As many women know, changing your hair color can be euphoric and life-changing—in a good way. Changing up your look is like a feeling of clarity and excitement, for most. But, one French college student had a pretty horrifying experience when decided to dye her hair. 19-year-old Estelle had a severe allergic reaction to hair dye that left her head almost double the size.
The teen told Le Parisien, that two weeks ago, she had tried to go from blonde to brunette with para-phenylenediamine (PPD)-based dye—however, days after applying the dye, her head began to swell.
The pharmacist, according to Estelle, told her to use antihistamines and cream to help her itchy scalp. However, the following days, her condition worsened immensely. The circumference of her head had grown to 25 inches (63 centimeters). The average is 22 inches (56 centimeters).
Estelle’s mother ended up rushing her to the emergency room where doctors treated her with an adrenaline shot and watched her overnight for observation. The doctors claim allergic reactions to PPD-based dyes are common. Most products containing PPD tell users to do a “spot test” before using the products.
Estelle says:
Before arriving at the hospital, you just don’t know how long it will take for you to suffocate, if you have the time to get to the hospital or not.
A word to the wise—always test products before using them.