How To Claim Compensation For An Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye

By Lewis Winehouse. Last updated 25th November 2022. This online guide is aimed at anyone who has suffered an allergic reaction to hair dye, due to either negligence on the part of the hairdresser, or a mistake made by the manufacturer of the hair dye product. Within this guide, we will look at many of the hair dye allergy causes, and how these could become the basis of a personal injury claim.

Each claim is based on a unique set of circumstances and the suffering caused. Due to this, we cannot answer every possible question in one guide. Therefore, if you do have a question about being injured by a hairdresser that this page does not answer, please feel free to give our team a call on 0333 000 0729. One of our team of experienced advisors will give you all of the answers you need, and also provide you with key information about the process of making a claim.

Jump To A Bookmark:

A Guide To Claiming For An Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye
What Are Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye?
What Triggers Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye?
What Hair Dye Ingredients Could Be Dangerous Or Cause Allergic Reactions?
Hair Dye Allergic Reaction Symptoms
Treatment For Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye
Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye Compensation Claims Calculator
What Other Damages Could You Claim For An Allergic Reaction?
Why Claim For An Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye With Our Team?
No Win No Fee Claims For Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye
Contacting Legal Helpline
Helpful Beauty Treatment Injury Resources

A Guide To Claiming For An Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye

If you have become the victim of negligence, either at the hands of a hairdresser, or by using a hair dye product that is dangerous, this online guide is for you. We cover how these claims come about, and what the legal process is of making one. We will answer questions such as can hair dye give you an allergic reaction? And explain what hair dye allergic reactions are, and why they happen.

Hair dye allergic reaction claim

This guide starts by explaining what allergic reactions to hair dye are, and why you might be in a position to begin a claim if you suffer one. We then look a little more deeply at the kind of things that can trigger such a reaction, including the potentially problematic ingredients. You will find we have given information about the key symptoms of this kind of reaction, as well as some information on how to treat these symptoms.

The final sections of this page are related to the financial and legal considerations when making a claim. We have provided a table which will enable you to look up how much compensation you might be able to claim. You will also find that we have listed some of the more commonly awarded types of damages that could apply to your own claim.

We give a brief overview of our service, and, we have detailed how a No Win No Fee compensation claim works, and what the major benefits of engaging a solicitor under such an agreement are.

If you need clarification of any of the information to be found in this guide, or simply want some free legal advice on how a personal injury solicitor could assist you with a personal injury claim, then please talk to our team on the telephone contact number at the bottom of the guide. At this stage, they will also tell you about how we could help you.

What Are Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye?

It won’t necessarily be every ingredient in the hair dye you are allergic to but some specific ones. When an ingredient causes an allergic reaction, the body triggers your immune system to react as if a potentially lethal toxin has been encountered. As you can well imagine, dealing with a deadly substance requires the body to take extreme action. A large amount of histamine is produced to help combat this perceived harm. This results in the symptoms that we associate with an allergic reaction (more on this later).

There are two main reasons for hair dye to cause an allergic reaction, these being:

The hairdresser/you do not perform a patch test to check if you are allergic to ingredients within the hair dye.
The manufacturer does not label the product correctly providing all ingredients contained within the hair dye. If this is due to a manufacturing error, then the manufacturer of the dye could be liable.

Our team can provide you with help and advice to assess your eligibility to make a claim and to see if there is a liable party. Please do contact us today to learn how we can assist you.

How Does A Hair Dye Work?

Before we move on to look at how an allergic reaction to hair dye on your scalp could happen, we need to first understand how hair dye works. There are three types of hair dye: temporary, semi-permanent and permanent.

Temporary hair dye – works by allowing large colour molecules to enter into the gap between every one of the hair cuticles, these cover the whole surface of the hair. It will fade very fast.
Semi-permanent hair dye – works by allowing small colour molecules to interact with an and enter the hair cuticles, as well as the edges of the hair cortex. This method of dying hair doesn’t rely on peroxide, but some products may contain some ammonia. This type of hair dye lasts longer than a temporary dye, up to four times longer in most cases.
Permanent hair dye – works by allowing small colour molecules to interact with an and enter the hair cuticles, as well as the hair cortex. However, in this case, the small colour molecules will interact with melanin that is found in your hair. Peroxide and ammonia are usually used in such products, and the result is permanent until it grows out, although it may fade a little over time.

