The perils of hair dye!! Ouch!

Not a very nice picture I will admit but I wanted to highlight the 'dangers' of dying your hair! 

Now I have always dyed my hair and have been a full spectrum of colours since I was 15. But I favour black or dark colours. (That's my inner goth!!) 

Last weekend I figured my hair needed a touch up so went and bought a well known and reputable brand. 30 Minutes later and I was expecting to a have a sleek new shiny colour which I suppose I do have. However I have been left with the sorest, itchy, inflamed, scabby, did I mention sore? rash! 

To help relieve the itch I bought and started taking some anti-histamines. Which have helped slightly but it still has not gone down! After a trip to the docs I have now got anti-biotics stronger anti-itch pills and some cream, fingers crossed this lot works because I don't want to be left with scars and it really does hurt!!

I have been doing some research though and it is the chemical Paraphenylenediamine (PPD)   which is found in the majority of permanent hairdyes especially the darker ones that cause this reaction. 

On one website I read that a body usually has a tolerance of 60 times to this chemical and side effects can occur at any time you dye your hair. So if the maths is done I have been colouring my hair for 15 years - perhaps this means my time as a black haired beauty is coming to an end? 

I used to only associate extreme allergies to hairdyes - TV programmes & magazines showing some poor person who had used colourings and stopped breathing or their face had swollen to unrecognisable proportions. But a skin reaction to people who have become sensitive to PPD is common too! 

The only thing I can do in the long term is to not colour my hair, especially with permanent ones. Even if I used a henna or more natural based dye I would need to check whether it contained PPD. 

To read more about it Check out the allergy uk website here...