Hi,
I trained in Hairdressing many years ago but had to give it up due to being allergic to hydrogen peroxide. 12 years ago I also suffered a severe allergic reaction to hair dye in which I had to stop colouring my hair, which was fine until I reached the age I am today, 44.
I have recently started to notice grey hairs coming through, not a great deal but I would like to try colouring my hair again. I would like to try henna but after reading up various articles on the internet it seems getting the colour right is quite difficult. I would like to be able go to a professional hair colourist wherein they themselves could advise me of the right colour and also to apply the henna.
Would you be able to offer some advice, is Henna the only solution to my problem or do you know of another way I could dye my hair?
Many thanks,
Anon, UK
Hi there,
Over time, the way that our body reacts to hair dye can change, so I definitely think it's worth performing patch tests with professional hair colourants to see if a reaction still occurs. Henna hair dye can be tricky as you say, and you will probably find it difficult to find a reputable salon that uses the old traditional type of Henna colours. Instead, there are now various types of organic and natural hair colours available in professional salons, so I would recommend going down this route.
The best course of action would be to visit a salon that offers this type of hair colour, tell them your full history, and ask them to perform a patch test. If you experience a reaction, just try a different type of organic or ammonia-free colour, and keep going until you find one that doesn't cause a reaction. Always get the salon to tell you specifically what colour they are testing on you, so you know what you've tried and what you haven't! A permanent colour would produce better results in covering grey hair, but a semi-permanent uses a lower level of peroxide and therefore may be a better bet. L'Oreal produce a permanent ammonia-free colour called INOA, and Schwarzkopf manufacture an organic range called Essensity and an ammonia-free range aimed at sensitive scalps called Senea, so these would be a good start.
Because you have experienced severe reactions in the past, make sure the patch test is done thoroughly; test a small area of skin first, as normal, and if that's fine then it would be worth going back to the salon and testing it again over a larger area of skin to make absolutely sure. Get advice from your doctor as well on what do to if you experience any discomfort; I know people with sensitive skin who just take anti-histamine tablets before having their hair coloured, although we would never recommend this unless advised by your doctor.
Hope you find a solution - good luck!