55 Cases of Allergic Reactions to Hair Dye: A Descriptive, Consumer Complaint-Based Study
November 2002
in “
Contact Dermatitis
”
TLDR Many people had severe allergic reactions to a common hair dye ingredient, causing them to seek medical care and miss work.
In a 2002 study involving 55 cases, severe acute allergic contact dermatitis from hair dye use was primarily caused by para-phenylenediamine (PPD), which is present in hair dyes at concentrations up to 6%. The majority of these cases resulted from home hair dye applications, leading to symptoms such as severe facial and scalp edema, often mistaken for angioedema. This resulted in 75 health service visits and 5 hospital admissions, with 18 individuals requiring sick leave. Despite the severity, only 29% were patch tested, but all who were tested had positive reactions to PPD. The study highlighted that allergic reactions to hair dye are likely underreported and frequently misdiagnosed, suggesting the need for reduced PPD concentrations in hair dyes, establishment of threshold limits, and improved methods for surveying adverse reactions. The study also called for safer alternatives to PPD and reconsideration of legal exposure limits based on actual cases of adverse reactions.
