For ten years, the Swedish Armed Forces have recommended that recruits wear a chafing tape around their feet, to reduce the risk of injuries and chafing. The change has worked relatively well, but over the years some problems have also arisen during the marches.
New research from Lund University shows that the recommended taping can lead to lifelong contact allergies.
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“Eczema all over the body”
Cecilia Svedmanprofessor of occupational and environmental dermatology at Lund University and senior physician at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, believes that contact dermatitis is a bigger problem than you might think.
– This could be a national problem with potentially many recruits involved. Some of those who were referred to us had extremely strong rosin reactions on their feet and there were also individuals who got eczema all over their bodies, says Svedman in a press release.
Some individuals have developed eczema all over their body after using the tape. Photo: Anna Hållams/TT. The substance that triggers the eczema: Rosin
The research shows that the substance rosin is the reason why the skin reacts. Initially, the substance comes from resin found in resin from conifers. Resin is usually used in the creation of adhesive materials in medical devices, such as plasters.
Masking tape is widely used worldwide, but there is a problem with using it in medical devices. The content of the product does not need to be reported and there can sometimes be unclear instructions about how long the tape can be used.
The reason for that is that there is no declaration obligation for medical devices as there is for medicines and make-up.
– It is therefore of the utmost importance that toxicological assessments are made of medical devices that take into account how they are used, so that we can get safer products on the market, says Svedman in the press release.
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