Anaphylaxis is a sudden-onset life-threatening systemic hypersensitivity reaction. Allergens, such as foods, stinging insect venoms, and drugs, are the globally important causative factors for anaphylaxis. Para-phenylenediamine (PPD), an aromatic amine, is a well-known hair dye component that can act as a skin irritant and/or a skin sensitizer. As an allergen, PPD can induce various reactions; the most common being contact dermatitis, a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. Anaphylaxis or other immediate hypersensitivity reactions by hair dye contact is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported worldwide. Here, we report a case of a 63-year-old female who presented to the Emergency Department with dyspnea, rash, vomiting, and diarrhea within minutes after using a hair dye product containing PPD. Her past medical history includes urticaria of unknown cause. Her total IgE antibody level was increased to 630 kU/L. Skin prick and patch tests with the hair dye she applied at the time of anaphylaxis demonstrated an immediate reaction. An additional patch test with 25 common contact allergens showed positive reaction to PPD. This is the first case report of hair dye-induced contact anaphylaxis presenting sensitization to PPD in Korea.
Allergens ; Anaphylaxis ; Bites and Stings ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Diarrhea ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Exanthema ; Female ; Hair Dyes ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E ; Insects ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Patch Tests ; Skin ; Urticaria ; Venoms ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: The development of a safe and convenient agent that can promote hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia remains challenging. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a newly developed hair tonic containing a human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (hUCB-MSC)-derived conditioned medium in promoting hair growth. METHODS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study investigated the efficacy of a hair tonic containing an hUCB-MSC-derived conditioned medium in 30 patients with patterned hair loss. Treatment efficacy was determined using phototrichograms to evaluate the density, diameter, and hair growth rate at baseline levels and after 4, 8, and 16 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The hair density in the group treated with the hair tonic significantly increased from 125.2 to 134.6 hairs/cm2 (p<0.05). In this same group, the thickness of hair also increased from 0.083 to 0.110 mm (p<0.05). Additionally, the hair growth rate increased from 0.285 to 0.338 mm/day (p<0.05). No severe adverse reactions were reported. CONCLUSION: A hair tonic containing an hUCB-MSC-derived conditioned medium could be a new effective alternative to treat patients with androgenetic alopecia.
Alopecia ; Clinical Study ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Fetal Blood ; Hair Preparations ; Hair ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Treatment Outcome ; Umbilical Cord

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Contact* ; Hair Dyes* ; Hair*

BACKGROUND: P-phenylenediamine (PPD) has been identified as the most frequent contact sensitizer of hair dye and the clinical characteristics of hair dye contact allergy (HDCA) are diverse. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics of HDCA and to assess the relationships between HDCA, exposure time to PPD and PPD positivity. METHODS: We analyzed 105 patients with patch test-confirmed hair dye allergy who presented between July 2009 and March 2015. Clinical symptoms, signs, associated skin diseases, involved ACD area, and patterns of hair dye use were obtained by reviewing medical records and by interview. RESULTS: HDCA was more common in women and in individuals aged more than 50 years. Pruritus was the most common symptom; erythematous macules and patches were the most frequently observed clinical signs. The most common site of HDCA was the face and non-specific eczema and urticaria were frequently observed with HDCA. Exposure time to hair dye, represented as frequency and duration, showed a positive correlation with the area affected by hair dye allergy (p < 0.001). Hair dye allergy was identified in most patients (80%) before diagnosis by patch test. However, only 28.6% of all patients stopped using hair dye, even after the diagnosis was confirmed. CONCLUSION: The extent of hair dye allergy involvement was related to exposure time to hair dye. For effective treatment of HDCA, it is important to properly educate patients with HDCA about the clinical manifestations of HDCA and to keep away from allergens.
Allergens ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Female ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Medical Records ; Patch Tests ; Phenylenediamines ; Pruritus ; Skin Diseases ; Urticaria

