hey, i was just wondering if anyone has had problems with their asthma while having their hair dyed, i was having some red streaks put in to my black-ish mop and was a bit tight and wheeze during application and development (sadly had to be an hour).
has anyone else experience that?
Hello Wendy,
I only use semi permanent hair dyes to cover the stress highlights (grey hair!) because permanent dyes have ammonia in them!
Ammonia can irritate the lungs.
Kate
probably why then. thing is, semi permanant wild colours are no good to me as my hair is naturally so dark it would need to be bleached and that stuff is way worse, luckily during development time i had to have it in foil, makes it brighter.
Hairdressers and asthma generally do not mix well.
I'm an extreme blondie, and have only ever used lemon juice or chamomile, so both are obviously natural products.
Stay away from Ammonia like Kate says, and Peroxide, so like you thought, the bleaching process would really set you off.
I can't go to hairdressers not just cos the chemicals. My hair is long and naturally blonde so it does not need much attention. However i do need the split ends chopping off, my local hair dressers offered me a appt 30 minutes before it opens its doors to avoid the smell of chemicals. But my 2nd reason for not wanting to go to hairdresser got in the way, I now have a phobia of mirrors. The person looking back at me is not the tall leggy skinny blonde I am used to (30 mumble mumble years of seeing that is a long time). I am scared witless of being in a hair dressers aurrounded by mirrors. It was a nightmare the other day when I had to go shopping for an outfit for the wedding. In the end Mummy covered the mirrors in the fitting rooms by hanging a dress in front of them and I relied on her to tell me if something was OK. Kids are used to the ""is my hair OK"" comments before I go out and as I rarely wore make up due to sensitive skin most of the time my mirror phobia is not an issue.
Bex
Bex
Bex, I can understand where you're coming from, although I wouldn't quite describe it as a phobia mirrors are definately not my friends at the moment!
I come from a family of tall skinny women and although I never managed to inherit the tall genes (I am 5'4"") until a few years ago I was very skinny and could eat anything I wanted... needless to say this is not the case any more!
I tend to shop in a few trusted clothes shops where I know roughly what size I am, then buy without trying on and bring them back if they don't fit! Too many shopping trips ended with me sobbing in the changing rooms before I started doing that... pathetic I know, but in a lot of ways coming to terms with my changed body shape is almost as hard as coming to terms with my changed exercise tolerance and everything else that goes with the bad lungs!
As for the hairdressers, they spray too much spray for my liking too... managed to find a big airy looking one that could fit me in when they didn't have too many other people there, thought it would be alright as I explained in some detail, but the hairdresser still brought out a can of hairspray at the end! When I protested she said 'Yes but mousse really won't suit your hair cos it's too thin' - to which I replied 'Yes, but at least I'll be able to breath!'. Takes suffering for your looks to a whole different level! Haven't been to the hairdresser since then - I just get my
husband to trim the split ends, he's not bad at it either!
What about trying one of those hairdressers that come out to your house, then you control the environment totally... spray and mirrors included.
Em H
EmilyH, I so know where you are coming from with the sobbing in the changing room. I took someone with me to buy the stuff for Granny's funeral and I avoided the mirrors as much as possible relying on her to tell me if it looked OK. The mirror thing is getting worse, somehow it is easier to hide under big jackets and baggy jumpers now the summer is here I long for the little tops I used to wear and being tall finding loose tops that are long enough to cover my tummy - I tend to wear my shirts around my hips to avoid pressing on the S/C - is an absolute nightmare. Had I not had mummy there to keep me going I know I would have ended up crying in a changing room somewhere before giving up totally. I know it is potty but to go from a size 12 to a size 18 in under a year is depressing added to which I barely eat anything these days and it is still going on!
Bex
I find that my sons gets short of breath and cough when I use hairspray around them. They also have trouble with household bleach and ammonia.
hey bex,
i know exactly how you feel.. i usually just give up and come home with no clothes because its so depressing. i've had to hide half the contents of my wardrobe otherwise when i try to get dressed i start crying too!
was thinking that i should go have my hair cut really nicely, because its just making me look worse at the moment, but i hadn't thought of the mirror issue.. now i'm not so sure. i'm just gratefull that i'm starting to get well enough to do some excersise.. maybe that'll help!
I am definitely set off by ammonia. It is usualy ok when I dye my hair. Just a bit of cough and tight feeling in my chest. But when we used it in chemistry lab it was bad and when it spilled... disaster. They could work harder on developing ammonia free dyes as they smell terribly and are not pleasent to anyone.
I used to use Henna hair dye as it in natural - but it does look like a cow pat on your head but no horrid chemical smells.
Dark red is fine as long as you aren't too grey - then it looks too red!
KATe
XXX
bex- sure know where your coming from with the shopping and mirrors both are a nightmaer for me i have i full length mirror for the kids and 1 short 1 and thats it in my house! As for shoppingive started relying on internet /mail oder i find it alot less stressfull plus there is no one lse there to look!
Wendy- im much the same as kate i only use semi permenant dye noe but have done the whole hog in the past but had to stop due to it irritataing the lungs too much. I have a hairdresser come to me as i cant tolerate salons which also helpsMaybe if u had it done out of a salon where its more under yr conrol it may help? Ask friends if hey know anyone.
I do my own hair!
Usually satisfactorly but sometimes end up with splodges of the stuff in all sorts of places in the house - had to bu a new shower curtain! LOL!
Mirrors - at the YHA last w/e there was a full lenght mirror by the sink - eeeeek!
Kate
Mirrors... moan alert!
One of the houses I lived in as a student had a full length mirror in the shower! I ask you, is that really necessary? Used to run the shower for a good ten minutes before I went in, so that it got good and steamed up!
Went clothes shopping today... needed new work clothes as none of the ones I had before I was off sick fit me now. Totally depressing... I used to really enjoy clothes shopping when I was thin, not any more! Kept seeing really nice clothes then thinking ""what is the point... they won't look nice on me!"" Buying clothes in a size 18 is like actually admitting that I am this size and am going to stay this size. As for any sexy summer clothes... forget it. Won't even wear short sleaves in public at the moment as have stretch marks on my upper arms! Damn Pred.... it keeps me alive but that doesn't mean I have to like it!
Emily H do most of mine like Hops from catalogues as you can try on at home etc. Unfortunatley feel I need to cover as much flesh as possible even in summer as skin so poor in lots of places now world does not need that treat!
Hair dye has temporary effect but does not cause big attatck fortunately must cover up the grey if possible!
Den
EmilyH, that whats the point feeling is one i know well. I still automaically look at little fitted tops that used to show off my slim waist and skirts that showed off my long legs. Last night when I was in the bath I noticed stretch marks on my upper thigh. I had 4 children was back in size 12 within 3 weeks and did not have a stretch mark anywhere. Now I have stretch marks on my boobs my tummy and now thigh. I think I may even have stretch marks on my stretch marks.
Hugs
Bex
Weather
Needing a little bit of support right now 
Successful stepping down from inhalers
4th covid vaccine 
Starting Prednisolone 
