Leather Allergies

[abn]

I'm hoping someone here may be able to help with this...

About a month ago, I started developing really small but painful blisters on the pads of my hands. Just a couple at a time, but they were pretty uncomfortable. Well, I switched hand soap from Dial to Ivory. I switched my shampoo. I stopped using the soap at work and ultimately started using Purell instead of soap altogether. I tried to change everything my hands came into contact with to see if I could remedy the problem. Nothing helped.

Then, I got busy and didn't do any leatherwork for a few weeks. Things got better. When I got back into my projects, the blisters reappeared. Coincidentally, I purchased a new side of Tandy's cheap, imported stuff (Craftsman Oak) right around the time my problems started. Never had an issue using the top-shelf stuff like Live Oak.

At this point, I'm assuming the chemicals in this hide are the problem, but wanted to query the experts here to ask if they've ever heard of any sort of leather allergy.

Any comments are sincerely appreciated! -Alex

[wildrose]

I thought I'd heard Johanna has a leather allergy? Check with her...

[Johanna]

I do. Some leathers will give me the blisters, some just hives, some I have no reaction to. Wash your hands a lot! Never pop or scratch the blisters because then they itch like crazy. Cortaid cream helps. When my hands itch really badly, isopropyl alcohol helps. I am also very allergic to raw pine, so I've wondered if the two are related...i.e. am I sensitive to some leathers because pine is used in the tanning process? I can't predict which veggie tanned leather will bother me- I have had high and low priced episodes. Only one hospital visit though- and that was because I had tiny little holes in my hands from sewing while unpacking a shipment of hides from Argentina. Don't rub your eyes while working, ever. I can't stand gloves. The more I'm around leather the less it bothers me, but the last time I went into a Tandy store I broke out in full body hives within an hour. I know it's because I am seldom around leather any more, and I just had to touch everything. Go figure.

Johanna

[TwinOaks]

My brother in law is allergic to deer hide- but only after it's processed.

I've never heard of an allergy to actual leather (until Jo's post) but I've certainly heard of chemical burns. It sounds to me like you're having a reaction to some of the chemicals being used- not the dead cow. There's been reports of some people having severe reactions to the chemicals found in common household cleaners; bad enough to head the the ER. Hang in there.

Oh, and if someone wants to give you a little very dark purple/ black pill about half the size of a green pea.....make sure you're where you want to be for the next two days before taking it.

[Michael Sheldon]

Allergies can strike anywhere. I know a couple of folks who play Irish (wooden) flutes that developed allergies to the wood the flutes are made of.

For the sound of things, it's not so much leather that you're allergic to as a specific tanning/treatment. Ditch the hide that's causing you issues, and go back to what you were using before. Hopefully you won't have any issues.

[Johanna]

I had a dog that could not wear a veggie tanned collar with a raw inside (not waxed or finished) or he would lose hair and scratch at his raw skin. I made all his collars lined with Cabretta, laced nice and pretty, because, hey, I could. It's the flesh side that usually irritates, not the grain side. Deerskin sometimes makes me itchy, especially in the heat. I remember wearing a deerskin dress to a Pow Wow in Georgia- and taking a Benadryl on the way home for the resulting hives. My Cabretta tops and skirts have never bothered me. Upholstery leather and most chrome/alum tans don't set me off.

Wet a piece of suspicious leather and hold it in the crook of your elbow for 30 seconds. If you react to it, you have identified a problem leather.

Johanna

[AlcoveShop]

Ive seen those blisters on more than one occasion myself, and it took a few years to (doh!) finally narrow it down to some of the leathers out there- it didnt really become apparent until I took a vacation and came back (managed at Tandy for about a decade and it was almost 5 years that I took said vac and really lef tthe store for more than a day or so) and cracked open a fresh shipment.

For me the suedes were the worst, leading up to crazy itching episodes to some hefty blisters like you mention. Over time the veg hides seemed to fluctuate with this. I see J has the opposite though, more on the veg side than the chrome end. Wierd.

Now funnier still, since I left and have been working with primarily domestic hides, I havent seen this- to the point of forgetting about it till I saw it mentioned here.

Maybe the terrorists found a way to slowly work themselves in? (joking there)

Edited July 26, 2008 by AlcoveShop

[TwinOaks]

PETA conspiracy....it's gotta be. They've managed to get someone on the inside at the tanneries.

[12stones]

I'm allergic to leather dye. So, that might be part of the problem too, unless you're not dying the leather.

[abn]

A special thank-you to everyone who kindly responded. This problem has been driving me nuts for the last month or so. Following several people's advice, I put the imported hide in a heavy plastic bag and set it aside. I also threw away any remaining scraps. (All this with gloves on, of course.) Then, I did a little work with Live Oak (American origin) veg-tan. We'll see if the blisters, as I suspect, completely clear up. I also took Johanna's advice and washed my hands more, not less.

Also, as 12stones mentioned, I've fallen out of the use of gloves with leather dye since I'm using the Eco-Flo water-based stuff and I try to be careful. Nonetheless, I'm going to start dyeing with gloves on again, too. Might help.

Thanks again, everyone! Regards, -Alex

[Randy Cornelius]

Stay away from that cheep tandy stuff and buy Herman Oak or Wickett & Craig.

Rancy

[SmkyTheBr]

I worked in a tannery as a young man, and I can tell you that they use many different chemicals to tan hides. I'd have to say your probably having a reaction to one of the Tannin's that are used during the process. It would probably take more effort than it is worth to find out what a particular tanner is using on the hides, and then narrowing it down to a particular chemical. I'd stick with the good live oak tanned leather if your not having a problem. Hope this answers some of your questions, although it probably won't help.

