Article about dyes and hair - for information after a recent question on the forum

[PMRpro]

I thought people might be interested in this article from a reliable source.

Something I forgot to mention at the time was that often people on pred find that as they reduce their dose they discover they are having allery-type reactions, mostly skin-related. This can be very common with certain types of hair dyes and you should ALWAYS do a patch test before using a dye - even if it is one you have used before. Allergies don't appear the first time you use a product - it can be the second or the thousand and second. Prevention is better than cure!

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Good info….

[MrsNails]

I’ll add it to Hair Topic in FAQ’s

[SheffieldJane]

I am finding this with creams, shower stuff, shampoo, conditioner and some cosmetics as well. No problem from whatever my hairdresser uses to put in low lights so far. I have become a hot house plant.

[tangocharlie in reply to SheffieldJane]

I have allergies to all these things plus any kind of scented detergent, cleaning products, candles, smoke from BBQs, fires etc, perfume as well as high-histamine foods, rheumatologist thinks it's mast cell related and they see it quite often with rheumatology patients. No problem with hair dye, my hairdresser uses L'Oreal

[Floridafan]

Thanks for the reminder, I was going to dye mine next week 😀

[tangocharlie]

I've been dying my hair for over 30 years as I started getting odd 'silver' hairs in my late 20s. I used to try and pull them out but feared going bald as it got worse I remember various hairdressers telling me it was well known in the hairdressing trade that some of the dark dyes like black caused cancer. I presume things have changed in 30 years but maybe not. I'm just not ready for grey yet at 61 though so will take the risk .... My hair is all frizzy and wirey the last few years with a life of its own and will not be tamed, my hairdresser blames it on the steroids ....

[SheffieldJane in reply to tangocharlie]

My fine thin hair improved with Pred. It became curly and subsequently thicker. I used Kevin Murphy products for all aspects - very pure no preservatives. I was so pleased. I now find that the various shampoos and conditions seem to have produced a black mould around the lids and on the bottles. So don’t splurge like I did. A bit annoyed they were expensive and seemed such a solution. Like everything we try it seems to last just so long and then it’s back to the drawing board. I seek a shampoo and conditioner for thin flyaway hear that doesn’ t make it look like Fairy Floss as my grandies call candy floss.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

Very occasionally I try a product that costs a small fortune. I don't think I have ever found one I would buy a second time! Reducing the frequency of washing my hair made the biggest difference. And limiting the use of heat.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Me too, my hair never actually looks like it needs washing even if I leave it a week, it's just so dry despite all the oils and conditioners I give it! Strangest thing is it's gone wavy having been straight all my life. Similar thing happened to a friend who was on chemo for cancer so I wonder if the Pred, Lef etc have affected it, my hairdresser thinks so but how can that be when hair is 'dead'?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to tangocharlie]

Hair might be “dead” - but the roots aren’t -and they are affected by what you put in your body whether that be food or medication.

Just be careful with the oils and conditioners -a little does go a very long way -too much can weigh it down and be counterproductive.

..and take it from one who knows, wavy hair definitely has a mind of it’s own 😳

[tangocharlie in reply to DorsetLady]

I can't do a thing with my hair nowadays. My hairdresser can but then that's her trade and training. I put leave-in conditioner (Cantu) on the ends which helps a bit, and apply a hair mask conditioner they gave me in the salon frequently. 'Mind of its own' is a very apt description!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to tangocharlie]

Bit like the owner (me) really…my mum was a hairdresser and had straight hair.. all us children had curly like dad….she always had itchy fingers trying to keep us ‘tidy’. Needless to say was a losing battle.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

The trouble is, hairdressers can only really deal with hair that "listens" to their orders - they cut to a style, more often than not to blow dry. When you have curly/wavy hair (textured is the word now) you have to develop another mindset - your hairdresser (or you) can spend an hour with chemicals (all hair products) and heat and in half an hour it will be doing what it wants, especially if it is windy or damp. I have had 3 outstanding hairdressers who could deal with it - the rest were rubbish!

Covid gave me the opportunity to deal with my newly extra-wavy cap. No hairdressers meant I grew it out, got to and past the awful point by the time I could get it done. It is now just getting to the better stage - but I still have the shorter nape hair that looks a lot shorter than the smoother top hair. But this week I noticed it is starting to straighten a bit under the weight. If only it would keep the waves it has when newly washed but a night's sleep and they are gone! All I have to do is wet it and let it dry naturally and they are back.