A transplant to Boston from Brazil, my patient worked as a hairdresser but had developed painful rashes on her hands that peeled and cracked, making it impossible to do her job.
I diagnosed her with an allergy to para-phenylenediamine, an ingredient in certain styling products she used at the salon. Her skin recovered as she avoided this chemical. A careful medical evaluation had healed her hands and allowed her to maintain her livelihood, her self-sufficiency, and the social connections with colleagues and clients that sustained her.
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A transplant to Boston from Brazil, my patient worked as a hairdresser but had developed painful rashes on her hands that peeled and cracked, making it impossible to do her job.
I diagnosed her with an allergy to para-phenylenediamine, an ingredient in certain styling products she used at the salon. Her skin recovered as she avoided this chemical. A careful medical evaluation had healed her hands and allowed her to maintain her livelihood, her self-sufficiency, and the social connections with colleagues and clients that sustained her.
Read the rest…
