Hairdressing (n = 169) and nursing apprentices (n = 255) have been included in a prospective follow-up study in the region of East Thuringia. Startingin 8/92, the apprentices have been interviewed and examined in a standardized way rignt at the beginning of their vocational training, after half a year (hairdressers) or one year (nurses), respectively, and, eventually, before graduation. In their case histories 6.7% (n = 17) of the nursing and 1.8% (n = 3) of the hairdressing apprentices reported of hand eczema. The first follow-up assessment revealed hand eczema in 15.3% (n = 34) of the nursing and in 17.8% (n = 30) of the hairdressing apprentices. The final examination after 3 years training gave evidence for a slight reduction in the frequency of hand eczema for both jobs. Although the majority of the trainees used skin care products and protective gloves on a regular base, skin damage was common. Atopic skin diathesis (> 10 points of Diepgen's atopy score) was identified to be a predictive risk factor for the development of occupation related skin problems. However, this could not be found for respiratory atopy and metal sensitization.
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