Newly allergic to hair colour, after 25 years!

[overthinkersanonnymus]

I'm devastated.

The last two times I've had my hair done, I've come out with a rash. First time on the back of my neck, which was like little itchy spots and the second time, my face got what I can only describe as small lines of puffy, red skin.

The strangest thing is though, it takes about 48 hours to start developing.

What can I do! Is taking an antihistamine enough? I'm terrified I'm going to get a chemical burn from the reaction after googling and seeing a poor woman scarred for life after a reaction.

No advice just joining to say me too!

I became allergic after years of colouring and my eyes/face/head/ears swelled so badly I was hospitalised. The tops of my ears were badly damaged and permanently scarred. It took months for the skin to stop bleeding and weeping My reactions started very much like yours and got worse after each colouring attempt.
An antihistamine may be all you need but is it worth the risk?
I absolutely get that mine is a dramatic case and being free to colour your hair is important. Just be careful. I hope you find a solution

The same thing happened to me. If you are near London I recommend Natural Colour Works Salon near Spitafields. They do hair colouring with no chemicals. I only found them when searching for an alternative way after I had developed an allergy, but now don’t understand why not more people demand colour with no chemicals. It’s just as long lasting.

Yeah, I got one raised patch on my cheek after years of colouring, and never used colour again. I knew a teen whose face blew right up after dye so I was v wary once I got a reaction.

Oh god @gaggiagirl that's awful!

Are you just colour free now?

I'm really dark haired with very pale skin so I really can't rock the grey look 😩

48 hours is normal for a type iv reaction.

that is how mine started. Then I switched to a mix of immediate and delayed.

whether or not there are alternatives depends on the actual chemical that caused the reaction.

Same thing happened to me after 35 years of bleaching and dyeing.. i personally wouldnt risk it OP, it sounds like your 2nd reaction was worse then the first.

How about a different make with a proper patch test first if youre desperate?

@Flashyfish I'm managers. Bit of a mooch to London 😂

*manchester

My mum had this! She has psoriasis too, she tho is it's related.

Just a heads up hers started with just a rash, then gradually got worse the next few times she dyed her hair. It ended up that she can't use dye anymore as it causes horrendous, sore, weeping blisters all over her scalp. She tried all the different kinds, including completely natural dyes recommended to her from Holland and Barrett and the like

Oh my god!!! So that's it then? I cant colour my hair anymore!!

This is a first world problem, but im absolutely gutted. The greys have started sprouting this last 12 months.

@overthinkersanonnymus you can order their colour online too. Daniel field water colour is also good for people with allergies.

You need to be careful with "natural" or "organic" dyes. Most people who are allergic to hair dye are allergic to PPD. It's very difficult to do dark colours without PPD. A firm saying 'natural' tells you nothing about whether there's PPD in it. I don't want to scare but people have died from severe PPD allergies.

Same, but not anything serious just itching scalp. A friend got a rash. So it is not uncommon

How grey are you, OP? Henna is the only way I can manage. Its not much of a substitute tbh.

My mum was about 55/60 when it first started, completely out of the blue she'd been dying it for decades prior with no issues. She had to stop using dye in the end. The hairdresser had no idea what do advise and google wasn't much help.

Just be wary that next time it may be worse!

@overthinkersanonnymus I'm pale and dark haired too! Also going grey. Yes I've been colour free for years now. I can use 'reflex' semi permanent from Holland and Barrett and can use Surya Brasil henna creams but semi's only last about 7 washes on my hair so I'll only use one for a special occasion.

Happened to me after pregnancy. I can still get foils. My hairdresser is brilliant, I tend to go for balayage so it's further away from my scalp and they're very careful when they wash it off.

I have tried alll the non ammonia, oleo etc as patch tests but end up with a crater behind my ear.

Give Henna a shot, I used to use the Lush ones and they left my hair in amazing condition

Happened to me too in my 30s. So common.

First time I thought I'd left it on for too long - head was covered in scabs. Second time I left it on for less time than recommended but the same thing happened.

Stopped dyeing there and then (DH encouraged me). Cut it as short as I could bear (jaw length bob) and about 18 months later the dye had all grown out and I was totally grey.

Everything is made of chemicals, there's no such thing as chemical free hair dye. And if it's being sold as 'natural' let's remember the following are 'natural': botulinum toxin, heroin, strychnine, small pox.

Ok ok I'm trying not to panic.

I have a balayage at the moment but have my roots painted on brood the greys.

What about bleach? If I just bring the foils up to the grey and then Have a toner?

Respect for those of you who are going au natural but I'm not quite ready for that at 36 😩

Maybe I could just pull them out!

I'm already preparing myself for this. Post-Covid I've started to get the itchy-tingle when I get my hair dyed - sometimes with the heavy puffy-eye feeling - mine seems to diminish after a shampoo at home for now.
That said I know these things can ramp up.
I'm very grey and a warm colouring so it does not suit me. Post-covid/peri-menopause means my hair is also thinning quite badly so I'm looking into wigs/hair pieces/hair systems. I'll probably shave off what's left and move to a hair piece/system instead.

Watching this with interest have allergy to PPD/PTD. For information Daniel Field water colour contains PTD, approximately 50 percent of people who have PPD allergy react to PTD so please take great care. I used to use Daniel Field stuff for many years and it was great, by the way not slagging it off! But it’s not completely natural. Also some of the hair dye sold in health shops contains PTD too. Anything that is “permanent” is likely to contain one or the other.

This happened to me last year, started with an itchy rash and escalated to a hospital stay when my forehead swelled up like a balloon. Also can't get my eyebrows tinted anymore, it's the PPD that causes the reaction, I have highlights now.. Bleach doesn't contain PPD.