As you can see, some products, especially the permanent hair dyes, use chemicals that can be caustic in nature. Care must be take applying such products. When a mistake is made in the application of hair dye, and this causes you harm, you might be in a position to make a compensation claim. Our team can tell you more about this.

What Triggers Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye?

Most who suffer an allergic reaction when having their hair dyed is because many semi-permanent and permanent hairs dyes contain an ingredient called paraphenylenediamine (PPD) which some people have an allergen to. This is why it is important to have a patch test before hair dying processing is carried out to see if the skin reacts negatively to the hair dye.

Why Do Some People Have Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye

Not all reactions to hair dyes will be an allergic reaction some may just suffer intolerance to certain products rather than an immune response. In a large number of cases, what the victim is suffering from is a form of contact dermatitis. This is a skin condition that can cause dry, irritated and inflamed skin when a specific substance is encountered. This could be a caustic irritant that actually damages the skin in some way, or it could be some form of allergen.

Many permanent and a lesser number of semi-permanent hair dyes use a chemical named paraphenylenediamine PPD in their manufacture. In most cases, this is the chemical that triggers an allergic reaction.

When using a hair dye that is made using PPD, great care must be taken in its preparation and application. All of these products must meet very strict safety guidelines, but they can still be dangerous when used incorrectly. If you have suffered due to a PPD previously, such as having a black henna tattoo done, then you might be more prone to a PPD reaction in the future.

Are “Natural” Products Considered Safer?

In the UK, all cosmetics and this includes hair dyes, must meet stringent safety standards. This doesn’t mean that any product that promotes itself as natural is any safer than any other product.

If you are concerned about a natural product and its allergen content after reading the ingredient list on the packaging, because you are looking for a safe hair dye for allergy sufferers, then you should perform a hair dye allergy test. This should be done at least 48 hours before the time your hairdresser intends to apply the dye to your hair.

What Should I Do If I Am Allergic To Hair Dye?

If you know that you are, or suspect that you are allergic to paraphenylenediamine PPD, then there are things you can do to protect yourself. And these include:

A patch test – a small patch of semi-permanent or permanent hair dye is applied to the skin, and this can be either inside the elbow or behind the ear, at least 48 hours before the hairdresser will be using the dye on your hair. The dye will come with instructions about how to perform a patch test in this manner.
Visit an allergy clinic – to find out which chemicals you might be allergic to. The allergy clinic will help you to find this out, by running a series of tests. You can then use this information to make sure any product your hairdresser intends to use on your hair is safe.
Read the instructions – the manufacturer will provide full safety instructions somewhere within the packaging of the product. This usually takes the form of a leaflet, you should read and follow these instructions closely.
Other things to keep in mind – don’t leave the dye on longer than specified in the instructions, be sure to wear protective gloves when applying the dye and wash your hand thoroughly when done.

If your hairdresser does not carry out a patch test and you suffer an allergic reaction as a subsequent result you may be eligible to make a claim for the harm caused. Speak to one of our experienced advisors for more information about this, and how a personal injury solicitor can help you.

Reaction To Hair Dye – How Long Do I Have To Claim?

The Limitation Act 1980 sets out the timeframe you have to begin a claim after suffering harm from a reaction to hair dye. Typically, you have three years from the date of the incident to start a personal injury claim.

However, sometimes you might not be aware that your injuries occurred due to negligence. In these circumstances, you have three years from the date that you established that negligence caused you harm or suffering.

There are exceptions to the time limit after suffering from a hair dye allergic reaction. For example:

Children cannot represent themselves in a claim until their 18th birthday. The time limit is suspended until this point.
The time limit is suspended indefinitely for anyone who lacks the mental capacity to claim.

Litigation friends may make a claim on behalf of a minor or someone who lacks mental capacity.

If you would like an expert injury lawyer from our panel to help you put together a claim, get in touch with our advisors for a free consultation. Additionally, our advisors can address any questions you may have about allergic reactions to hair dye.

