Some individuals experience a facial rash within days after coloring their hair. There are various reasons for this and the most common is the hair dye itself. Despite this fact, almost every individual who colors the hair can result to a facial rash, especially if the same hair coloring has been used for years without any issues.
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The reason that the rash initially occurs on the face after hair coloring is due to the fact that the skin on the face is thinner and more reactive than the skin on the scalp. In reality, the skin in the scalp is so thick that reactions to hair dye rarely occur. In addition, an individual might have utilized a particular hair dye for many years without any issues, until the immune system is sensitized to the chemical via an unnoticed scrape, cut or other breaks in the skin.
Symptoms of hair dye allergy
The symptoms of hair dye allergy include contact dermatitis that typically occurs on the eyelids, face, neck and ears. Severe facial swelling can also occur with contact dermatitis to hair dye which can be mistaken as angioedema. The difference with angioedema is that it occurs on one side of the face at a time and does not flake or peel off when it starts to heal.
Remember that the symptoms of a hair dye reaction typically occur within 2-3 days after the individual colors his/her hair. Nevertheless, the symptoms can last for days to weeks after the last time the individual dyed his/her hair.
Usual causes of reactions to hair coloring
Para-phenylenediamine (PPD)
This is the chemical present in hair dye that is responsible for triggering allergic reactions. PPD is found in various permanent hair dyes and highly effective in penetrating the hair shaft and follicle as well as binding to proteins in the skin. This is why PPD is a strong contact antigen that can trigger allergic reactions. Due to this, PPD has been banned in some countries. Hair dyes that are branded as “hypoallergenic” no longer contain PPD.
Glyceryl thioglycolate
This chemical is present in permanent wave solutions that might be used along with hair dye. Since this chemical is not found in the standard panels to test for contact dermatitis, a diagnosis might be missed during the testing.
If the individual uses a solution to curl the hair, along with hair coloring, it is vital to consider all the ingredients that might trigger facial rashes.
Cocamidopropyl betaine
Cocamidopropyl betaine is a coconut-derived substance that is present in various shampoos, soaps and bath products. The chemical functions as a surfactant. It simply means that it produces bubbles which are a characteristic of various soaps that provides the so-called cleaning effect.
Since it is also present in many shampoos, it is usually overlooked as a cause of contact dermatitis of the face. In addition, since shampoos and other products that contain cocamidopropyl betaine are found in hairstyling products, the chemical might be responsible for reactions after coloring the hair.
Cobalt
It is important to note that cobalt is another chemical that is present in certain hair dyes that is known to trigger reactions. The chemical provides the pigment in certain light and medium brown dyes. Remember that this is often an overlooked cause of reactions to hair dye since some assume that if they experience a reaction to hair dye; it must be due to PPD. Nevertheless, an individual allergic to cobalt can still react to a hypoallergenic hair dye since it might contain cobalt, but lacks PPD.