Chemese Armstrong, a health and fitness blogger, wanted to get a hair coloring procedure, but she was worried the dye's chemicals would be bad for her. She's aware that she's allergic to Paraphenylenediamine (or PPD), an ingredient that's found in most hair dyes, so she opted for a chemical-free treatment.
She sought the advice of a dermatologist for a safer product to use and was told that henna hair dye would do since it's supposed to be plant-based and all natural. The stylist who worked on her hair did use a henna product, which seemingly did not turn out to be all-natural and chemical-free after all.
Armstrong shared her experience and posted a photo of how her face after having an allergic reaction to the dye's ingredients. In one of the photos, Armstrong's face showed how much it swelled up that she couldn't even open her eyes for two days.
"I'm not posting this for any advice or any negative comments. I'm fully aware of what these pictures look like. I had to endure this nightmare," the blogger said. "I was in severe pain from my scalp burning and itching, with my face completely swollen to the point I was unrecognizable."
Her allergic reaction got so bad that doctors were concerned it would eventually affect her breathing. Armstrong eventually healed. "I hate that this had to happen but now I'm even more focus on making sure that my health is number one priority," she wrote.
A photo posted by Chemese (@chemese) on Mar 9, 2016 at 12:49pm PST
Armstrong further shared her story in a video, where she talked about her numerous ER visits while she recovered.
She also warned her followers to be wary about trying new beauty products and always practice caution and care. One of her followers suggested doing a patch test first and waiting for any reaction. "It is such a scary experience and just not worth it just for the change of a hair color," the comment said.
In Armstrong's case, she and her stylist did a strand test and waited for 30 minutes before proceeding, but hours after getting the treatment, she felt odd. Then, the swelling started.
Meanwhile, the hair product used by the salon was sourced from India and Armstrong was told that no other clients had allergic reactions prior to this incident. "No PPD is indicated by the manufacturer," the salon's owner claimed.
