Mum ‘left looking like a monster’ after an allergic reaction to box hair dye caused her face to swell up and burn
Charlotte Cragg is now warning people to do patch tests before they dye their hair
A TRAINED hairdresser has revealed how an allergic reaction to hair dye left her looking like a monster.
Charlotte Cragg, 26, from Kendal, Cumbria, used a box dye to colour her hair but decided against doing a patch test.
Unfortunately, the mum-of-two suffered an allergic reaction that saw her face swell up and burn.
Thankfully, Charlotte’s face has now returned to normal and she’s urging others to always do a patch test.
Charlotte, a midwifery student, said: “I learnt the hard way to always do a patch test even if you’ve used a product before.
“I’ve not been put off dying my hair but I’ll definitely be more cautious in future. Although I probably should have known better since I’m a trained hairdresser.”
Charlotte has been dyeing her hair since she was 12 years old.
She said: “I’ve always been really girly and loved changing my look.
“I’ve been every colour under the sun from purple, red, brown, blonde and black.
“Thankfully I never suffered an allergic reaction. I’ve always had my hair dyed in a salon and been given a patch test every time.”
But in 2005 aged 13, Charlotte went on holiday to Turkey where she got a black henna tattoo on her arm.
Within hours, the tattoo had turned into boils and became infected.
She said: “I reacted to the paraphenylenediamine (PPD) in the tattoo but didn’t realise it at the time.
“Now whenever I tan, I have a scar on my arm.”
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Back at home, Charlotte continued to get her hair dyed professionally using colours that didn’t have PPD in it.
In May 2010, she qualified as a hairdresser and practiced for five years.
But then in May 2018, she dyed her hair at home herself for the first time.
Charlotte said: “I bought two boxes of hair dye in cool brown and coloured my hair.
“I did a patch test beforehand and followed the instructions as normal.
“That night, my head was a bit itchy but I never thought anything of it.”
Two months later in July 2018, Charlotte turned 26 and she celebrated her birthday with a night out to see the Dreamboys with friends.
She said: “I noticed my roots coming through so I decided to dye my hair that morning.
“I used the second box of dye I’d bought previously and decided against doing a patch test as I’d already used the same brand and colour before.”
So Charlotte applied the colour but by the time she got home from her night out, her head was unbearably itchy.
Charlotte said: “I had to sleep with a flannel over my head to cool it down.
“And when I woke up the next morning my ears had puffed up and my head was boiling hot.
“That day, I went to a local pharmacy where the pharmacist recommended antihistamines and a topical cream to put on my face.
My kids, Max, six, and Ollie, four, were terrified of me and said I looked like a monster. Ollie cried when he saw me and refused to go near me. If I tried to kiss him, he ran off
Charlotte Cragg
“I hoped the tablets would help my symptoms settle down quickly.
“Instead they worsened, my face swelled up and my head felt like it was on fire.
“My throat was sore and I had jaw pain. I looked like Sloth from the Goonies.
“My kids, Max, six, and Ollie, four, were terrified of me and said I looked like a monster.
“Ollie cried when he saw me and refused to go near me. If I tried to kiss him, he ran off.”
That night, Charlotte went to the out-of-hours GP’s surgery where the doctor said she’d suffered an allergic reaction to hair dye and gave her steroids.
But two days later, she’d finished the tablets and her throat was swelling up.
Charlotte said: “One side of my face became droopy, like I’d had a stroke. And my eyes were completely swollen shut.
“My partner watched my kids while I went to Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.
“By 5pm, doctors diagnosed me with prolonged anaphylaxis – an allergic reaction that develops slowly.
“They gave me more steroids and steroid cream to reduce the swelling.
“Luckily, my throat hadn’t closed up, it was just swollen.
“But I felt so miserable and was forced to stay at home for a week.”
Three days later, Charlotte's face returned to normal.
Charlotte added: “I’ve not been put off dyeing my hair but I now use dyes that are paraben-free.
“And I always do my patch test.
“It’s so important especially when you’re dying your hair at home.
“Always follow the instructions or go to a salon.”
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