Hair dying worries again...

[GirlAfraid23]

Ok so my roots are starting to show through and I want to dye my hair this weekend but as usual the anxiety takes over.
You hear of so many stories of women in comas and even dying because of hair dye allergies and apparently even if you have dyed it before you can still get ill.
I've just done the patch test behind my ear and constantly think it is feeling sore or itchy :(

[PolkaDots]

Does the patch test area look irritated? Have you been scratching at it? What kind of dye are you using (semi/perm) and what brand?

This is a common worry for a lot of people who dye their hair. I used to dye mine all sorts of colours without a second thought, then I stopped for a while, and when I resumed again I felt really anxious about an allergic reaction. I have to try and forget I have done a patch test as it's easy to imagine there's a problem, but if you genuinely do have any irritation, rash or unwellness then it's best not to proceed with using the product.

It is also generally advised to avoid permanent hair dyes, as these tend to contain higher levels of PPD. If you're not covering grey hair, in future you could try using natural semi-permanent vegetable dyes such as the VEGETAL range by Herbatint and La Riché Directions. They require more maintenance, but are usually free from ammonia, parabens, peroxide and PPDs, and they are kinder to your hair :)