PPD to be reviewed, perhaps outlawed in hair dye? (happy dance)
Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on June 7, 2001 at 14:24:02:
The only way to get PPD out of henna will be to get PPD off the hairdye shelves! As long as any (expletive deleted) can buy black hair
dye, mix it up and sling it on someone, henna, the hennaed, and the
hennaeing will suffer. Looks as if people are reconsidering whether
PPD should EVER be used on people! If PPD vanishes .... big sigh of
relief for henna artists! Of course, getting PPD out of the
hair dye industry will be as quick and easy as getting tobacco
companies to stop making cigarettes....
Check the link below, or the copy I've pasted below, here, from BBC
Watchdog Healthcheck, June 7, 2001
Hair Dye Watchdog Healthcheck:
"Seven million people have had their hair coloured. But a potent
colouring agent - used in salons and home kits - can cause severe
allergic reactions. The European Commission is so concerned, it is
taking action.
Colouring your hair is no longer just about getting rid of the grey
bits, it's a fashion necessity. The hair dyingindustry is booming.
It's estimated that around 7 million people in the UK colour their
hair and spend £7 billion every year on dyes. However, many dyes sold
in the UK can have serious health risks. Chemicals contained inthem
can cause violent allergic reactions and in extreme
circumstances, even death.
In August 2000, a 39 year old British woman, Narinder Devi died after
using a popular home pack hair dye, Movida, by Laboratoires Garnier.
After an inquest into Narinder Devi's death, the coroner ruled that
she had died from a massive anaphylactic attack "most likely" due to
using hair dye. Although this case was both rare and severe, it has
opened up the debate about the safety of colouring your hair.
Jo Grove-White from Cheshire had a semi-permanent dark brown colour
treatment at her local hair salon. It was the first time she'd had her
hair dyed. A few days later after having the treatment, her head had
become completely swollen. She could not open her eyes and her gold
chain that had previously hung loosely around her neck - was skin
tight.
Jo Grove-White rushed to her GP who told her she'd had a severe
allergic reaction to the hair dye. Three weeks later she started to
lose her hair. Jo Grove-White told Watchdog Healthcheck:
"Patches of my hair fell out. And I had blisters and sores on my head
- my scalp was covered in scabs. It was awful - I was devastated -
and couldn't go out for weeks. I was too embarrassed to show my face
in public. It's taken a year for my hair to be completely restored."
Frank Cunningham is the trichologist who treated her. He told
Watchdog Healthcheck:"Jo's reaction was a particularly severe one. She
lost around 30-50 % of her hair."
Although Jo has quite sensitive skin, her experience is not uncommon.
There are about 50 such reactions every year. In most cases, the
substance which triggers the allergic reaction is a colouring agent
called PPD. It is found in nearly all hair dyes and is highly potent.
PPD or Para-phenylene-diamine is easily absorbed into the scalp and
once in the body, causes cells to release histamines - irritating
chemicals - which bring about an allergic reaction.
The European Commission was so concerned it set up a scientific
committee to investigate hair dyes. Dr. Ian White headed the research
team - he told Watchdog Healtcheck: "Hair dyes contain a number of
potent chemicals which can cause an array of allergic reactions from
mild skin irritations to violent allergic reactions."
But manufacturers argue that skin safety tests can help prevent
allergic reactions and that chemical levels in hair dyes are safe as
they are. Dermatologists say that patch tests in home-dyes or those in
hair salons are inconclusive. A negative reaction to a skin test
doesn't necessarily mean you won't have an allergic reaction. People
who dye their hair over a long period of time will increase their
chances of getting a reaction.
Alicia Richens has been using home-pack hair dyes to colour her hair
for the past seven years. In March, she bought Naples Black - a hair
dye made by L'Oreal. Alicia Richens could barely open her eyes which
were constantly weeping and she had an intolerable itching allover
her body. Alicia Richens' GP confirmed that she'd had an allergic
reaction to the hair dye that she'd used. When Alicia phoned the
L'Oreal help line number she was told that they did not know what it
could be and that she should seek medical advice.
A statement from the Cosmetics Toiletry Perfumery Association to
Watchdog Healthcheck is as follows: "The safety of hair colorants is
regulated by the European Cosmetics Directive, which requires a safety
assessment to be carried out by the manufacturer for each product
placed on the market. Safety assessments are open to inspection by the
competent authorities.
All cosmetic products are now ingredient labelled to enable consumers
with a diagnosed sensitivity to avoidthe ingredient to which they are
allergic and thereby minimise the chance of adverse reaction. Although
not required by law, hair dye products also contain detailed
instructions and advice on carrying out a sensitivity test.
Anyone who has experienced a reaction to a haircolorant or reacted
positively to a sensitivity test should not use the product but should
seek professional advice before using any hair dye product."
Is there something you, as a henna artist, can do? Put a link to
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ on your PPD rant page
so people who have had PPD injuries can complain directly to the FDA.
If enough people report their injuries, something will get done. The
hair dye companies, (each of whom has a help line as useful as
L'Oreal's there) (actually, I've heard that same story from other
people in the same situation) are doing an effective disinformation
job and keeping people from getting proper help and reporting their
injuries. With the direct link to the FDA, injured people will get
heard!
Follow Ups
- THE HAMMER COMES DOWN!!!!!
Joe B 14:58:17 6/11/2001
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- Re: PPD to be reviewed, perhaps outlawed in hair dye? (happy dance)
samantha 15:59:15 6/7/2001
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