If you're allergic to PPD, what else do you react to?

[HillyHoney]

Just that really. A few years ago I had a horrible spotty rash all over my face and sides of my neck - long story short, I had patch testing and found out I was allergic to PPD, which is in the vast majority of hair colourants.

The same rash has re-emerged on my neck again, although not really on my face, and I can't work out what's causing it. I know some PPD-allergic people are also sensitive to black dyes but generally I avoid these near my face and neck.

I'm extremely careful with products and use very gentle ones minimally. I change my pillowcase every few days (memory foam pillow) and only wear small solid gold hoops, which I take out at night. (I'm also sensitive to nickel so only wear solid gold or silver.)

If you have a diagnosed PPD allergy, what else brings you out in a similar rash?

Also, if you're PPD-allergic, have you found any hair colour that doesn't cause issues? I was OK with Elumen Goldwell for a while but then it seemed to go the same way, although it could have been cross-contamination.

Bump

I have a severe PPD allergy and haven’t been able to use hair dyes since I discovered this in my teens. I’m in the small proportion of sufferers that are also allergic to semi-perm dyes too. My reactions are whole head and neck swelling, weeping scalp akin to chemical burns requiring hospital treatment for IV steroids etc.

I haven’t discovered any other allergies linked to it (I’m in my 40s now so over half my life).

I mention it when asked by HCPs because you can also have a reaction to benzocaine and procaine but I’ve not had any problems with any of these.

I’ve accepted my fate on hair dyes but had heard good things about Elumen so it’s a shame to hear you had a reaction OP. I have minimal greys so I’m lucky in that regard.

Tha KS so much @CissOff, appreciate you taking time to respond. TBH I'm very far from sure that Elumen was a problem - I think it's more likely that the salon mixed in some Olaplex - my derm patch testing also showed sensitivity to some other more regular haircare ingredients (Balsam of Peru, which has many forms, and hydroabietyl alcohol), and they're in so many haircare products including a lot of the Olaplex treatments. I just haven't got round to going back for a salon patch test as my skin has so rarely had a good baseline since then 😳

I'm blonde (sort of...) so greys are blended in to an extent, but I'm now what you might charitably call silver-blonde!...