Technical Post: Skin and Hair Diseases

As a Makeup Artist in the industry, there are certain skin and hair conditions to be aware of, so you know when you can absolutely not work on someone with these, and when you can. I have listed the most common ones below.

Contagious Skin and Hair Diseases

               Impetigo

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection that causes red sores that often break and leak pus or fluid. You should not work on someone who has Impetigo, as it is so highly contagious.

Ringworm

Ringworm is a common and highly infectious skin infection that causes a red ring-like rash on the skin. Ringworm is passed between people through direct skin contact and sharing objects such as towels and brushes, therefore you should not work on someone who has ringworm.

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       Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an infection that causes redness or inflammation of the eye. All types of conjunctivitis, apart from Allergic Conjunctivitis are contagious, and you should not work on anyone with conjunctivitis.

 Scabies

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow under the skin. It presents itself in the form of a rash where the mites have burrowed. Scabies can be passed through sharing towels, brushes, clothing etc. so you should never work on someone with Scabies.

Shingles

Shingles is an infection of the nerve and the skin around it. It is caused by the herpes-varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Shingles causes a painful rash, which develops into painful blisters.

Non-Contagious Skin and Hair diseases

     Herpes Simplex

Presented in the form of cold sores, which are small blisters that form around the mouth or on the lips.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales. This condition is not contagious, but extra care must be taken when working on someone with Psoriasis.

    Acne

Acne is a common skin condition that affects most people at some point. It causes spots to develop on the skin, usually on the face, back and chest. The spots can range from blackheads and whiteheads which are often mild, to inflamed pus-filled pustules and cysts, which can be severe and long lasting and can lead to scarring. Although you can work on someone with Acne, precautions should be taken.