Abstract
Various chemicals are used for processing of clothes to give comfort and fashionableness. However, those chemical materials can give negative influence to skin. An atopic dermatitis patient is easy to have in particular a handicap for chemicals contained in clothes. In recent years, clothes processed to prevent contact dermatitis are recognized in a market. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether finishes on the market is positive influence to dermatitis.
The survey was conducted by written questionnaire. The subjects were 858 female university students living in the Tokai region of Japan, ranging in age from 18 to 22 years old. The survey included questions on experience of contact dermatitis due to clothing. Subjects were given additional questions regarding recognition of skin care clothes, experience of wearing skin care clothes, and improvement of a symptom by wearing skin care clothes.
The most frequent cause of skin problems was clothing, experienced by 37.7% of subjects. The percentage of subjects who had recognized skin care clothes was 45.9% of subjects experienced contact dermatitis due to clothing and 40.6% of subjects non-experienced. In the group who experienced contact dermatitis due to clothes, 22 of 296 subjects (7.4%) have worn skin care clothes. In the non-experienced group, 15 of 490 subjects (3.2%) have worn skin care clothes. Thus, the number of subjects who had worn skin care clothes was significantly higher (p<0.01) in experienced group than in non-experienced group. The number of the person whose symptom was improved by wearing skin care clothes is 11 out of 22. The necessity was recognized that activities to wear skin care clothes were promoted.
