Anyone else developed an allergy to hair bleach? :(

[Tiktokgone]

Since I was 15 I've coloured my hair.

About 8 years ago I had a reaction to a red dye.

Stopped dying my hair red.

No problems for years.

Then I had a reaction to a black/blue box dye.

So I stopped using permenant hair dyes.

No problem for a few years.

I've always had coloured hair. Always.

I have blue. Pink. Green. Prlurole. Orange.

It's what makes me feel like me. My colourful hair.

About a year ago I got some hives when I bleached my hair (the colours I use are vegan semi permanent dye conditioners. No PPD or chemicals)

Since then everytime I bleached my hair to colour it I got hivesthe last 2 times I've had a worse reaction.

I've just bleached it and my head went all tight. My heads all red at the hairline. My eyes got bloodshot. And it burned.

Thats it.

I can't dye my hair anymore.

At beginning of lockdown I shaved my head.

I didn't realise how much GREY I had. I lasted about a week with my nayltutral brown greying hair before I bleached it and went pastel lilac.

I feel shit with my natural hair. I just don't feel like me.

My bright hair has always been my way of expressing myself. I know with what's happening in the world right now this is extremely selfish.

But I'm just sad that I'll never have pretty, bright hair again :(

Please ignore my typing mistakes

Is there any other way to lighten hair?

Yes, unfortunately I have. I now dye the ends or use foils to get as close to the roots as possible without actually touching my scalp. Takes a bit more effort but it is possible.

Trouble is is that each time you react to the bleach you risk an even worse reaction the next time, I started to react to hair dye so I stopped dying my hair, yes I have grey hair but I'm alive.

I can't do it away from my scalp as I have a shaved head, number 2

I already said I was going to stop.

I'm just sad. 20 years of colourful hair and now I have to be boring. Everytime I've had 'normal' hair my depression has gotten worse because I don't feel like me, I feel like I look old and frumpy and boring

Obviously I don't think that of other people with natural hair. It's just how I perceive myself

When my hair grew back from chemo grey I dyed it with a mixture of camomile tea , a tiny bit of turmeric, redbush tea and instant coffee. The mixture stains my hair blonde.

Sadly I too gave up colouring when the reactions got worse and worse.
However.. pure henna.. is that worth a go? I can't imagine that would react and while you can't go pink you can certainly go a magnificent red (my DD2 is a natural blonde now fiery red head with henna)

I just went grey...and oddly enough now love all the grey streaks, because most of my colleagues colour theirs and mine's different!

Be wary of henna - I'm allergic to PPD and nickel, and the dermatologist I saw said to avoid henna too, I think because it's often mixed with iron oxides (red henna) or PPD (black henna). I guess if you could be sure it was pure henna then that would be different.

Yes years ago I had a reaction to bleaching my hair, so I went with other colours. Over time I've become allergic to lots of hair dyes. So sad for me I'm permanently grey now.

Can use foils or a cap if your really bothered when your hair grows out. I only dont because time.

Is PPD what causes allergies in bleach?

You could try spray colour. One to try is L'oreal colorista spray in lavender. It lasts until you next wash your hair but covers all hair colours so no need bleach or dye. They come in lots of colours..buy in Boots or Superdrug.

As you sound quite quirky (in a nice way I hasten to add ), would you consider wigs?

I also reacted to dyes and stopped dyeing 20 years ago. Also very grey. It looks nice but I still mourn my Titian locks

I have various allergies, but have always been OK with certain brands of make up and shower gel etc. Since lockdown I have been working in a very stressful care related job and I found in the early stages that almost anything I applied to my hair body or face brought me out in an eczema like rash, I had streaming eyes and the skin around my eyes went very dry and flaked off - that was just from washing my hair in something I'd used for years. As things have calmed down a bit I've found my allergies have improved - not back to normal- but better than it was. Could the hair dye problems be manifesting themselves because of high stress levels?

I have a few wigs but can't wear them. They're too hot and scratchy and I just don't like how I feel in them. They make me feel silly and fake.

Bleach London do something called no bleach bleach could be worth a look?

Some temporary spray colours and waxes work on dark and gray here too

@Tiktokgone

Is PPD what causes allergies in bleach?

No! PPD is a component in dark hair colours.

So I've got several allergies then

Yep since being pregnant the only think I can use is stuff like crazy colour. Any bleach or box die I have an allergy too and I'm not sure what it is. My hairdresser has tried ordering in all sorts but my patch tests turn into welts behind my ear.

I was paying a fortune for foils, but it became a complete waste of money as there was too much grey, so not only did I have the blonde highlights I had the greys showing through anyway.

I seem to be fine with highlights/foils/balayage but not with full bleach. I asked for a particular look (Kiernan Shipka in Sabrina) which involved painting the bleach on. I was quite itchy on the palms of my hands, of all places, but not too bad. The next time I went bright red all over, head swelled up, pounding headache, nausea, diarrhoea, and really really itchy. Thank god I was getting my hair done at home! My hairdresser immediately said she wouldn't do it again so it's back to balayage and I seem to be fine.

OP have you had proper patch testing from a dermatologist? I'd recommend that if possible - then you know what you're dealing with! The can do what's called the standard battery and the cosmetic battery - I'd ask for both.