By Deborah Condon
Playing musical instruments may be bad
for your skin, the results of a new study indicate.
According to British consultant dermatologist,
Dr Thilo Gambichler, playing an instrument increases a person's risk of
suffering from a range of skin complaints. However such complaints can
usually be avoided by changing technique or making slight alterations to
the instrument.
Dr Gambichler searched all the published
literature for studies on instrument-related diseases in musicians. He
found that the most commonly reported skin conditions were allergic reactions
to specific components of instruments, such as rosin, which is used to
wax the bows of stringed instruments.
Flautists, brass and string players with
an allergy to nickel reportedly suffered from dermatitis of the lips, chin
or hands, which in some cases, led to chronic eczema.
Simple alterations however, such as changing
the brand of rosin or changing to a plastic mouthpiece could avert these
conditions.
"The skin is important in the positioning
and playing of a musical instrument. During practicing and performing,
there is a permanent contact between the instrument and the musician's
skin of varying intensity. Apart from aggravating previous skin conditions,
specific dermatologic conditions may develop that are directly caused by
playing an instrument", Dr Gambichler said.
Other conditions reported included 'fiddler's
neck'. This is a chronic irritant condition, in which the area of skin
on the side of the neck that is in contact with a violin or viola, becomes
discoloured and thicker than normal.
"By becoming familiar with the known
conditions associated with specific instruments, doctors will be better
able to diagnose and treat musicians who have skin problems affecting their
performance", Dr Gambichler added.
As most of the literature on this subject
relates to skin problems in orchestral musicians, Dr Gambichler and his
team are hoping to carry out a survey on skin problems suffered by other
types of musicians, including jazz, rock and pop musicians.
Details of Dr Gambichler's findings are
published in the journal, BMC Dermatology.
