged in liquid, washing dishes, pulling beers, wiping pools of melted ice off metal surfaces.
Manifesting as a disruption to surface, irritant contact dermatitis…
