Glove Reuse Limits in Hair Dyeing: Permeation of p-Phenylenediamine and Aminophenols Through Natural Rubber Latex and Neoprene After Repeated Washing.

BACKGROUND

Hairdressers often reuse disposable gloves, yet the effect of repeated washing on protection against oxidative hair-dye sensitizers is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To determine how reuse and wash type influence the permeation of p-phenylenediamine (PPD) and aminophenols through natural-rubber-latex (NRL) and neoprene gloves.

METHODS

Closed-loop ASTM F739 tests (27°C) were run for five consecutive 8-h exposures, each followed by either a water-only rinse or a detergent wash. Breakthrough time (BT), steady-state permeation rate (PR) and cumulative permeated mass (CPM) were quantified; linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effects of reuse day, wash type and concentration.

RESULTS

NRL failed after one reuse; by Day 5, CPM reached 110 μg, and BT shortened. Neoprene maintained BT > 2 h across two reuse cycles; however, by Day 5, CPM increased by 41 μg. Wash type did not affect BT, PR, or CPM (p > 0.05). In NRL, each 1% (w/v) concentration increment shortened BT by 1.1 min and increased PR by 0.037 μg/cm2 min; no concentration effect was observed in neoprene.

CONCLUSIONS

Barrier performance was governed more by the reuse cycle than the rinse chemistry. Reuse of single-use gloves is not recommended because repeated use and cleaning reduce their protective performance.