systemic ppd reaction

I have had a localized reaction on my scalp from hair dye the last 6 times (3 aveda, 3 at home).  I should have stopped, but did not.  The last time I developed a severe red, itching rash on my scalp and multiple red itchy spots all over my body.  It has been 10 weeks and I still have an itchy scaling scalp, and still break out in various areas of my body.  I have been to the deramatologist twice and have been on prednisone, claritin, pepcid, zyrtec, topical steroids and benadryl.  She does not seem familiar with this problem.  Has anyone had luck with an allergist?  I am going crazy with all this itching...

[FurballsMom]

I don't really know if the suggestions I'm thinking of will help or not, but I figure that they couldn't hurt.  Eventually, this allergy has to calm down, I would think.

Perhaps a gentle and natural fragrance-free shampoo and conditioner, like Earth Science and Jason, will help with the scalp.  Jojoba oil or olive oil are two oils that I use on my dry itchy scalp with dry frizzy hair.  These are traditional oils used in dry hair for centuries.  You can use olive oil all over your body, too.  If it's safe to eat, it's safe to use on your skin.  

If you're not allergic to aloe vera gel, perhaps chilled aloe vera gel can be used anywhere on the entire body, including the scalp, to help calm down the itching.  It won't take you too long to decide whether it helps even a little bit or not and whether it is worth using on your scalp and getting it in your hair.

I was thinking of one other thing that could help:  Oatmeal baths.  It's another traditional home remedy that people use for things like poison oak and poison ivy.  I don't know what works in oatmeal, but it is supposed to help draw out that itching sensation.  You can either use instant oatmeal or you can find some oatmeal bath at the local drugstore.  If you use instant oatmeal, you'll want to grind it up to a fine powder.  I don't know how much you use, but I do know there isn't such a thing as too much.  If your gluten intolerant, though, you may not want to try the oatmeal bath, because whatever you use on your skin, your largest organ, will still enter into your blood stream.  So, don't use anything you know you have food sensitivities to, since it will likely aggravate the allergic reaction you're already experiencing.

Some people use calamine lotion.  I don't, because I already have chemical allergies and am afraid to use things like this.

You can use olive oil in your bath, too.

I strongly discourage you from using mineral oil or baby oil, because these are both the same thing and are petroleum products.  Baby oil is nothing but fragrant mineral oil.  I have found that these things are simply irritating on my skin and made me feel nauseous.  If you're already having an allergic reaction, that's the last thing you want to be dealing with.

One thing that does help me with my itchy dry scalp is to get in the shower and not use ANY shampoo or conditioner in the shower.  I simply massage my scalp very well.  This actually helps the dry scalp, because it stimulates the scalp.  It feels good and it relieves the itching.  Over shampooing is bad for your scalp and your hair and will aggravate the problem you're already experiencing.  People with dry hair and scalp do better by not washing any more often than once a week, and even go a long as two weeks.  Massaging as I just described is helpful to do in between washings.  When you do this, you can still use the jojoba oil or the olive oil.  It might be worth having the oily hair look temporarily until your scalp heals.  In fact, when you're not torturing your hair and scalp by shampooing it, your scalp will produce those oils that you need right now.

I don't know how much these ideas will help with such severe itching, but I hope these will at least lessen the severity of your symptoms.