In an effort to reduce the amount of chemicals that goes into the body and lead a healthier lifestyle, many people have chosen many natural alternatives to products used in everyday life.
From medicines to cleaning products, there is a cornucopia of alternatives you could use. For Chemese Armstrong of Austin Texas, using natural products for her hair is a given in her life.
She is allergic to Paraphenylenediamine or PPD—a dark dye used in countless hair dye-related products. As an alternative to boxed dyes, her dermatologist suggested that she used henna instead.
So she got in touch with a local salon, Jamila Salon Suits, and asked about the process of henna dyeing and told her about the allergy. Before they started, they did a strand test.
READ: 8 of the most bizarre allergies
When nothing happened the went ahead with the procedure.
Because henna has to sit in your hair for two to four hours, the salon sent Chemese home to wash her hair there.
Shortly after leaving, however, her scalp began to burn. Her face swelled to the point that she could no longer open her eyes.
A photo posted by Chemese (@chemese) on
Despite washing her face a couple of times her condition worsened. Eventually she was rushed to the emergency room where the staff helped stop the swelling.
“I’m still not one hundred percent yet,” Chemese told Yahoo! Beauty. “I’m weak and very tired but I’m taking it one day at a time,” Armstrong told Yahoo! Beauty. “I don’t know the brand of the henna because it was done at a salon. The salon owner has yet to get in contact with me. My focus right now is my health.”
In a correspondence with Yahoo! Beauty, Jamila Salon Suites said that “sometimes we get the henna from Whole Foods, sometimes from India, so we don’t really know.”
READ: This 11-year-old girl is allergic to the sun
Then in a follow up e-mail, she added: “The henna I use comes from India, where most of henna is grown and processed. There have been no allergic reactions to this henna product. No PPD is indicated by the manufacturer.”
An allergic reaction to henna is rare, but it does happen for some.
“The reaction to pure henna is a Type I allergic reaction, entirely different from and unrelated to the frequent Type IV sensitization to PPD in synthetic hair dyes,” said Hena For Hair. “It is very unusual for a person who is allergic to PPD in synthetic hair dyes to also be allergic to henna.”
Chemese has no interest in suing the company. Instead she thinks of her ordeal as an important life lesson:
“This just made me realize that I need to pay more attention to what I put in my body and what I put on my body,” she said. “I like to think of myself of a naturalist and I just want to be more mindful about [that].”
Treating allergic reactions
According to Health Line, minor allergic reactions can be safely treated at home with over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants.
“These medications are generally available as tablets, eye drops, and nasal sprays. Swelling, redness, and itching may be reduced with the use of ice and topical creams that contain corticosteroids.”
However, if you fin your symptoms not improving or worsening, it’s a sign that’s time to call the doctors.
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