What To Do If You React To Hair Dye

Why Am I Sensitive To Hair Dye?

Some people can be prone to a skin reaction called contact dermatitis. This mean that the skin may become red, dry, scaly, bumpy, blistered, or irritated and inflamed when it comes into contact with particular substances. Not just hair dye in particular.

Most of the time though with hair dye, The substance that people are reacting to is an ingredient called PPD.

Many permanent hair dyes and even some semi-permanent hair dyes can contain PPDs (paraphenylenediamine) and it is commonly known as an irritant and an allergen.

Is PPD Safe?

Hair Dye that contains PPD is safe to use providing all the manufacturers guidelines have been followed correctly. There are strict guidelines for PPD in products and they are heavily regulated. There is only a certain amount of PPD allowed in a product.

When igoring the safety warnings or the manufacturers guidelines to colour your hair, You could be opening yourself up to serious risk of an allergic reaction, We know you may just be thinking an itchy sore scalp but some reactions can include sever swelling of hands, feet, face, blistering which can then lead to infections.

When the manufacturers guidelines are followed though, you can rest assured that you're more than likely going to be fine.

Symptoms Of A Hair Dye Reaction

Reactions to PPD can vary from person to person and so can the severity of the reaction but it's important to pay attention to it because any reaction could potentially trigger something more serious within the body.

Mild Irritation

If you're only mildly irritated by PPD then you may notice that your scalp, forehead, ears, neck or even your eyelids become a little inflamed or irritated while using hair dye.

Any skin that has been exposed to PPD may even become red, swollen, blistered, dry, itchy, thickened and even cracked. There may also be a burning or stinging sensation. This can happen during the colouring process as well so it's important that you relay how you're feeling to your hair stylist so they can wash the colour off straight away to limit the damage caused.

Intense Irritation & Allergic Reactions

If you're severely allergic to PPD then your scalp and face may start to swell, In some cases your hands or feet may start to swell.

PPD can trigger symptoms all throughout the body though, it's not just limited to the head and face. You may notice rashes, itching and a general feeling of illness. You may notice these symptoms relatively shortly into the colouring process but they may not develop until hours or even days after your colour service. So it's important to really pay attention to your body after any colour service. Especially if you know that the dye used contains PPD.

If you're very unfortunate and have a sever allergic reaction to PPD, the symptoms and reactions can include Anaphylactic Shock. Signs of Anaphylaxis can include:

  • Itchy Skin or a raised red skin rash
  • Swollen eyes, lips, hands, feet, eyelids, face
  • Feeling light headed or faint
  • Swelling of the mouth, throat, tongue which can lead to trouble breathing and swallowing
  • Wheezing
  • Tummy pain, nausea, vomiting
  • collapsing and even unconsciousness

What To Do If You React To Hair Dye

If you think that you or somebody else is having a sever allergic reaction to hair dye (ppd) then it's important that you dial 999 straight away so they can be given an adrenaline injection.

You can relieve mild symptoms by washing the hair and scalp thoroughly with a mild shampoo to remove any excess hair dye from the scalp, be sure to get behind your ears and around your hair line.

Steroid Cream can help where skin may be inflamed, swollen or sore however this may need to be prescribed by a Pharmacy or a GP. You can buy over the counter mild steroid creams.

For mild reactions, You can also take Antihistamine medication, this can help to reduce skin inflammation and itching. If you speak to your local Pharmacy, they will be able to recommend a suitable one for you.