Aims Determine the frequency of menstrual disorders and identify their risk factors in hairdressers of childbearing age.

Methods In a cross-sectional study, participants were all female hairdressers below 50 years of age working in the region of Mahdia in Tunisia (n=80). A control group comprised female office workers (n=80), with respective matching criteria. Menstrual disorders were defined as short cycles, long cycles, irregular cycles and bleeding or spotting between periods (intermenstrual bleeding). The data were analyzed by logistic regression calculating odds ratios (OR).

Results The frequency of menstrual disorders was significantly more frequent in the hairdressing population with a predominance of irregular menstrual cycle type disorders (51.3%), followed by short cycle type disorders (20%). Menstrual disorders were significantly associated with occupation (p = 0.00), non-use of gloves (p = 0.00), ventilation (p = 0.00) and the presence of a closed waste cycle (p = 0.00). After applying logistic regression, hairdressers were significantly more at risk of menstrual disorders (p = 0.001) than female office workers with an OR = 4.31 (95% CI =1.8–10.33).

Conclusion A disruption of the menstrual cycle can interfere with the fertility of workers and be the cause of delayed contraception. This is why preventive actions at different scales need to be applied.