Coloring Your Hair? 3 Ways To Avoid An Allergic Reaction To Hair Color
Posted on: 2 June 2016
Just as some people are seriously allergic to peanuts or shellfish, some people experience a severe allergic reaction when they come into contact with hair color. Approximately one out of every 250,000 people is allergic to a chemical ingredient in hair color called paraphenylenediamine or PPD for short. While rare, allergic reactions to hair color can prove to be life threatening. For this reason, colorists are urged to perform allergy testing on clients who have never had their hair colored before. If you're worried about allergies or think you may have an allergy, following are three ways you can avoid a reaction to hair color.
Review Your History
Some people have fair warning that they are developing an allergy before a serious allergic reaction occurs. If you've ever had a rash after coloring your hair or if you've ever experienced itching, swelling, irritation, or hives after coming into contact with hair color, do not use products containing PPD. Your body has been trying to tell you that you're allergic to it. Instead, look for chemical-free products. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you will only experience a mild reaction because previous reactions have been mild. Allergic reactions tend to get worse with subsequent exposures.
Perform a Patch Test
Patch tests are great for uncovering allergies. To perform a test, place a small dollop of hair color on the skin behind your ear. Apply hair color to the same spot several times over the course of a couple of days. Monitor the test site for any signs of an allergic reaction, such as burning, stinging, rash, swelling, and so forth.
Choose Application Technique
If you find that you're allergic or sensitive to hair color, you can still get your hair colored with permanent hair color if you don't allow the product to touch your skin. This is possible through several application techniques, such as cap highlighting or color weaving, that keep color off the scalp. You can also choose to use chemical-free products. However, these usually do not bring about permanent or as vibrant results.
An allergic reaction to hair color can be quite serious, even deadly. If you have never used hair color before, you should perform a patch allergy test. You should also avoid hair color if you've experienced any negative side effects after coloring your hair in the past. Your health depends on you taking proper steps to protect yourself from the chemicals in hair color.
For more information and advice, talk with professionals at salon services in your area.
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