Hair Dye Allergies

[Rosemary349]

Hi there

I really need some objective views on this.  I am a young woman who has patches of grey hair already and it really affects my self image so it is always permanently dyed.  If i were older then I would just allow it to remain grey but even then it wouldn't look very good because it is in patches only with very dark brown hair everywhere else.

In the UK there have been some real horror stories of women dying suddenly after 20 mins of using hair dye and the culprit is believed to be PPD.  The problem is that PPD is in every hair dye that actually works.  I've tried numerous organic versions and they leave the grey orange for a few days before returning to grey.

I mentioned it to my doctor during a recent visit and he said i am just being anxious - that it is highly unlikely for this to happen or even for an allergy to occur in a milder way.

However i'm scared.  It's not an allergic reaction i'm scared of, if it were mild....it's sudden death....fro the descriptions even bystanders couldn't do anything (and I live alone  :-(  )

Anyway i thought the other day that i'm reading all the scare stories etc, but i haven't actually asked anyone with any medical training.  I need to get this in persepctive.  If it is relatively safe then I need to start using the products again - all be it I will always use them far more carefully.

I know all about patch testing - if anyone is going to mention that please note that it's my belief that if you are going to be violently allergic the patch test is useless, it will either cause that (no matter how small the amount applied) or it will fail to show up and the allergy will go ahead with the full application anyway.  I am happy to be corrected on this though.

I would really value anyone who is happy to take the time to comment.

Thanks  :-)

[Gail2005]

Hi, I used to be fine dyeing my hair with permanent dyes then i started really itching, my ears were sore and peeling and then i used it one day and my face all puffed up My doctor said i was allergic to PPD. This week i decided to try a 24 wash semi permanent and am i glad that i did the test beforehand. Within 2 hours of putting it on my elbow i had to wash it off as it was itching and had gone red. After a night of itching, i got up the next morning and nearly all my arm was red, itching and swollen, i also had raised areas.  I had to go to the doctors in the end and she gave me fuxafenadine, a strong antihistamine and 1% hydracortisone cream it has been 4 days now and it's still no better, although the itching has calmed down a bit. I have heard that once you have a reaction it gets worse with every use, until in the end it could be fatal. I know i won't be using any hair dyes ever again.

[Rosemary349]

Thanks maatson - that's interesting!!

[maatson]

Your question is indeed very interesting and thought provoking. There are reported cases of anaphylaxis in a patch test scenario.These three cases were all medical professional and they were allergic to medicines which were crystalline and thus presumably easily absorbed.
RAST test for allergy are safe and done in the lab.
Best wishes.

[Rosemary349]

Thanks Maatson

If this is the case then that means I am unlikely to develop it and may as well continue using hair dye....in the same way that I eat nuts, etc, and would not be considered at any greater risk....

I was getting the impression that the hair dye anaphylaxis was unique.  The media reports seem to imply that it is some mystery reaction that has almost never been seen before.  I was afraid because it seems to grip people very suddenly and within minutes.  I wonder if in that time, living alone I would even be able to get help......it seems people go into a fit/struggle to breathe and are unable to get any help by themselves.

I'm also wondering if a tiny patch test would be enough to induce such a reaction?  The reports i've read are from use of a full bottle of hair dye each time.

thanks for your time - will understand if you do not reply as you have been very helpful already.

[maatson]

Anaphylaxis is similar in presentation independent of substance inciting but the severity can range. But then proper intervention is lifesaving.
Do consult but essentially this is the gist of this.

[Rosemary349]

Also i've got a history of allergies - but my doctor told me that most people have allergies.  I had uticara as a baby and they never established what caused it and when i was little they had to keep me away from freshly cut grass as i would develop urticara...but never anaphylaxis.

As an older child and adult i've had a bit of a reaction to cat hair and housedust....but never reacted to hair dye....but they say that the hypersensitivity builds up in the body and so you can be fine with dyes many times and then suddenly react.  :-(

[Rosemary349]

thanks for your comment - what i'm scared of is that with the hair dye it seems that people don't have much time at all....within 20 mins they go into a fit, vomiting, difficulty breathing and heart stop all within 20 - 40 minutes....

Are these just bad cases of anaphylaxis of is it unique to hair dye that the anaphylaxis is quick?  Is it an allergic reaction or is it just that the dye is poison and that anybody would develop the reaction if it got in their bloodstream?

I've just shown my mum the article - i'm a grown woman i might add but i showed her because she doesn't worry about anything, but after reading it she said 'please don't use that stuff again, let it go grey.'  This is someone who's really into appearance and been moaning at me to get my hair sorted!

It would be great if a dermatologist could give their opinion - cos right now  don't know what to believe.  :-(

[maatson]

Type1 reaction ie anaphylaxis could occur to many substances like latex rubber,antiseptics,insect repellents, application of iodine, hair dyes just by skin contact.Ofcourse it is different from delayed hypersensitivity where patch testing helps.
It is indeed very difficult to predict those who would react this way, though it is reported more in who work in beauty parlours(occupational)
or those with family history of allergy (Atopy).
Thankfully these are extremely rare in the population.
Best wishes.