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.

@App13 that’s interesting about Nice and Easy I wonder if they have switched over to the same stuff that Wella Koleston has which is similar to PPD/PTD but is supposed to bypass the immune response, however they say in their fact sheet that this is only meant for people without existing allergies and that it’s less likely to get cause an initial allergic reaction. They don’t recommend using it on people who have previously had a reaction. I had a fairly mild reaction to PPD/PTD compared to some things I’ve heard about but I still reacted to the Wella Koleston even a very blonde shade .You’re allergic to both PPD/PTD ?

Im allergic to the whole shebang!
Indigo as well, so i cant use Henna,
ppd, ptd, tds

I tried wella koleston but it lasted all but one wash, never again!

I juts use color wow between dying with Patrice Mulato

All permanent hair colours contain ppd or ptd and without them chemicals they wouldn't work.

Pure semi colours or stains work differently so don't all contain ppd or ptd as they stain the hair rather than permanently change the colour.

There's lots of websites you can research but don't read in specific brand websites as they will always up sell their logic which as posters above have stated aren't always right.

I use an organic range of hair colour that does indeed contain ppd however the amount is much lower than average colours because it uses different methods to penetrate the hair.

Some people of course aren't allergic to ppd ptd however are allergic to their nasties in hair products. Remember anything that penetrates your scalp will be entering your body which is where the reaction happens hence why it isn't always instant when it does.

I've seen some horrific reactions to hair colour ants over the years so i would recommend really doing your homework on this

I recommended it earlier in the thread. It's a fantastic product isn't it? It's allowed me to push back the grey for a bit longer. Lasts really well for me too.

@TTheFormidableMrsC would you have the ingredients list by any chance? As I Google search it only mentions the good stuff.

@App13 thats strange Wella Koleston is a permanent dye, they do a semi permanent called Colour Fresh that wouldn’t last very long they say up to 8 washes. These are the ingredients for Leganza if anyone wants them, I’m guessing that they vary slightly for each shade

@6667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast thank you!
So far nothing on that list looks highly toxic , so I shall try it.

Atm as I have v v dark brunette hair and then yellow lol, the brunette is reflecting onto the yellow and somehow not making it v obvious.

But as I grey more, I may end up like sesame Street big bird if I don't want it !

@App13 have you looked at the semi permanent Patrice Mullatto colour pigment cream ? They do a cool chestnut and a black. Erica sent me out a couple of sample sized bottles a while ago but the shades weren’t right for me the cool brunette too cool and burnt Sienna too orange.

@6667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast
Thank you. I think im trying leganza today! Lord help me

The only thing about semi permanent is that I'm sure it won't be free of allergens. They only market color one as the free from stuff

Right I've got leganza on now, praying no scalp stain!

Wow. I had no idea that you could go from non allergic to allergic like this! I have been completely devil may care with hair dye since my teens, I will be more careful now!

Me too, but the good news is there are now various dyes which are unlikely to cause a reaction, and not just henna. I started to get itchy patches, then it progressed to small blisters all over my scalp. Apparently it's a growing problem as more people are dyeing their hair for longer and becoming sensitised to certain ingredients.

You'll probably have become sensitised to PPD, which is in most dark hair dyes, including most of the ones sold as "Natural" eg Naturtint in Holland & Barrett. It really is outrageous how some brands are marketed as "natural" and "gentle" while being nothing of the sort. I think hair dye manufacturers should have to clearly show allergen information on the packet.

Some dyes sold as PPD free contain an alternative, PTD - Josh Wood Colour, for example. This is less likely to cause a reaction if you're not already sensitised to PPD, so a good choice if you want to protect yourself against future reactions. However if you are already sensitised to PPD then you will normally react to PTD too, so too late for you.

Personally I got along quite well with Nature's Grey Busters - it's very gentle, low allergen, gave good colour, but it couldn't cope with my holiday when I was in the sea & sun every day.

Currently I'm using Patrice Mulato Color One system, which is French. It's more complicated but gives great colour.

I found these articles very helpful:

www.skinsmatter.com/hair-dye-without-ppd/

and
https://www.allergy-insight.com/ppd-free-hair-dye/ is a good overview with UK links to some suppliers

This article has treatment suggestions:
aedit.com/aedition/hair-dye-allergies

Update, leganza completely stained my scalp as well parts of my skin I didn't cover with vaseline.

