Woman's head turns into the size of football after colouring her hair

Dubai - Twenty-year-old student suffers severe allergic reaction from a chemical component in hair dye.

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Published: Tue 17 Nov 2020, 5:58 PM

Last updated: Tue 17 Nov 2020, 6:17 PM

If you are among people who colour their hair, beware of the devastating side effects it could have on you if you are allergic to any component in the dye.

A woman in Bulgaria learnt it the hard way when she was left with a head the size of a football after she suffered a severe allergic reaction to hair colour that she used. Most hair dyes come with a warning to do a patch test first before using it.

According to a report in the Mirror, Valentina Nikolova, 20, from Sofia, Bulgaria, visited a salon to get her hair coloured. However, in less than a day, she developed severe itching on her scalp.

Worried about it, she contacted her hairdresser only to be told that it was a normal reaction.

However, to her shock and surprise, the next day, when she woke up she found the top of her head swollen, but the next day, the swelling increased and she could barely keep eyes open. Her head turned the size of a football. On the fourth day, the swelling reduced but a top layer of her scalp started peeling off.

“I was really scared and anxiety crept in on me when I first saw myself in the mirror. I couldn't believe it was me,” Valentina was quoted as telling Mirror.

Valentina did not waste time and sought medical intervention. An allergist administered her a corticosteroid injection and prescribed some medicine to control the allergy and bring down the swelling.

Ever since then, Valentina has been making people aware of the importance of taking a patch test ahead of colouring their hair.

A chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD) which is commonly found in hair colours was claimed to be responsible for Valentina’s allergy. Dyes containing PPD are usually safe to use but only a patch test can reveal the reaction your body will react to the chemical.

“Please, do a patch test before dying your hair, no matter what colour it is and no matter if it is temporary or permanent,” Valentina advised everyone after the harrowing experience.