OMG - article about ruined face from semi-permanent dye

[jaquelines]

I just read in the news this article. I guess it is best you take a look at this. Hope it will never happen to me as I dye my hair regularly with semi permanent dyes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2109186/Carmen-Rowe-hair-dye-Pictures-swollen-face-woman-25-allergic-reaction.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[.Amanaka.]

I used to dye my hair all of the time, but I stopped after a bad reaction... to Clairol! I dyed my hair with some Nice 'n Easy, everything was fine. Dyed my mom's hair two weeks later, and it literally became one huge clump on her head. There was no way to separate or fix it, and I ended up having to cut it all off. After that, no dye near my head. Nope.

[jaquelines]

I used to dye my hair all of the time, but I stopped after a bad reaction... to Clairol! I dyed my hair with some Nice 'n Easy, everything was fine. Dyed my mom's hair two weeks later, and it literally became one huge clump on her head. There was no way to separate or fix it, and I ended up having to cut it all off. After that, no dye near my head. Nope.

Sorry to hear that !

[rock007junkie]

What I didn't understand from this article is that she had been coloring her hair since she was 13...why now with that reaction? Did she use a different product? Either way, that was scary.

[holothuroidea]

I never had a reaction from hair dye, but a face wash I used to use for my acne did the same thing to my face. My one eye was swollen shut for a whole day. It was the benzoyl peroxide that caused the reaction, and I had been using it for over a decade before I had that reaction.


What I didn't understand from this article is that she had been coloring her hair since she was 13...why now with that reaction? Did she use a different product? Either way, that was scary.

It's a sensitization reaction and it's actually fairly common. Most allergic reactions happen with products that people have been using for years with no problem. Kind of scary, right? They are serious when they tell you to allergy test every time you use dye.

[whitedove]

Wow that is horrific! My guess would be that her body had slowly built a intolerance to the chemical. I used to able to take penicillin until I was 18, I got a allergic reaction and cannot use it ever again.

I wonder if she will ever dye her hair again? She would be crazy todo so.

[hellucy]

What I didn't understand from this article is that she had been coloring her hair since she was 13...why now with that reaction? Did she use a different product? Either way, that was scary.

It's all down to PPD's (paraphenylenediamines) a chemical banned in many countries for hair dye use, PPD's are highly allergenic & can cause anaphalactic shock. They can build up in the body over time - they penetrate the hair shaft & then leak into the body through the scalp & the body cant flush them out, so someone who has been dying their hair for many years may reach toxic levels in their body & have a very nasty reaction.
My mum had been dying & perming her hair for years & then all of a sudden 12 years ago had a reaction - like the girl in the story & had to be admitted to hospital & given strong anti-histamines - she has had minor reactions to different dyes which claim to be PPD free since - so has now given up on chemical dyes.

[bumblebums]

Oh yeah, PPD, baby. There are a few members here who found this site trying to regrow hair after a bad reaction to home dye kits.

Don't put that stuff on your body. It's not worth it.

[jacqueline101]

Wow that article was scary. I'm going to be real careful to when I experiment with my hair.

[Alvrodul]

This story was in at least one of the Norwegian online newspapers as well. Hopefully this will make some more people cautious about pouring those chemicals over their heads.

[Cimorene]

OMG I think I've used that exact same dye once before... :disbelief NEVER AGAIN! shudder:

[Shesta]

That's why it is advisable to test the chemical dye on arm skin prior to application.

[long]

I have a allergy to hair dye. I got a very severe chemical burn/dermatitis the few times I tried hair dye. There is alot of info online about this allergy and it can show up anytime like this woman experienced. This is in almost all hair dye and semi-permanent hair dyes in the US. It is not brand specific. The henna site hennaforhair has alot of information on this allergy. It seems kind of rare to have reactions to hair dye. I know so many women who dye there hair and I have asked hairdressers about this and very few have ever come across it or have even heard about it.

[Amber_Maiden]

Yep.... Bad stuff in commercial dyes...

[Crysania]

im also allergic to ppd in chemical dyes, it gets extremely itchy, puffs and gets red, leaks and gets scabby....its disgusting, it takes 1-2 week to heal

the darker the color, the stronger the reaction
i dont use it anymore , ive used henna and indigo but im staying away from that as well now, i wanna be all natural!

