Hair dye did this to me

A TEENAGER’S head ballooned in size after a horrific allergic reaction to a common hair dye.

Estelle was also left struggling to breathe by a chemical called paraphenylenediamine, which is found in a number of products.

The 19-year-old English student, who did not give her last name, posted a photograph online.

She said: “My forehead had doubled in volume.

“My head was like a light bulb.”

Estelle, from Paris, bought the DIY hair dye from a supermarket and used its allergy test because she had previously suffered a mild reaction to hair dye. But she applied the dye after 30 minutes rather than the recommended 48 hours. The PPD caused her scalp to itch before the top of head started to swell up. She took antihistamines, but it continued to increase in size. She was rushed to hospital the next day when her tongue swelled. Medics found her head circumference was 63cm compared to the average 56cm. Her mum called for greater awareness of the risk of PPD.

Estelle added: “I almost died. I don’t want something similar like this to happen to others.”