Please help, i'm totally freaking :(

Could you make an appointment with an allergy specialist?  They can test you for specific allergies like that I think.  Maybe it was something entirely different!  I went into anaphylactic shock once caused by the contrast dye they inject you with before a CAT scan.  It's a scary thing and it freaked me out and I almost died.  Then a doctor told me I'd never be able to eat seafood again because he said the contrast dye had the same stuff in it as seafood, and seafood is my most favourite thing so I was really depressed!

I'm glad I went to an allergy specialist because I found out I wasn't allergic to seafood, only specifically contrast dye which was a huge relief!  So I'd get it checked out if you could to be sure, you just never know it could be something else.  But I wouldn't do anything else like that with your hair till you know for sure!

Ah ha, okay, without sounding like an idiot, how would I go about getting to a specialist to get tested, as I don't want to spend my whole time being terrified of everything because I don't know what i'm specifically allergic too.

Is there a possibility at all it was the crazy colour, or is that allergen safe. I can't imagine being allergic to that, and bizarrely, my scalp and head aren't itchy at all!

I have had what you talk of before Stingle, from antibiotics, and was very lucky to be next to a hospital, or i'd not be here! It's extremely traumatic, which is why i'm freaking, I want to continue having my happy hair, but obviously I don't want to die in the pursuit for it! I must get to an allergy person! (I didn't even know they existed!)

Bleached or natural roots and a blue dip dye is one way to go 🙂

It's always possible it was something else. I've not heard of a reaction to dye being that long after before, but it's certainly possible. I can't help but feel some doctors are a little quick to assume it's dye when it's an unnatural colour in particular.

Actually, just looked it up and it can be up to three days after. But, it still could be something else. Going to a specialist is definitely the best option just in case it is something else!

It could have been the Crazy colour yes. You can develop an allergy to any dye suddenly.

Mindbear I'm not sure what country you're in, I was in the USA when it happened to me.  I just looked up allergy specialists and found one that was covered by my health insurance.  I think I had to get a referral from my primary doctor (the one who told me I would be allergic to seafood!) first but that wasn't a problem.    There are so many things our body comes in contact with everyday so it could be something else, I wouldn't get too stressed just yet!

When I went into shock from contrast dye I happened to already be in a hospital for my CAT scan so it was close to the ER luckily. 

Thank you so much for lovely replies! It'd be so odd to be allergic to crazy colour, which is such a benign substance, even compared to manic panic or whatever, and I want to know if it's that because if so, my hair is going to look PANTS and very soon, as it washes out to green very quickly. Oh balls. I assumed it was the bleach, as I've only used platine twice before and it's kind of new and unknown. I've used all sorts of crap on my head and had no issue, it's so weird!

I'm in the UK, so it's sadly a bit different here. Well, we have the luck of free health care but stuff like allergy doctors aren't covered I don't think, annoyingly. I am going to the docs on monday though so i'm going to ask. The thing thats making me feel so anxious other than not wanting to die from hairdye, is that my job, as a full time DJ, my hair is kind of my calling card. I'm a girl in a heavily male dominated industry, and i'm getting older, 35, and so having this big load of turquoise hair is my calling card so people remember me. I could do a blue dip dye....but EVERYONE has a dip dye round here, I like to be different.

My heart is broken, and my legs are very, very itchy 🙁

I'm in the UK now too, it is definitely more difficult getting the ok to see specialists but give it a try.  Don't hold back, let them know you're scared!  Hopefully your GP will at least send you for some type of allergy testing.  (Besides this healthcare isn't really free, the taxes being taken from our cheques are insane!)
Don't get too depressed just yet, not till you know for sure.  If worse comes to worse, could you make an appointment with a specialist on your own? 

Is there anything obvious you did differently in the last week?  Like new laundry detergent or anything like that?  It's really hard to pinpoint allergic reactions sometimes because they can have a delayed reaction.

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I know there are online companies that can test hair samples from dogs to determine allergies, I am sure there must be a human equivalent. The dog tests are around £35-40 so not hugely expensive. Hopefully it isn't hair dye at all, but if it is you could invest in a kick-ass wig for work.

See if you can get a referral from your doctor. I'm almost certain I've had friends that have had allergy tests of various kinds done in a hospital.

If you have any of the dye around, you could always do a patch test at home.  Just dab a bit of it on the inside of your elbow.  If your elbow goes red and itchy and/or starts to break out in hives, wash it off, it's the dye (or something in the dye).  Allergies to dyes like this are rare, but they can happen.

Another thought was that it could be the sulfites in the wine.  I know people who suddenly developed alcohol allergies.

But yeah, to ease your mind, I'd patch test the dye, then you know for sure if it is actually the dye or not, and can go from there.  Either way, you should see a specialist to be certain, but at least then you'll know if it was the bubblegum blue.

Hi guys, thank you so much for your replies.

I went to the doctor today and he said he's absolutely sure it's the hair dye. He was shocked when he saw me because I am covered head to toe, and my eyes are swollen and I look like a pizza, and now have the shivers and a terrible headache. He's forced me to take an antihistamine, which I usually react to, but the safest one and i'm okay so far, called loratadine.

I asked to be referred and he said I should just not dye my hair again, but it's not an option for me! I dye my hair, thats who I am and part of me, I don't feel dressed unless I have an array of colour on my head too.

Once my terrible rash has gone i'll patch test the manic panic and the bubblegum blue, and then ill have an answer for that at least. I have never been so itchy in my life, its like being infected with poison!

Definitely do an allergy test for every dye you use from now on, bleach too even if you have used it before with no issues. The problem with allergies is they can develop at any time. The more you are exposed to a potential allergen the more likely you are to develop an allergy.

Alcohol increases bloodflow to the skin, so maybe that was a playing factor in it, from the bleach/dye being absorbed into your scalp. Idk just a guess! I'm so sorry this happened to you, allergic reactions are terrible! I had an allergic reaction to a medication and broke out the same way you have, the itching is ferocious!! If the antihistamine doesn't make it go away, I would go back to your Dr. he may give you a 5 day steroid treatment or a 2 week supply of Prednisone which for me helped tremendously, but it still wasn't completely gone for 3-4 months.

I would get an actual allergy test done, because you don't know if it was the bleach or the dye, or you could have developed a new allergy to something you ate, or if she used latex gloves, etc. He cannot know if it was the dye or the bleach or something else just by looking at you, I would get testing done. I agree, Drs are VERY quick to judge that it just HAS to be the hair dye when it's an unnatural color involved

Hate to throw this one in too - but - I know people who have had reactions to kerastase! You have a few factors there - the infinie plantine, crazy colour and Kerastase, not to mention the wise.

Certainly get some testing done 🙂

If it does turn out to be the dye causing the reaction, you could always just dye clip in extensions and have pretty streaks of bright colours. Hope you feel better soon!