Why Hair Dye Allergies Are Nothing to Sneeze at

Hi Tracee, cool post, but the dyes that the majority of us use are semi-permanents and fully vegan friendly, so probably not too many reactions going on 😀
Somebody correct me if theyve seen a reaction to an alt dye though?

I agree that reactions and allergies to semi-permanent "veggie" dyes would likely be few and far between (I personally have never heard of any bad reactions) and this post probably relates more to permanent or box dyes.

That said a sensitivity test is recommended with any cosmetic item before use just to check 🙂

Box dyes are most likely to contain PPD's (huge name that I can't remember now) and that's usually what causes the allergic reactions. Allergies can range from simple itching to severe swelling that needs hospital treatments.

Also, be aware that just because you used the dye last month and were ok that doesn't mean you can use it this month as well. Various factors should be taken into account. Tattoo's also contain PPD's but to a much lesser degree, some people get very itchy after a tattoo and these are people who are very sensitive to it. If you recently had a tattoo done you MUST do a strand test to make sure that your own body's tolerance of PPD's won't be exceeded. Everyone is different and we can all only take so much.

If you have cuts or open wounds on your head you will be even more susceptible to PPD problems, whether you're allergic to it or not. The main problem with PPD's is when they get in the bloodstream, that's when you are more likely to swell up and need to go to hospital.

Most of us are lucky enough not to be so sensitive to it so don't be scared to use dyes, just be very, very careful. Strand tests are a must and as many people here are tattoo'd it's something to consider before each application of a PPD dye. The veggie dyes on Beeunique do NOT contain PPD's and many allergy sufferers have used this forum to say that they have used Beeunique dyes with no trouble at all. Most of them have to dye without using bleach but as you will see in the unbleached section of the gallery that hasn't stopped anyone from having bright haired fun!

So, with the best will in the world I say - go and dye!

Mathurine is right. It's not the hair dye per se which is dangerous, but certain ingredients. Especially the PPD, which is mostly contained in black(-ish) permanent box dyes, maybe even in some black henna hair dyes, but neither in bleach nor in SFX, Directions, Manic Panic etc.  

Actually, my younger sister is allergic to these hair dyes. Poor critter had to learn it the hard way when she wanted black undercolours a few years ago. The whole experiment ended in hospital, with her face resembling a hypertensive sumo wrestler alien - all bloated and the eyes swollen closed... Mmmm, sweet!  ???
I also think I know how that allergy was triggered, as she used to dye her hair for years without problems. But a few months before that epic undercolour fail she was on holiday and got herself one of those cheap 'henna' tattoos on the beach... resulting in some gross, itchy, red and blistering tramp stamp. Just like so. Yay...  :-
(Yes, she was really lucky not to end up with a tramp stamp shaped scar...)

I'm not exactly sure if it's just the PPD in black henna which makes it so dangerous? Probably there are plenty of other yummy ingredients too, which trigger allergies and toxic reactions. However, stay the heck away from that *bleeep*! And be careful with dark box dyes, too.

Over here, by the way, they already print warnings on the box, like
"Beware! Do not use if you had a henna tattoo!"  :-

Most box dyes do say to do a strand test in case of allergies and they usually mention that if you have tattoo's then you're more susceptible to allergy. So, as with anything - read the box and follow the instructions!

There's no such thing as being too cautious.