When choosing fabrics for their garments, people often think about how the fabric will look or feel. First, however, people should consider how it may affect the skin, particularly sensitive skin.
Fabrics are made from natural materials such as cotton, wool and silk. These are ideal for many clothing items because they have properties that make them comfortable to wear next to the skin, and they can also be used to make garments of any shape and size, such as form-fitting clothing.
But some fabrics contain substances like dyes and flame retardants that can irritate the skin. Therefore, you should wear gloves while handling these fabric types if your hands are sensitive. Wearing gloves is especially necessary when handling uncarded wool and wool blends because the fibres tend to stick to your hands and remain there.
As a result, you may start feeling pain in areas where the fabric has rubbed against your skin and develop redness and rashes that look like eczema or dermatitis. In addition, people with asthma should avoid clothing made from wool or acrylics because these fabrics can trigger attacks.
The problem is especially severe for people who suffer from contact eczema. When handling fabrics, they should wear gloves and take precautions to avoid skin-to-fabric contact. People who use clothing made from the following types of fabric should also be aware of these precautions:
Cotton Denim
Cotton denim, which does not contain flame retardants and is, therefore, safe to use. However, denim can cause contact dermatitis in people with nickel allergies.
Acrylic Fiber
Acrylic does not contain flame retardants and should therefore be safe for people with asthma or contact eczema. However, some cases of skin being burned when certain parts of the fabric have caught fire. Therefore, people with asthma should avoid clothing made from acrylic fabrics while using stoves.
Acetate Fibre
Acetate or triacetate are included in some synthetic fibres and may contain substances that cause skin irritation. These fabrics are often used to make knitted garments such as stockings and leggings.
Nylon
Nylon, also included in some synthetic fibres, may cause dermatitis in people with contact eczema.
Wool
Some wool, which is increasingly being used for sweaters. The problem is that these sweaters are not labelled properly, so it can be hard to tell what the main ingredient of the fabric is. People who have contact eczema or asthma should avoid clothing made from this type of fabric.
Final Words
If you have sensitive skin, it is a good idea to put on a T-shirt washed many times before handling these fabrics. Fabrics made from natural materials tend to cause fewer problems because they contain fewer chemicals. Natural fibres are becoming more popular nowadays as people try to live healthier lives. People who work in fabric stores should take some precautions that can help protect their skin. Gloves and long sleeves are good protective clothing items to use when handling fabrics daily. They also need to keep their skin clean because the dust on the fabrics can irritate them.
