PPD reactions can be as small as eye lids itching, or getting a little eczema on them. It can be a little bit of itching on your scalp. I'm here to tell you that HAIR COLOR DOESN'T ITCH. Sometimes if you have a cut or a scratch, maybe in that one area, or if using a very high lift tint, but that's it. In some of the most severe reactions for PPD, people have oozing wounds that can last over six months. I try to explain that it is similar to a blister, but there is not a covering there. What it actually is is lymphatic fluid. If I then get more questions, I will say, "Back up. First, let's talk about the lymphatic system is, and what an allergen is."
The lymph system is the body's drainage system. It is composed of vessels and structures called lymph nodes. The
vessels move excess fluid from all over the body back into
the blood
circulation. Along the way, however, these fluids are forced to
percolate through the lymph nodes so that they can be filtered. Harmful
organisms are trapped and destroyed by the white blood
cells, called lymphocytes, that are present in these nodes. Lymphocytes
are also added to the lymphatic fluid that flows out of nodes and back to the
bloodstream.
Allergic reactions rarely occur during the first encounter with the allergen because the body needs time to accumulate, actually make, the
antibodies. The immune system forms
antibodies against the foreign substance, and they normally work to protect the body from further attack. In the case of
an allergy, however, the antibodies and other cells involved
in this function trigger an
overreaction to the foreign substance. The antibodies stimulate specialized cells to produce histamine. This causes the small blood vessels to enlarge
and the smooth muscles (such as those in the airways) to constrict. Histamine release can also cause other reactions,
such as hives, welts, and anaphylactic shock.
Antibodies are created by the lymph system. Antibodies are proteins that the body makes in response to invasion by a
foreign substance. The process of antibody formation begins when an
antigen, stimulates specialized lymphocytes, called B cells, into action.
Antibodies then counteract invading antigens by combining with the
antigen to render it harmless to the body. Some antibodies coat the harmful organisms so that the body's scavenger
cells can recognize and destroy them better. The antibody molecule
combines with the antigen molecule by matching combining sites; they fit
together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Other antibodies that
neutralize toxins produced by bacteria are called antitoxins.
I hope I haven't lost anyone yet!
Now that we have discussed the difficult part, I can explain that your body is reacting to what it thinks is an invader. Antibodies have formed to the PPD, as if it was a bee sting, and lymphatic fluid is attempting to counteract the invading foreign substance. If you are oozing clear fluid, it is your body trying to flush away a foreign substance. In this case, the PPD. This fluid is similar to what's in a blister, but the top skin is not there.
In some instances, early PPD reactions can show by eczema on the eye lids. This is particularly simple to watch for, but very easy to miss. I can not stress the importance of getting to the doctor and having a T.R.U.E. test done. STOP coloring with chemicals ASAP if you have this reaction.
The life you save could be your own.
Gina xx