Patrice Mulato doesn't do this. Yello hair it is

I'm going to try to wash this scalp stain off before I go to work ...

@App13 oh no ! Did it cover any grey ? Yeah I’ve had scalp staining before with semi permanents. I used to do mine a few days before I had to go anywhere as I’m so messy I end up with stained ears face neck etc! Especially bad in the summer if I wanted to put my hair up and it was all over my neck

Yes I was the same until recent years when I started to react to skincare products, and then thought it would be a good idea to test hair dye every time. One of the big problems is that reactions are not always immediate, I recently had one done in a salon and they said they were not testing behind the ear anymore due to safety, the hairdresser said if people have a severe reaction it would be worse if it was on the neck as it could swell and affect breathing etc so she did it on my arm. I think they are becoming more aware of severe reactions. The hair dye industry says it’s very very rare but I think they are underestimating or underplaying it. They know that PPD/PTD can be a problem not just for clients but for hairdressers too, but there simply isn’t anything that’s as effective. The technology in Wella Koleston Me plus is supposed to bypass the immune reaction and stop an allergy from developing in people who have not already experienced one so this looks promising. But if it’s already happened you’re very limited. Anyone that’s had a black “henna “ tattoo is at increased risk of an allergy to hair dye as these products are unregulated and can contain much larger quantities of PPD than hair dye.
Love the name btw ! Big Pratchett fan

@667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast its covered everything, the scalp staining and forehead staining has calmed without washing, my mother says she cant see a grey. so this i think will be best to use as a dress rehearsal, before going out after the next wash. which is tomorrow. If it didnt stain that much it would be better than mulato! and cheaper too.

@App13 how is the Leganza colour holding out ? Do you think it is better than Patrice Mullato and has it dyed your grey hair the same colour? That’s the problem I find with Mullato stuff it dyes greys a shade lighter. I’m undecided what colour to try as I’m only mid brunette level 5 really but don’t want chestnut etc as too warm. Also people mentioned the light brown had a khaki hue but not sure if that’s just on bleached hair as you need to add back red pigment when dyeing bleached hair back brown otherwise it will go green ish.

@667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast
so i did 2nd wash today and well greys still covered, a bit red/orange now thats in the sun only and really, its still covering my greys to given the impression of being a brunette, more so that Patrice Mulato, which was always bleating yellow and more than double the price!

So i think ill still to leganza and perhaps try Plantur whatever its name next. Cheap does it for me really, as frankly, paying through the nose for yellow hair when you have no choice is not on!

Hello anti-PPD crew, has anyone tried this? Just saw it mentioned on another thread:

https://itspure.co.uk/products/its-pure-herbal-hair-colour-golden-blonde?variant=40957290741899&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5cOwBhCiARIsAJ5njua2nt4L41_vdb8jieFZOqlZHiKcY7PnHFCtJTmslBlRJSkxhPILBkYaAp_bEALw_wcB

I'm usually suspicious of "herbal/natural" hair anything, but it has a short ingredient list and definitely no PPD/PTD. Any reviews welcome!

I'm really surprised at this. I use the bitter chocolate shade and it doesn't do that to me at all.

@MaverickBoon I haven’t tried this but it’s a genuinely 100% natural herbal hair colour. What colour is your natural hair ? I my experience of using similar products they need to be left on for quite a long time compared to normal hair dyes and can be a bit messy to apply but it won’t damage your hair at all.

Thanks @667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast.

My natural hair is dark blonde underneath and now mainly greyish on top/ashy blonde in a good light 😁

I definitely don't want a unified colour - I had highlights for years and I'm used to different tones. I might get some and do a patch test and then a strand test, but it sounds like a bit of a leap into the unknown, colour-wise!

Right so 5th wash , is showing striking greys on sides near ears , so time to redye. Though I'd say I got away with colour wow at work with 5th wash..so still good going.

Allergy UK have lots of good info. As others have said, it is more likely to be severe the more times it happens. I have other allergies that developed in my 30s, I didn't realise it was a thing until it happened to me. https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/allergy-to-hair-dye/

There are hairdressers that only use chemical-free dye in other cities - so quite likely there will be in Manchester