hair dye allergy horror...help!

[GEEKLOVE]

i dyed my hair 2 nights ago...black.
i washed it and the intense itching began.
today my scalp is on fire with itch and pain.
it is so bad and i actually feel like i am swollen and feel stiff all over my body.
i can see red on my raw itchy burning scalp.

from my internet searches i have learned about a chemical used in hair dye called ppd.
i wont be using awful dye anymore but i have never had this problem before when using it...maybe it was the brand?!
i dont know.

does anybody have any advice for me?
what should i do?

[rainyday]

Benadryl. That will help deal with any allergic reaction to it. Then I'd wash it again with a very, very mild shampoo and rinse with coolish water for a very long time. Do you have some aloe or calendula that you could rub into your scalp? I'd probably work some olive oil through my hair (but that would depend on the type of hair you have - I'd need to have something to condition my hair after all that shampooing). Then I'd leave lots of aloe/calendula on the scalp and a small amount of oil in my hair overnight.

Most adults can take up to 50 mg of Benadryl at a time, and I think the bottle says to repeat every 8 hours (check this!). If it were me, I'd start with a 50 mg dose (can cause a lot of drowsiness, but you've got to stop the reaction), and then take another 25 mg every whatever hours the bottle says until you've stopped reacting.

Zantac also helps with allergic reactions, so I'd take a dose of that as well and follow a regimen of that as well until the reaction subsides.

I'd also probably call my doctor's office and get the nurse's take on it.

I'm not normally a fan of meds, but for a bad allergic reaction, nothing works as well as Benadryl. The Zantac works on a different pathway but also has anti-histamine qualities, so it can increase the effectiveness.

Good luck! I hope you get the reaction under control soon. It doesn't sound fun.

[GEEKLOVE]

thanks so much for your reply
ive never been allergic to anything before besides some seasonal allergy type things.

i just did a rinse with some baby shampoo and took a bath in some oatmeal.
im going to take a benadryl tonight and hope that it will help!
question about benedryl...it actually helps or does it just suppress the symptoms?
i have unbelievably thick long hair and will try the olive oil and use some fresh aloe on it.
do you think i should blow dry my hair or let it air dry tonight....hmmmm?
thanks so much this really stinks.

[StrawberryFields]

Oh no! I had the same thing happen to me too. I used to dye my hair all the time at home and then suddenly one day I was horribly allergic. Felt like my scalp was splitting open it was so inflamed and raw. Benedryl is normally something I avoid big time, but the pain was so terrible I just took it around the clock and slept on the couch day & night until the reaction was over. I know it is not the most natural approach but wow, it was bad. I can't dye my hair at home anymore. I hope you find something that helps. Hugs!!!

[rainyday]

Benadryl actually helps block the histamines which are what trigger the swelling, itching, etc. Benadryl works on one pathway for the histamines and the Zantac works on a different type of histamine, so the two together will help block the most. The Benadryl will likely help a lot on its own, though.

Some of what you're allergic to was most likely absorbed through your scalp which is quite possibly why you're having such a systemic reaction. You'll keep reacting until all of that has been metabolized, but the Benadryl/Zantac will help keep the reaction to be less severe usually.

If it were me, I would not dry my hair tonight. I'd probably just towel dry it as much as possible and wrap it up with the oil and aloe.

One other thing - be sure not to use any topical ointments that contain Benadryl (diphenhydramine HCl). Benadryl is absorbed through the skin, and people can overdose by using topical ointments and taking pills of it. Besides the Benadryl ointment itself, Caladryl also has Benadryl's active ingredient in it.

I hope you feel better tomorrow.

[WindyCityMom]

If I use hair dyes that happens to me. It lasts about 3 days, and goes away on its own, I assume, when no traces of the irritant remain.

Hope you feel better!

[ScootchsMom]

When I was getting into henna a few years ago I read up on PPD. (It is used to create "black" henna art, which is extremely dangerous!)

Here is a pretty darn good article that discusses chemicals in hair coloring products, and it has a lot of info on PPD and the reactions it can cause. PPD reactions can be severe and dangerous, so don't take it lightly that you reacted.

http://www.naturalnews.com/022575.html

Liz