[Coffeebug]

It's not just hair dyes either - I saw a TV documentary about a woman who had a similar reaction to a face pack, I seem to recall it was some kind of tree resin related ingredient. Allergies can be horrfyingly sneaky like that can't they - no warning.

[dragaica]

WOW, that kind of post remind me why 3 years ago, I've take the plunge to henna. I thing I have read something similar- but this one is quite an aggressive case.

[dragaica]

by the way- the commercial dies are the primary cause for urinal infections - i know that well. and the ppd (responsible to allergies) is more frequent, in high quantities in black dye - I really don't think a certain manufacturer is responsible... all are. It should be mentioned, like on cigarettes packages, that the ppd - parapheylenediamine - cases frequent allergies and kidney reactions....

[FrozenBritannia]

That's why it is advisable to test the chemical dye on arm skin prior to application.

She did, thats the scary part.

Yet another reason to never dye my hair again. With all the stuff I keep becoming allergic to, it would probably happen to me next!

[Juneii]

I never had a reaction from hair dye, but a face wash I used to use for my acne did the same thing to my face. My one eye was swollen shut for a whole day. It was the benzoyl peroxide that caused the reaction, and I had been using it for over a decade before I had that reaction.



It's a sensitization reaction and it's actually fairly common. Most allergic reactions happen with products that people have been using for years with no problem. Kind of scary, right? They are serious when they tell you to allergy test every time you use dye.

I had a reaction to benzoyl peroxide too, not as severe as yours but my face swelled up a bit and was really itchy. I feel terrible for the woman who had to go through this. I should send this to my mom, she dyes her gray hair every month...

[StPaulaGirl]

Yikes. I'm glad I finally decided to give up the chemical dye for good.

[Blond On Blond]

The fact that p-Phenylenediamine is a "nasty chemical" has nothing to do with this sad event. This a reaction to an allergen. Plenty of natural stuff used in beauty products can give similar or even more severe reactions.

[lolot]

that happened to someone i know, she used to dye for years and one day her face was swallen like that, it was pretty scary, and after that incident she got allergic to all beauty chemicals, she cant use shampoo or conditioner, or almost anything because of allergic reactions, now she uses henna and baking soda for washing

[Chetanlaiho]

Yikes O_o I'd like to colour my hair but no way I'll get one of those home colouring kits. I got a demi permanent done at the salon and my scalp felt like it was burning a bit, itched a lot too, it kind of turned me off chemical dye :/

[StPaulaGirl]

The fact that p-Phenylenediamine is a "nasty chemical" has nothing to do with this sad event. This a reaction to an allergen. Plenty of natural stuff used in beauty products can give similar or even more severe reactions.

Good point. Even so, I'd rather have less such chemicals in my life. Chemical dye is one of many things I've given up in the past couple years in order to live a healthier lifestyle.

[Johanna]

One of the many reasons I'm so glad I gave up dye. I can't imagine how much pain that poor woman would have been in.

[Maelyssa]

That's nuts...I feel horrible for her. Glad you shared the article.

[MaryMarx]

So terrifying. Can't believe I used to put that poison om my scalp.

[GRU]

by the way- the commercial dies are the primary cause for urinal infections - i know that well. and the ppd (responsible to allergies) is more frequent, in high quantities in black dye - I really don't think a certain manufacturer is responsible... all are. It should be mentioned, like on cigarettes packages, that the ppd - parapheylenediamine - cases frequent allergies and kidney reactions....

Just curious, but how does a urinary tract infection (which is the result of bacteria growing in the bladder or urethra) get caused by a topical hair dye? And how are dyes a primary cause of UTIs when many/most people who get them haven't dyed their hair?

[pepperminttea]

by the way- the commercial dies are the primary cause for urinal infections - i know that well. and the ppd (responsible to allergies) is more frequent, in high quantities in black dye - I really don't think a certain manufacturer is responsible... all are. It should be mentioned, like on cigarettes packages, that the ppd - parapheylenediamine - cases frequent allergies and kidney reactions....


Just curious, but how does a urinary tract infection (which is the result of bacteria growing in the bladder or urethra) get caused by a topical hair dye? And how are dyes a primary cause of UTIs when many/most people who get them haven't dyed their hair?

I'm wondering this too. dragaica, Do you mean people get UTIs from dyeing their... 'other' hair? :eyebrows:

[Colourful]

How shocking! Poor woman.