‘I looked like an alien’: Sales coordinator, 24, is blinded for 24 hours after allergic reaction to hair dye made head swell to THREE times the size
- Steph O'Dell, 24, was left blind and her swollen face after a reaction to hair dye
- She is allergic to paraphenylenediamine (PPD) a common ingredient in hair dye
- Her head swelled three times its size and called the experience 'terrifying'
- Ms O'Dell said: 'Looking back at the pictures, I looked like an alien'
- Have you had a bad reaction to hair dye? Send your pictures and story to alisha.buaya@mailonline.com
A woman was left blind and her swollen face after an allergic reaction to hair dye.
Steph O'Dell, 24, from Milton Keynes, wanted to dye her hair ahead of her sister's 18th birthday trip to Amsterdam but was instead left in agonising pain when her head swelled up.
Ms O'Dell, a sales coordinator, called the experience 'terrifying,' and said 'I was lucky it wasn't worse. I'll never dye my hair again.'
She discovered she was allergic to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a common ingredient in hair dye, when she was 15 after patch test for box dye left her with a rash.
Steph O'Dell, 24, from Milton Keynes, was left blind and her swollen face after an allergic reaction to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a common ingredient in hair dye
Ms O'Dell said her allergy also prevents her from getting henna tattoos or tint her eyebrows.
In June 2015, she visited a salon in Milton Keynes to have extensions applied and her hair dyed to match the extensions ahead of a girl's weekend away with her sister Amber, now 22.
Share this article
Ms O'Dell said she explained her allergy to PPD to the hairdresser and showed her pictures of her previous reaction.
'She assured me that the dye wouldn't touch my scalp and that [the dye] was organic. She claimed that she was also allergic to hair dye and showed me the product that she used.'
'She applied a patch test to my wrist and then wiped the excess off, which I thought was strange. But I didn't react to the test, so I felt happy to go ahead,' Ms O'Dell recalled.
Ms O'Dell, a sales coordinator, called the experience 'terrifying,' and said 'I was lucky it wasn't worse. I'll never dye my hair again'
Two weeks after that appointment she visited the hairdresser who applied the hair dye to her hair.
Ms O'Dell said was happy with the result after leaving the salon.
Later that day, her neck began to itch and realised some dye had been left on her neck which she washed it off and applied anti-itching cream to soothe it.
The next morning, the sisters flew out to Amsterdam and but her face began to swell up.
She said: 'My glasses felt tight at the side of my head, and my neck felt like it was on fire.
'I hoped that the swelling would go down so I left it. The next day, my head was massive and one of my eyes had swollen shut.
'It was so painful, my whole face and head felt itchy and tight. I was gutted that it was happening while we were abroad for my sister's birthday, I didn't want anything to ruin Amber's big day.'
Her neck began to itch and realised some dye had been left on her neck which she washed it off and applied anti-itching cream to soothe it. The next morning, the sisters flew out to Amsterdam and but her face began to swell up.
Ms O'Dell woke up the next morning, she couldn't see anything at all because her face was so swollen her eyes had closed up. 'I was blind and terrified. Amber was horrified and contacted our dad, Simon, 53, a sales executive, who paid for us to get an earlier flight home that day'
When they arrived in the UK, their father drove them to Milton Keynes Hospital where Ms O'Dell was given adrenaline shots
That night, the sisters went to Amsterdam hospital where she was given anti-histamines and eye drops.
They returned to their hotel but when Ms O'Dell woke up the next morning, she couldn't see anything at all because her face was so swollen her eyes had closed up.
'I was blind and terrified. Amber was horrified and contacted our dad, Simon, 53, a sales executive, who paid for us to get an earlier flight home that day.'
'I had to hold on to Amber everywhere we went as I couldn't see a thing - it was really scary.
When they arrived in the UK, their father drove them to Milton Keynes Hospital where Ms O'Dell was given adrenaline shots.
'Nurses were worried about my breathing, as my neck was swelling. I thought I was going to die and had a panic attack.
Ms O'Dell was admitted to hospital for five days where doctors gave her steroids. They told her it was the worst reaction they'd ever seen
She said: 'Looking back at the pictures, I looked like an alien. I couldn't believe that this had happened, especially as I was told the dye was organic and free from PPD
Ms O'Dell (pictured with sister Amber) said: 'Manufacturers can change the ingredients in products at any time so always make sure you do a patch test. Even if you use organic products, you never know if you'll react.'
'My mum Gayle, 52, a deputy manager, met us at the hospital and she didn't even recognise me as my face was so swollen. She only noticed us because she spotted my dad.'
Ms O'Dell was admitted to hospital for five days where doctors gave her steroids. They told her it was the worst reaction they'd ever seen.
She said: 'Looking back at the pictures, I looked like an alien. I couldn't believe that this had happened, especially as I was told the dye was organic and free from PPD.
'Five days later, my face returned to normal. I was shocked that, even though my patch test was fine, I still reacted to the dye when it was used on my hair. I'll never be touching hair dye again. Instead I'll be embracing my natural hair colour.
'Thankfully I took my sister back to Amsterdam for her 21st birthday last year so she finally got the trip she deserved.
'Manufacturers can change the ingredients in products at any time so always make sure you do a patch test. Even if you use organic products, you never know if you'll react.'
Have you had a bad reaction to hair dye? Send your pictures and story to alisha.buaya@mailonline.com