BACKGROUND: Para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is the primary patch test screening agent for hair dye contact allergy (HDCA). However, no recent studies have been published that describe the results of reactions to patch tests using PPD and hair dyes in Korea. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of the patch tests to PPD using the thin-layer rapid use epicutaneous (TRUE) Test system in patients with HDCA and to investigate patients' awareness that hair dyes contains allergens, which cause the development of HDCA. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with suspected HDCA (32 men and 52 women) underwent patch testing using the TRUE Test system and their own hair dyes. The patients' demographic data, behavior associated with hair dyeing, and clinical manifestations of HDCA were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Positive patch-test reactions to hair dyes occurred in 53.6% of patients who used hair dyes, and they were diagnosed with HDCA. Although there was a significant correlation between HDCA and PPD sensitization (p=0.001), only 40% of the patients with HDCA showed positive reactions to PPD. Of the 45 patients diagnosed with HDCA, only 7 (15.6%) were aware that their hair dyes contained allergens that caused HDCA. CONCLUSION: This study's findings show that PPD is an effective HDCA marker. However, we propose that investigations on hair dye components other than PPD should be conducted to develop and validate additional predictive HDCA markers.
Allergens ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Patch Tests* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: Hairdressers in Korea perform various tasks and are exposed to health risk factors such as chemical substances or prolonged duration of wet work. The objective of this study is to provide descriptive statistics on the demographics and work characteristics of hairdressers in Korea and to identify work-related risk factors for dermatologic symptoms in hairdressers. METHODS: 1,054 hairdressers were selected and analyzed for this study. Independent variables were exposure to chemical substances, the training status of the hairdressers, and the main tasks required of them, and the dependent variable was the incidence of dermatologic symptoms. The relationships between work characteristics and dermatologic symptoms were evaluated by estimating odds ratios using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 1,054 study subjects, 212 hairdressers (20.1%) complained of dermatologic symptoms, and the symptoms were more prevalent in younger, unmarried or highly educated hairdressers. The main tasks that comprise the majority of the wet work were strictly determined by training status, since 96.5% of staff hairdressers identified washing as their main task, while only 1.5% and 2.0% of master and designer hairdressers, respectively, identified this as their main task. Multiple logistic regressions was performed to estimate odds ratios. While exposure to hairdressing chemicals showed no significant effect on the odds ratio for the incidence of dermatologic symptoms, higher odds ratios of dermatologic symptoms were shown in staff hairdressers (2.70, 95% CI: 1.32 - 5.51) and in hairdressers who perform washing as their main task (2.03, 95% CI: 1.22 - 3.37), after adjusting for general and work characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the training status and main tasks of hairdressers are closely related to each other and that the training status and main tasks of hairdressers are related to the incidence of dermatologic symptoms. This suggests that in the future, regulations on working conditions and health management guidelines for hairdressers should be established.
Demography ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; Eczema ; Hair Preparations ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Occupational Health ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Single Person ; Social Control, Formal

