The same report states how allergic rashes are not the health risk caused by clothing chemicals. (Source: File Photo)You might feel like wearing that new dress or pair of jeans you just bought, but you need to be careful as it can have some serious health repercussions. According to a report in TIME, wearing new clothes without washing them can lead to contracting allergic contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction that occurs when the skin is exposed to a foreign substance.
“When we see allergic contact dermatitis from clothing, it’s usually from disperse dyes,” Dr Susan Nedorost, professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University and director of the dermatitis program at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center was quoted as saying. “If a patient comes in and has a rash around the back of the neck and along their sides around their armpits, the first question I ask is what they wear when they work out,” she added. An effective way to curb the risk of such reactions is to wash new clothes. “By washing new clothing, you might remove a little extra dye and so have a lower exposure,” says Nedorost.
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In some cases, albeit rare, washing new clothes before wearing also helps in preventing the potential risk of contracting new allergy. Things get exacerbated if one has an open wound and a bit of the dye comes in contact with it. This, she says, can cause a long-lasting sensitivity.
The same report states how allergic rashes are not the only health risk clothing chemicals pose. In 2014, a group of researchers from Stockholm University examined around 31 clothing samples from retail outlets. Although the clothing pieces were different from each other in terms of brand and colour, 29 of the 31 items had quinoline or one of its derivative. Quinoline is a kind of chemical compound that has been categorised as a “possible human carcinogen” by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
