Paraphenylenediamine Allergy

Beware!! If you are allergic to BLACK HENNA TEMPORARY TATTOO, please as much as possible read the product information before you buy hair color product. You might have this allergy too.

On the August 22nd 2009 (Saturday), I dyed my boyfriend's hair with this L'Oreal Excellence Cream (can't remember which color though). The balance was a lot, so I decided to dye my hair as well. I didn't thoroughly read the ingredients and didn't test (that's my fault...). I thought everything would be ok, as I've dyed my hair before.

The next day, Sunday, we watched movie and I started to feel uncomfortable. I felt a bit warm, but I still can do my activities as usual. We thought I was just too tired. So we decided to went home early.

Monday morning, I found out there were rashes behind my neck. I couldn't really see as it was behind. It was itchy, but not that bad yet. That night, the itchiness were getting worse, and this how was it look like:

It was bad.... Until my boyfriend decided to take me to see doctor. The doctor gave me a cream and a medicine. Those things didn't work at all. That night was a very nightmare for me.

On Tuesday, the itch were getting worse. The patch on the back of my neck getting red-er and crazy-er. That day, I was having cell group meeting. I am blessed with 3 pharmacists friends. They saw my rashes and took a look at the medicine. Then, they gave me suggestion, to go and see doctor again, ask for prescription to buy a stronger medicine (It's beta-something cream and Atarax, I think...). But I didn't see the docter immediately that night, because it was too late. Well, it was like this by then:

Wednesday was a hell for me. The rashes getting bigger, itchi-er and crazy-er!!! So immediate after office, I went and see doctor. He said, he's able to gave me those medicine that I requested, BUT it's a very strong medicine. I will feel drowsy, so that he gave me 2 days sick leave also. I took the medicine straight away, and it was better that night :)

Thursday morning, the rashes become like this:

Maybe this is the worse picture you've seen so far. But the Wednesday night's one was even even even worse. Thurdsay was better. A bit bearable itch once awhile. I didn't really feel the drowsiness though. Maybe I was too excited that the itch was gone.

On Friday, I decided to go back to work, because the drowsiness wasn't that bad. This how was it look like on Friday night, Saturday and Monday:

Anyway, after browsed on the net, I realized that I'm allergy to Paraphenylenediamine or p-Phenylenediamine. The sources of p-Phenylenediamine exposure include: hair colorants, photographic developers, temporary tattoos, printing ink, black rubber products and textile dyes. What is that actually?? You can read more about it here. As a background history, I'm allergy to black henna temporary tattoo. But I didn't really know what makes me allergy to the tattoo, until recently. This harmful (well, for me) chemical is actually not a "must have" component in hair colorants. But apparently, L'Oreal has...