Safely Patch Test if You are Allergic to PPD or Other Hair Color

Patch testing is very difficult, and most hairdressers don't do it. There IS a reason, but I've never met one who knows why. It's because it doesn't work. All the patch test's that are currently in use do, is protect the color company with one more cushion from being able to be sued. Here's why:

 If you have a client who has never had hair color, then a patch test introduces them to PPD, PTD, or TDS. Then the second exposure, 24 hours after the test, when you color them, THEN they can react. Our system NOW has made up anti-bodies. If you hadn't done a patch test, the client would not have anti-bodies yet. If the client HAS had color before, then the allergy can turn up the second time, or the thousandth. Scientists, chemists, and doctors have tried, but there really is no way to know when a person will react. Well, of course, there is one way to know, because COLOR DOESN'T ITCH.

There are often cases where the clients get dry flaky eyes, but this is not spoken about, or listed in the warnings. Nor is the itching, or the fact that you can go into anaphylactic shock and dye. I believe this is what we should concentrate on changing.

If you get your hair colored, and it itches, you are becoming allergic to it, it will get worse, no matter what. If you know someone who colors their hair, ask them if it itches. If it does, guess what? It's going to get worse, each time they color. This is the one thing that we do know. Once you start becoming allergic, each exposure is cumulative. Your body will react worse with each exposure. We also know that if we were to live long enough, EVERYONE WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME ALLERGIC TO HAIR COLOR.

Here is how to try a color with a new base diamine:

You are going to do three tests, 2 days apart. 2 on your arm, and one behind your ear. I have adjusted this, and it's still a working development. Sometimes, I alter this for certain clients if they have a different reaction. Do what works best for you. Make sure you gently wipe the area clean, so that there isn't any perfume, or lotion in the area.

1. Inner Forearm, just below the elbow. Apply the color, mixed properly, for half of the normal processing time. Then wash the area with mild shampoo. There should not be any redness, welts, scabs, hives, lumps, bumps, white areas, or abnormal skin in any way. You should not experience any
 scaling or flaking on your eyelids, drooping eye lids or facial features, abnormal breathing, shortness of breath, mouth itching, tongue swelling, throat swelling, or any skin abnormalities on your neck, shoulders, or trunk. NO ALLERGIC REACTIONS OF ANY KIND. This needs to be watched for 2 full days.

2. Repeat the above directions in the same manner, but increase the time to the full processing time. The same rules apply as to 1.

3. Repeat the above directions, but behind the ear. Change the processing time back to half of the processing time. The same rules apply as to 1. And 2.

If you have any problems, please call 911 FIRST. You should not apply the color when you are alone, as you may not be able to speak if your airway is constricted. If you can not breath, do not drive to the hospital! If you are having any kind of allergic reaction, please call 911, or your doctor. Do not risk your life.

Paid consults are available by email at request. Ginamarietaro@gmail.com prices starting at $120us

Hair Loss from PPD

I have been getting requests about hair loss from PPD. I did some research, and I was able to find very little information on this subject. There was one article on PubMed stating that hair loss can happen from a severe PPD allergy. (Severe Hair Loss of the Scalp due to a Hair Dye Containing Para phenylenediamine.
Ishida W, Makino T, Shimizu T.) For me to explain what I learned from this, and one other article I found, I will explain how hair grows in three cycles.

There are three cycles of hair growth, anagen, or growing, cantogen, or resting, and telogen, or falling out. At any given time, 30% of your hair should be in one of these phases, or moving into one of them. In the article noted above, the patient is diagnosed with severe allergic contact dermatitis, including skin lesions, and this resulted in telogen effluvium. (severe hair loss) This was determined to be from a reaction to PPD. The lesions were severe enough, or the allergy alone caused trauma to the scalp, which has forced the anagen and cantogen cycles to move to telogen. The skin lesions gradually improved after starting treatment with the systemic, or oral, corticosteroids. "The possibility that allergic contact dermatitis from hair dyes may be responsible for telogen effluvium should always be considered in a patient with increased hair loss." This was the end of the article.  I had noted that the skin improvement was mentioned, but the hair loss was not addressed. I don't know why it was not said if it had improved, stayed the same, or worsened. So, we have proof that hair loss from PPD exists.

There was one other article from Germany that I found on EuroPubMed "Idiopathic chronic telegon effluvium in the woman", but I am not sure that it has much more information from what was reported above. One of the most interesting points in the article was that they used information from  based on observation from the sheep wool industry and clinical experience. Sheep?! The treatment had and extra note "They include the use of L-cystine-containing oral preparations and of corticosteroids." Again, no notations on how the results were.

It is very disturbing to me that I have more than 6 requests right now from across the country, one from England, and I do not know what the results are. I can write what I suspect the results are, but I am not a doctor, just a hairdresser. I am just guessing. My GUESS is that the hair grows back, as the articles do not suggest that the problem is permanent. They also do not say that treatment is hopeless, or permanent, or anything dramatic. If you are the one who is losing the hair, that is dramatic enough.

One more note, if you are facing losing some hair and are looking at extensions, look at halo extensions. Anything that will apply traction or pulling on your hair can be detrimental. If you need to, you can always contact me.