Hair dye reactions
Overview
Many hair dyes contain ingredients that can irritate your skin or cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms
Reactions to PPD can range from mild irritation in the scalp to an allergic reaction that can potentially trigger serious symptoms throughout the body. wash your hair and scalp thoroughly with mild shampoo to remove any excess dyetry gently applying an emollient (moisturising treatment) such as petroleum jelly to the affected skin
Causes
Some people are prone to a skin reaction calledcontact dermatitis. This means their skin may become red, dry, scaly, bumpy, blistered, or irritated (inflamed) when they come into contact with a particular substance. The substance may either be an irritant, directly damaging the skin, or an allergen, triggering an allergic reaction that affects the skin. Many permanent and some semi-permanent hair dyes contain a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD), which is a known irritant and allergen. Darker coloured dyes contain higher level of PPD. PPD is the cause of most reactions to hair dye.
Treatment
Medicines calledantihistaminescan help reduce skin inflammation and itching. A pharmacist or GP will be able to recommend an antihistamine for you.
Prevention
If you develop a reaction to hair dye, even just a mild one, you should stop using products containing PPD altogether, as there's a risk you could develop a more severe reaction in the future. Try switching to a safer alternative, such as a non-permanent, PPD-free hair dye – but be aware that it's still possible to develop a reaction to this.