Verified on 04/23/2024 by Alexane Flament, Editor
Are you the type who can’t wait to proudly show others your latest fashion finds? Bad idea !
According to some experts, wearing new clothes without washing them first can be harmful to your skin. Two dermatologists and a clothing manufacturer explain why it’s important to wash our new clothes before wearing them.
Clothing covered in chemicals
If your new clothes don’t smell bad and are clean, that doesn’t mean they are safe for your health. Some new clothing may contain toxic substances that can penetrate the skin.
Many textile factories are located in highly polluted urban areas. According to Lee W. Johnson, creator of the men’s clothing brand Old Bull Lee, factories where clothing is made are places with polluted air and these pollutants can be deposited on clothing.
But that’s not all, the chemicals used to make clothes can be harmful. According to the textile professional, the fabrics of our clothing may contain:
- of leadan ingredient often found in pigments used to color clothing;
- of formaldehydea substance known to be carcinogenic and often used to make wrinkle-resistant clothing;
- of the perfluorinated chemicals (PFC) ;
- of the azo dyescarcinogens that are easily absorbed through the skin and can trigger contact eczema.
A risk of itching and rash
Questioned by the Huffington Post on the possible harmful effects of new clothes on the skin, Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, dermatologist in Miami, warns of cases of allergic contact dermatitis triggered by wearing new clothes.
Indeed, certain substances mentioned above can cause a skin rash characterized by redness and itching. Sweating and the friction of clothing against the skin can cause the release of potentially allergenic chemicals. These can penetrate the epidermis. There dermatitis allergic contact can also manifest as hyperpigmentation of the skin
Lee W. Johnson recommends washing new clothes: “turn your clothes inside out before putting them in the machine for a cold wash (cold retains color). Then dry them at low temperature to remove any residues of soot and toxins which may be present on the surface of the fabrics and which come from the factories and warehouses through which they passed during their manufacture and transport..
If the fabrics of your new clothes are fragile and you are afraid of damaging them in the machine, wash them by hand.
“A quick hand wash with a little detergent is enough to remove dirt and chemicals from clothes before they come into contact with the skin”, says Dr Azadeh Shirazi, dermatologist.
Journalist
April 23, 2024, at 10:10 a.m.
Was this article useful to you?
Read also :