BACKGROUND: Hair graying is considered as a part of normal ageing process. Nonetheless, this process raises a significant cosmetic concern, especially among ethnic Korean elderly whose baseline hair color is black. For this reason, Korean elderly dye their hair with frequency despite the risk of dermatologic problems such as allergic contact dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the authors investigate the prevalence and pattern of hair dyeing and its relation with scalp diseases in Korea. METHODS: Six hundred twenty subjects (330 men and 290 women) with graying hair were given a questionnaire survery and underwent a physical examination. RESULTS: Of the 620 total, 272 subjects (43.9%) dyed their hair. Hair dyeing was significantly more frequent among women than among men (p<0.001). Subjects from 50 to 69 years of age showed higher prevalence of hair dyeing when compared to either younger or older groups. Subjective self-assessment of the extent of hair graying was associated with increased prevalence of hair dyeing, that is, individuals who feel graying has advanced by more than 20% of the overall hair were much more likely to dye their hair (p<0.001). Hair dyeing did not correlate with either alopecia or scalp disease. CONCLUSION: Our survey has found that the prevalence of hair dyeing is higher among Korean women than men. People in their fifties and sixties and people with more than 20% extent of grayness were more likely to dye their hair than otherwise. Hair dyeing was not associated with any increase in the prevalence of scalp diseases.
Aged ; Alopecia ; Female ; Hair Color ; Hair Dyes ; Hair* ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Scalp ; Self-Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Graying of hair-a sign of aging-raises cosmetic concerns. Individuals with gray hair often look older than others their age; therefore, some dye their hair for aesthetic purposes. However, hair colorants can induce many problems including skin irritation, allergic reaction and hair-breakage. OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed in order to examine the effects of APHG-1001, a compound including an extract from Pueraria lobata, on graying hair. METHODS: A total of 44 female subjects were randomly treated with either APHG-1001 or placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. Using the phototrichogram analysis, a count of newly developed gray hair was estimated. Investigator assessment and subject self-assessment were also performed in order to evaluate the efficacy of the compound. RESULTS: The mean number of newly developed gray hair at 24 weeks was 6.3/cm2 in the APHG-1001 group and 11.4/cm2 in the placebo group; the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). However, the investigator assessment and subject self-assessment did not show any significant change in the gross appearance of hair grayness by the end of the study. No severe adverse events in either group were observed. Moreover, the incidence of adverse events did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: This clinical trial revealed that APHG-1001, which contains an extract of P. lobata, could prevent the development of new gray hair without any remarkable adverse effects. Thus, it can be considered as a viable treatment option for the prevention of gray hair.
Aging ; Antioxidants ; Cosmetics ; Female ; Hair ; Hair Color ; Hair Dyes ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Incidence ; Pueraria ; Research Personnel ; Self-Assessment ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Gray hair naturally develops in the process of human aging. Many people with gray hair periodically dye their hair. Hair dyeing products are widely used and they can cause adverse effects. Therefore, the user's knowledge and recognition about hair dyeing and related side effects are important. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to lay the foundation for understanding, preventing and treating side effects caused by hair coloring products. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey for adult males and females aged over 20 who had gray hair. A total of 500 subjects were included in this study and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Large numbers of the people who had experience with hair dye (233 out of 319 people, 73.0%) did not know about the exact brand name of the hair dye product that they were using. Of 319 hair dye users, 23.8% (76 out of 319) people stated that they experienced side effects. Despite the occurrence of side effects from hair dyeing products, it seems they did not realize the seriousness of the side effects or the need for treatment. CONCLUSION: It is advisable to introduce a system that enables users to become aware of the ingredients and side effects of hair coloring products and give opportunities for users to become aware of the side effects of hair coloring through education, publicity and publication of an informational booklet.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Androsterone ; Female ; Hair ; Hair Color ; Hair Dyes ; Humans ; Male ; Pamphlets ; Publications ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of long-term exposure to paint or hair dye on chromosomal aberration of early embryos.

METHODSWe analyzed 2 cases of fetal or infantile chromosome aberration in which the parents experienced long-term exposure to paint and hair dye.

RESULTThe chromosomal mutations were detected in one 3-month-old infant and one 21-week-old fetus, and the karyotypes were 46,XX,del(2)(pter'q31) and 46,XX, t(4;12;15), respectively. Their parents worked with long-term exposure to paint and hair dye and developed such symptoms as dizziness, headache, and insomnia. The chromosomes of the parents remained normal, but the micronuclei of the lymphocytes and plasma lead level were increased with decreased WBC, platelet, and HGB.

CONCLUSIONLong exposure to paint or hair dye can cause poison and affect the normal growth of early embryos, leading eventually to gene and chromosomal mutation of the embryos.

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; drug effects ; Female ; Hair Dyes ; toxicity ; Humans ; Infant ; Karyotyping ; Paint ; toxicity