Dying your hair can be a really fun and temporary way to change up your look. A little highlight here, or maybe a boost of color there. But like anything else, there’s always a potential for things to go really, really wrong.
I’m sure many of us can relate to a bad dye job – mine was when I was a teenager, cast by the hands of my best friend. We carefully chose a box dye together, read the instructions, and followed them to a T. But instead of achieving the deep, rich mahogany brown I had longed for, my hair went highlighter orange. I’m talking super fluorescent. I was stuck walking around like that for a month, which was hilarious, but also disastrous in my teenage mind.
However, for 24-year-old Steph O’Dell, the hair dye results went beyond just bad color. In fact, this dye job landed her in the hospital.
Steph’s Story
Steph has known from an early age that she is allergic to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), an ingredient found in virtually every hair dye. “I’ve always patch-tested products beforehand and when I was 15, I did a test for a box dye and was left with a rash. I realized I was allergic to PPD, so I never dyed it.” (1)
Fast forward 5 years later with the advent of new, natural, organic hair dyes. In preparation for a big trip to Amsterdam to celebrate her sister Amber’s birthday, Steph decided to visit her local salon in Milton Keynes. She wanted to look glamorous for the trip, so long as it was safe. “I wanted to look my best. I told the hairdresser I was allergic to PPD and showed pictures of my previous reaction. She assured me the dye would not touch my scalp and it was organic. She applied a patch test to my wrist and wiped the excess off, which I thought was strange. But I didn’t react to the test, so I felt happy to go ahead.” Steph recalls. (1)
The Allergic Reaction
Steph was initially happy with her new hair color, but as the day progressed, she noticed that her glasses felt a little tighter and her neck was a little itchy. These symptoms were easily overlooked with all of the fun and excitement of Amsterdam. But the next day when Stephanie woke up, her head had swelled to three times its normal size and one eye was swollen shut. “It was terrifying. I was left in agonizing pain and I looked like an alien.” Steph reports. (1) Her life was in serious danger. She required adrenaline shots and ended up spending 5 days in the Milton Keynes hospital. (1)
The Risk of PPD
Even if you aren’t allergic to PPD, be cautioned that the allergy can develop with frequent hair dying. It turns out the PPD is highly sensitizing – meaning the more you are exposed to it, the higher chance you have to develop an allergy. PPD is also present in henna tattoos. Children can be especially sensitive to PPD, and it is therefore recommended that children avoid henna tattoos and that children under the age of 16 do not use permanent hair dyes. (2) Regardless of age, you might want to think twice the next time you dye your hair.