Hair Dye Allergic Reaction Symptoms

In general, hair dye allergic reaction symptoms will be similar to those of an allergic reaction. Although localised to the scalp or parts of the face such as the eyes or ears. They can include:

Swelling of specific parts of the body included the lips, tongue, throat, eyes, feet or hands.
A red, hives like rash anywhere on your body.
Breathing difficulties.
Sickness or vomiting.
Loss of consciousness.
Anaphylaxis.

The severity of symptoms can range from almost trivial and only mildly uncomfortable to deadly. In the most extreme case, you would require emergency medical treatment at a hospital. No matter how severe your allergic reaction has been, if a third party was to blame, we might be able to help you to claim. Call our team to learn how.

Treatment For Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye

In some cases, when a minor allergic reaction has happened, hair dye allergic reaction treatment may be to let the reaction takes its course. And you could take actions such as:

Rinse the dye off right away with warm water, and wash the hair with a mild shampoo.
Use potassium permanganate to help remove the PPD content of the dye, this can be applied to the scalp.
You can use over the counter salves and lotions to treat a skin rash or itchiness.
Buy an over the counter antihistamine, this will help to reduce the swelling and inflammation of the affected area.

In the case of severe symptoms, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye Compensation Claims Calculator

We have added this table below, which has been created based on the guidelines produces by the Judicial College in England, they help you to get a general indication of how much compensation could be possible to claim.

Health Problem	Range of Compensation	Severity	Additional Info
Illness	£36,060 to £49,270	Severe	An allergic reaction to hair dye that is severe, possibly resulting in anaphylaxis and requiring immediate emergency medical treatment otherwise death could be the result. It is likely that the victim would suffer ongoing health issues for some time, with potentially permanent effects on their health.
Illness	£860 to £3,710	Minor	An allergic reaction to hair dye that is mildly painful or merely uncomfortable. Symptoms would not require medical treatment, and can be cared for by the victim. Symptoms would last just a few days at most.
Illness	£8,950 to £18,020	Serious	An allergic reaction to hair dye that is serious but not necessarily life-threatening, as anaphylaxis was not triggered by the reaction. Although symptoms would last for some time, and would require medical treatment and possibly hospitalisation. There could be ongoing health problems for some time after the primary symptoms have eased.
Illness	£3,710 to £8,950	Moderate	An allergic reaction to hair dye that would result in moderate symptoms causing pain and discomfort. Medical treatment would be required, although only initially. The main symptoms would subside within a few days, with others lingering for a few weeks.

A personal injury claims calculator could be able to give you an estimate as well. Alternatively, speak to our team who can organise a solicitor to value your claim for you.

What Other Damages Could You Claim For An Allergic Reaction?

If your claim is a success, you will receive a settlement that is made up of a number of types of damages. General damages are awarded to you for the physical/psychological harm you suffered. The more suffering and pain you went through, then generally, the higher the damages. For example:

Permanent disabilities.
Traumatic treatment.
Psychological damage.
Suffering and pain of the symptoms.

Special damages are awarded to you to cover financial and other losses. You will need to provide proof of spending to reclaim money already spent. For example:

Loss of expected income.
Loss of salary/wages.
Medical fees.
Travel costs.
Care costs.

To learn what kinds of damages might apply in your own case, speak to one of our advisors today.

Why Claim For An Allergic Reaction To Hair Dye With Our Team?

Our team is on hand to offer you all of the help and advice you need, in order to get your claim started as quickly as possible. They can provide key information such as what the personal injury claims time limit is that will apply in your own case.

We will explain all legal matters to you in simple English without using legal jargon, so that you can be sure that you will understand everything that we are working on to move your claim forward.

No Win No Fee Claims For Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye

A No Win No Fee solicitor won’t ask you to pay any upfront claims fee or pay any fees while they are working on your claim. If they can’t get you any compensation, they won’t assume to collect any fee.

If the claim is won, then they will ask you to pay a modest success fee, which is legally limited, and can be collected out of the compensation they have received for you.

Contacting Legal Helpline

If you have had an allergic reaction to hair dye and think you might have a valid claim, we can help. Please contact us on 0333 000 0729 and speak to one of our advisors, who will be able to help you further.