Nickel allergy is the most common contact allergy in Europe despite the implementation of the EU Nickel Directive in 2001.Cosmetics and topical drugs are another common source of allergic contact dermatitis.
The main culprits include:
- fragrance chemicals
- preservatives
- hair dyes
References:
New aspects in allergic contact dermatitis. Mortz, Charlotte Gotthard; Andersen, Klaus Ejner. Skin allergy. Current Opinion in Allergy & Clinical Immunology. 8(5):428-432, October 2008.
Guidelines for the Management of Contact Dermatitis: an Update. J. Bourke; I. Coulson; J. English. The British Journal of Dermatology, Medscape, 06/02/2009.
Contact Dermatitis: A Learning Module by AAMC http://bit.ly/A1dnc
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe was allergic to wizard' glasses - the frames contained nickel http://goo.gl/FRRNd
Nickel allergy tracked to a single receptor - Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) http://goo.gl/PZic
Image source: US Nickel Reverse, Wikipedia, public domain.
Image source: US Nickel Reverse, Wikipedia, public domain.
