Hol....HELP!!! Please.

Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive April 2007: Hol....HELP!!! Please.

Hi Hol...I bought the Clairol Natural Instincts hair color you recommended and did not do an allergy patch test beforehand. Unfortunately, I am indeed allergic to it and have itchy bumps on my scalp, neck, and arm. It's been almost a week since I've colored so my hair has been washed several times now and it's getting worse. It took a few days for the rash to even show up, but I'm pretty certain the dye was the cause, as my hair even touching my neck now is agony, and my forearm is the one that reached all around my head as I knelt under the faucet and rinsed it all out. Any advice?? Thanks!

By Tonya on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 09:41 am:

I am not Hol but I say go to the Dr. They are going to have to give you some meds to reduce the itching for sure. You could try Benadryl over the counter first though.

Good luck.

By Hol on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 04:01 pm:

Yes, you are having a serious allergic reaction, which is not uncommon. That's why the directions recommend a patch test. Salons are SUPPOSED to do it, also, and have the client come back in 48 hours to be checked before colouring, if they are new clients (though you can BECOME allergic to something that you have had no problems with previously). Unfortunately, salons are so focused on making the money NOW, and they are afraid if they insist on patch testing a client, that they will go somewhere else.

You need to be seen by a doctor and probably go on a course of steroid medication like Prednisone. Benadryl will only give temporary relief, and the allergic reaction has the POTENTIAL to get even worse and cause life threatening symptoms such as trouble breathing and your throat closing.

Also, since you reacted so badly the first time, DON'T try to colour your hair again. The next time could be even worse.

My late MIL had her hair coloured for over thirty years; the same colour, same salon, same product, same hairdresser. The last time she had it done, she ended up in the hospital with a near fatal reaction, and a rash from her head to her feet. (That isn't, however, what she died from).

Please call your doctor. Maybe they will call something in for you, but my guess is that they will want to see you. If you don't have a doctor, go to a walk-in center or ER.

By Kate on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 04:17 pm:

No, no, no, Hol!! That is NOT what you were supposed to say!!! I'm in my thirties!!! I can't stop coloring!! Eeek! Things are actually better at the moment, and only my arm had a lot of itchy bumps. The scalp and neck were scattered spots and I think a doctor would think I was nuts if I went in as there isn't that much to see right now. I did take some Benadryl last night and this morning, trying to curb it. My DD used to get chronic hives and she used Zyrtec for six months until it finally just stopped happening, so I figured Benadryl could do the same for me. Do you know why this happens? Why would that happen to your MIL?? Can't I go back to the brand I used to use?

Isn't the stuff all washed away by now? Why would it take a few days to show up in the first place? Is it still somehow hanging on my hair?

By Kate on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 04:22 pm:

Also, Hol, my hands are absolutely fine and I didn't wear the gloves...could it be that it's NOT the color after all??

By Hol on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 05:33 pm:

I don't know why it can happen all of a sudden, but I know it can; from what we were taught in school, what happened to my MIL, and from working in a dermatologist's office for three years and seeing patients being treated for it.

The skin is the FIRST "alarm system" that something is harmful to the body. That's why, when you listen to the ads on TV for different prescription drugs,and they list the side effects, most of the time, the first reaction is "skin rash". The body perceives the substance as a foreign invader. An allergic reaction is your immune system kicking into over drive, but sometimes it can get carried away. Even a med or a substance that you have taken for years (as in my MIL's case), can all of a sudden cause a problem. People have died from taking an antibiotic that they have had many times in the past, but this time the body reacted.

Your first post sounded very ominous. I'm glad that the Benedryl is helping. It can be the first line of defense in anaphylactic cases.

No, it isn't all washed away by now. It stays on the hair for about 24 shampoos. It took a few days to react because it took that long for it to attack your system. It IS in your hair, but what made you react was that it was absorbed through your skin and became systemic. EVERYTHING that we put on the skin is absorbed. If that were not the case, then transdermal patches, like nicotine patches, and birth control patches wouldn't work. SOMETHING in the tint caused you to react.

I think the reason that your hands are okay is because you probably washed them immediately after putting the tint on your hair. The tint sat on your head and around your neck for the 25-30 minutes it took to process. That was suficient time to absorb into the body, and also irritate the skin locally.

IF you go back to using what you used before, DO a patch test and wait 48 hours. Put some of the mixed tint solution in the crook of your arm and don't wash the area for two days. If you have no reaction, then you are PROBABLY okay. As you already know, it takes a while to pop a reaction.

It's impossible to predict what we are allergic to. I used to colour my hair years ago with no problem. When I started to go grey, I put this temporary rinse on my hair called "Shimmer Lights" (also by Clairol). It washes out after each shampoo, but it is supposed to make the "silver" hairs shine. I got swollen glands in my neck and armpits. It never happened again after I stopped using it. Now, I just let God "highlight" my hair with grey. LOL!

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 03:33 am:

Kate,I urge you to listen to Hol and go see your doctor. No, you don't have much rash now, but you had a serious allergic reaction. It may be time to have some allergy tests, to find out what you are allergic to, before you come across something that sends you into anaphylactic (sp?) shock, which can be life-threatening. You may well now be sensitized to certain chemicals and be at risk for serious reactions to them. While you don't have a rash now, you can certainly describe your symptoms to your doctor.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 03:21 pm:

Ditto, what Ginny said. Every subsequent exposure to an allergen, makes it worse. You still should probably see the doctor.

By Kate on Thursday, April 19, 2007 - 04:30 pm:

I called the doc and he said to try Claritin for a few days and if that doesn't work to come in. It is definitely better today than it was yesterday morning. I certainly won't be using this brand of color again, and I will definitely do an allergy patch test next time first.

By Jjb on Friday, April 20, 2007 - 01:22 pm:

I just read this- Kate I'm so sorry!!! I'm past due to color myself, but my psoriasis is really bad so I'm "painting" my gray until my scalp improves. The last time I colored when my psoriasis was flairing my scalp started to bleed- eeeeek. Anyway, I bought this stuff that looks like lip gloss and you paint the noticable roots. It works pretty well and will hold me off another week or so. Let me know if you want more info on it. Good luck and I hope you're feeling better soon.

By Hol on Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 01:05 am:

When I was in cosmetology school, they told us about a woman who had a severe allergic reaction to a perm. Her scalp split open and bled. It had never happened before. There is just no way of knowing for sure, but patch testing does help predict who might have a problem.

There is a substance in hair COLOUR called analine derivative dye. It is a coal tar (petroleum) product. It can cause severe sensitivity in some people.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 09:17 am:

Another thought... Medications and hormonal changes can bring about reactions to toxins that we haven't had before.. And in some cases with medication, once you stop taking it the reaction may not happen again..


Hope you are feeling better.. The things we put ourselves through in the name of beauty. LOL