Allergic reactions to hair dyes are on the rise as more people pursue the "cult of youth," warn doctors. The reactions trigger rashes on the face and in severe cases can cause facial swelling.
Researchers writing in the British Medical Journal are calling for more research on the safety of hair dyes.
Increasing numbers of people are coloring their hair, with older people using dyes to cover gray and a fashion among the young for dramatic hairstyles.
More than two-thirds of hair dyes currently contain paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and other related agents. PPD is banned from hair dyes in Germany, France and Sweden.
Dr. John McFadden, senior lecturer at St John's Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas's Hospital, London, said: "Cultural and commercial pressures to dye hair and, perhaps, the widespread obsession with the 'culture of youth' are putting people at risk." Market research shows more people are dyeing their hair, at a younger age and more frequently.
A 2001 survey found that two out of five schoolgirls dye their hair and almost nine in ten young women.
The hair dye industry says hair colorants are among the most thoroughly studied products on the market and millions of customers satisfactorily color their hair every year.
Source: 2007 Daily Mail; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Powered by Yellowbrix.
