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Allergy to para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is common, and its prevalence is increasing, according to data presented in an editorial by McFadden and others. Allergic reactions occur a day or two after dying one’s hair. The reaction affects the face, and the redness and edema can be severe enough to suggest angioedema.
PPD and other related aromatic amine chemicals have been the mainstay of hair dyes for more than 100 years, and no satisfactory substitutes are available. The darker the dye, the greater the concentration of PPD. The incidence of PPD allergy is increasing as more people dye their hair more often and starting at an earlier age. In the U.S., the proportion of young men who dye their hair increased by 25% from 1998 to 2003. A full 18% …