Allergic Reactions to Hair Dye Increase
By Staff | Mar 8, 2007
Rates of allergy reactions to hair dye have increased in recent years as more people, especially young, dye their hair, researchers have warned in the latest copy of the British Medical Journal.
Supported by the latest survey in London, it was found that the incidence of skin allergy condition (contact dermatitis) that is result from hair dye appliance had jumped by 7%. Dermatologists say that other case reports from Britain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Singapore also indicate that the allergy is increasing.
Published study blames the increase of allergic reaction on the use of an active ingredient in hair dyes, paraphenylene-diamine (PPD). Symptoms of allergic reaction to this ingredient include redness, swelling, and blisters which may form and break, leaving crusts and scales. Later, the skin starts to crack, and become leathery.
Paraphenylene-diamine (PPD) ingredient has been banned in some European countries, but current rate of the skin allergy increase leads to call for ban on wider scale.
It is also suggested that another root to the problem is that hair dye is popular, especially at a younger age. Researches showed that rates of people dying their hair in recent years have increased to massive proportions, due to, probably, cultural and commercial pressures to dye hair and widespread obsession of looking young.
“It may not be easy to reverse these trends as some patients have continued to use such dyes even when advised that they are allergic to them and risk severe reactions,” the editorial concluded.
