Home Hair Dyes May Cause Allergy Cases

SadaNews - Home hair dye packages come with instructions indicating that these products may cause allergy cases, but are there steps that can be taken to ensure the necessary prevention in this field?

In 2018, a woman posted pictures of herself on her social media accounts, revealing that her face was disfigured after using a home hair dye, and she nearly lost her life had she not received appropriate treatment in a timely manner.

This incident indicates that the risk of allergy always exists when using home hair dyes. What are the signs that indicate the occurrence of this allergy and the precautions that should be taken in addition to the available solutions to treat this cosmetic issue when it arises?

Controversial Ingredients

The list of ingredients in home hair dye includes many substances that are classified as capable of causing scalp allergies. At the top of this list is an ingredient abbreviated with three letters: PPD, known as "para-phenylenediamine," which serves to fix dark pigments when applying hair dye. Studies indicate that between 2% and 3% of the population are allergic to PPD, with 50% of them using hair dye, meaning that exposure to an allergic reaction to this product is not rare.

Many dye formulations also contain other ingredients that may cause allergies, such as toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate, para-aminophenol, ammonia, and colored dyes that can cause allergic reactions. It is worth noting that home dyes or those used in hair styling salons are generally safe in terms of formulation, but they remain products that should be handled with caution.

Signs of Allergy

Allergic symptoms from hair dye present as itching, redness, blisters, and pain in the scalp, but they can also affect the neck and face. Experts in this field distinguish between allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis. These are two very different conditions but are often confused with one another. In the case of an allergic reaction, symptoms may take several days, months, or even years to appear, while an irritant reaction occurs immediately upon contact with the offending substance.

Appropriate Measures

If you feel tingling, itching, or burning when applying hair dye, you should wash it off immediately with warm water and consult a pharmacist or doctor. Do not attempt to dye your hair again without prior approval from a healthcare professional. If you experience dizziness, difficulty breathing, or swelling in the eyes and face, rinse off the dye and go to a doctor or emergency department immediately. It is important to note that allergies can occur in the days following coloring, taking the form of redness, blisters, skin and scalp bleeding, or itching, or swelling in the face and eyes. In this case, it is also essential to consult a doctor or pharmacist.

To avoid any allergies, it is recommended to perform a patch test 48 hours before dyeing. A small amount of the product should be applied to the inner elbow and left for 45 minutes before rinsing. The product should not be applied to the hair if any allergy appears in this area. Since allergic reactions can sometimes take several years to manifest, this means that an allergy to hair dye can appear even after long-term use. The face can also be protected from potential allergy by applying a moisturizing cream along the hairline to isolate the skin in this area.

What Type of Dye Should You Choose?

Experts reassure that experiencing skin or scalp irritation or allergy does not mean you cannot dye your hair afterward. However, you will need to choose a dye formulation that contains the least amount of allergy-causing ingredients, particularly excluding PPD. In this case, one can opt for plant-based hair dye or those free from harmful chemicals. Experts remind that allergies are an individual phenomenon, so there is no completely risk-free product, whether natural or not, but there are products that carry lower probabilities of causing allergies compared to others.