Good Luck

Tom

[abn]

I've wanted to post a follow-up to this topic for some time now, just in case someone finds it in the future via search engine.

Although I initially suspected that low-grade leather was causing the blisters on my hands, I found that switching back to the expensive stuff didn't help. I was truly puzzled, since I could handle finished leather products all day, but making them was out of the question. I stopped doing leatherwork for about a year due to this issue.

When I decided to give it another go in January of this year, I made absolutely sure I wore gloves every time I used any sort of liquid. Since that time, I've experienced no problems. If you ask me today, my guess is that I was having an allergic reaction to either the Satin Shene or the neatsfoot oil; both of which I used to apply with bare hands.

Lesson learned -- always wear gloves when applying dye, oil or finishes.

-Alex

[funnygirl62221]

I've wanted to post a follow-up to this topic for some time now, just in case someone finds it in the future via search engine.

Although I initially suspected that low-grade leather was causing the blisters on my hands, I found that switching back to the expensive stuff didn't help. I was truly puzzled, since I could handle finished leather products all day, but making them was out of the question. I stopped doing leatherwork for about a year due to this issue.

When I decided to give it another go in January of this year, I made absolutely sure I wore gloves every time I used any sort of liquid. Since that time, I've experienced no problems. If you ask me today, my guess is that I was having an allergic reaction to either the Satin Shene or the neatsfoot oil; both of which I used to apply with bare hands.

Lesson learned -- always wear gloves when applying dye, oil or finishes.

-Alex

Hi,

I work in healthcare and they have stopped using latex gloves because of all the people who have become allergic to it. I noticed that the Tandy glue is made from latex. Could that be it?

Ellen

[horsewreck]

I have mild asthma which sometimes is set off by chrome tanned leather. There have been times when a new batch of chap leather comes in that I have had to unroll it outside and let it air out several hours. I have never had a reaction to veg. tanned leather, with the exception of some cheap blasted Argentine skirting which was sent to me by mistake and it stunk the place up for several days before UPS got it picked up. We use W&C or HO skirting alot and have never had a problem. Good leather smells good, bad leather smell like #!*#@^!?...... Jeff

[MikeCahill]

About a month ago, I started developing really small but painful blisters on the pads of my hands. Just a couple at a time,

Last year ARGOS ( a large UK catalogue company) along with several other large furniture companies settled a class action out of court because customers who bought leather furniture from them developed blisters from contact with the leather. This tallies with what you have suffered, a anti-histamine cream as soon as you feel the reaction coming on might help, but anti-histamine thins the skin so not something you want to be doing on a regular basis

Cheers

Mike

[Tree Reaper]

This is a problem for me as well, I develop a post nasal drip which causes me to cough, gets bad at night when I'm trying to sleep.

I have also developed the itchy rash, stop doing leather work and everything clears up.

I've been taking Tylenol with Acetaminophen at night and it clears the sinus problem but they only last about five hours.

[Bob Blea]

Have you tried an antihistime (Benadryl, Claritin) to see if they have any effect? If it's an allergic reaction Benadryl would usually help calm things down.

Bob

[Tree Reaper]

I've tried all that Bob, I'm trying to stop the drip from my beak now, if I can stop that then the cough should stop.

I also have a corticosteroid that I'm using.

Cedar dust is also a big problem for me.

[humperdingle]

Somebody (a saddler, apparently) told me that the dust thrown off when sanding leather is carcinogenic... Is this true?

I sand my stuff outside more because of the fact my 'workshop' is the kitchen, so don't want dust all over the place, but I don't wear a dustmask... Should I??

Or is that a load of rubbish?

[Tree Reaper]

If I'm sanding cedar wood without a mask I choke immediately, when I sand leather it doesn't affect me, at least while I'm sanding but you should always take precautions and wear a mask when doing any type of sanding to protect your lungs from the fine dust.

[Bob Blea]

Just my $.02,

I've seen other questions along these lines on the forum, and as the comments here from Johanna, Alex and others can show, for some people prolonged contact with the chemicals involved in tanning, dyeing or otherwise treating leather can bother some people. I don't know if there is evidence these chemicals are carcinogens, but it's possible. However, any sort of foreign substance that is inhaled enough (leather dust, chemicals, etc) can be very bad. I've known a couple of people that were life long bird owners that are now having respiratory problems. The dander the birds produce has been causing their problems (to the point they had to get rid of their birds) and one person now needs a double lung transplant. I think having a dust mask when sanding, a respirator when using chemical solvents, or just working outside where there is good ventilation is just a good precaution.

Bob

[gary]

I though I would add to the pool of knowledge so, for what it's worth...

Tannic acid was used from antiquity to the late 1940s for the treatment of burns. It was used to speed up the healing process - it seemed to help scar formation. Presumably, it was thought that if it could 'fix' leather it could 'fix' skin. Research in the 1940s by plastic surgeons including Sir Archibald MacIndoe found it to be carcinogenic as well as nephrotoxic (damaging to the kidneys) as absorbed tannic acid is excreted from the circulation via the kidneys. Sorry I can't quote the original research but my files got weeded and they've gone.

I worked on a burns unit for years and once, when clearing out an old storage cupboard, found a tube of tannic acid and was interested enough to do a bit of research. The tube it was in, by the way, was made of lead. A bit of a double whammy.

Tea contains tannic acid (albeit very weak) but is neutralised by the addition of milk.

I should know better but I don't wear a dust mask when sanding leather. And I drink tea.

An allergy may be to the leather itself (usually the proteins it contains) or the chemicals used to tan it - I don't know if there are fewer allergies with tawed or chrome leather than veg tan.

Gary

[Tree Reaper]

I've been taking Colloidal Silver and it has stopped the cough.