Thread: Tattoos & hair color?

I've been coloring or highlighting my hair fairly regularly for several years & have used several different brands. I just picked up a box for my next coloring the other day & saw the following 'warning' on the box: "IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO the risks of allergic reaction may be increased." I noticed it on a couple of other boxes also. Is this something new? I don't recall ever noticing that particular warning before & wonder what the connection is between tattoos & hair color.

This is also the first kit I've seen that doesn't recommend a strand test first. It just says to leave on for 25 minutes... period. I've never left any hair color on my hair for more than 12 min, so I was a bit worried about that. But I got daring & left it in for 20. ..l;, Fortunately, I'm happy with the resulting color & had no adverse reaction in spite of my tattoos.

25 mins? Para dyes? Welcome to the wonderful world of permanent hair colour, by the sounds of things. The box *should* have recommended a strand test.

Paraphenylenediamine, which is present in black and dark permanent hair dyes, can sensitise you and make you more prone to allergic reactions. It's put in black henna, which is why people are strongly warned against using it. From what I've heard some of the dyes used in tattooing are similar, if not the same, and you've got to be careful.

You can become sensitised over years. I've had one allergic reaction to dark tint and spent a couple of years agonising over whether my new brand would do the same, till I cut it all off and went silver.

Tinah has the goods on this, I know she has dealt with this issue regarding tatts and black hair dye.

I use L'Oreal 100% color, and the directions say to leave it on for 30 minutes. Sometimes I leave it on for even longer than that, if I get caught up in something else and lose track of time.

I've had color on my head for 45 minutes sometimes.....and it's all still attached!

This was L'Oreal's Couleur Perfecte Express, medium golden brown. My natural color is very dark brown, but because of a wee bit o' Scottish blood in my background, my hair tends to turn reddish no matter what color I'm trying to attain. That's why I never leave it in too long, so it won't get too brassy. This came out a nice rich deep auburn, which I like. I have yet to do step 2 to add the highlights. I'll likely go a bit short on the timing of that also, since the last highlights I left in for 12-15 minutes as directed came out nearly bleached blonde.

I think the warning about tattoos is if you have one on your head.

Originally Posted by Samirah-NH

This was L'Oreal's Couleur Perfecte Express, medium golden brown. My natural color is very dark brown, but because of a wee bit o' Scottish blood in my background, my hair tends to turn reddish no matter what color I'm trying to attain. That's why I never leave it in too long, so it won't get too brassy. This came out a nice rich deep auburn, which I like. I have yet to do step 2 to add the highlights. I'll likely go a bit short on the timing of that also, since the last highlights I left in for 12-15 minutes as directed came out nearly bleached blonde.

OK, this is hair. It has three kinds of pigment in it: black, red and yellow. The combinations thereof dictate the colour of your hair.

When lightening - which is clearly what you're doing - the first pigment to start coming out is the black. Then, the red. Then, the yellow. People with a lot of red in their hair and/or people with a lot of black in their hair will naturally throw more red and yellow tones than people whose hair is ashier and paler. (The reddest throwing hair I have ever seen in my life is jet black Asian hair.) If you lighten your hair and you do not want it to be brassy, you have to lighten it for a *longer* period, not a shorter one, and/or use a stronger lightening solution, not a weaker one, to help rip out the particularly red/gold tones, and/or use a colour that contains a toner (green or blue) to counteract the red/yellow.

When you do highlights on this already gently lightened hair of yours, the colour will likely come down really fast because the hair is chemically weaker than it was. You will really notice this if you do the two processes on the same day. If you only want to lighten a shade or two, you have to watch the colour like a hawk, especially if you are using bleach. How hot the weather is and how high the peroxide percentage is will also have an effect.

I think the warning about tattoos is if you have one on your head.

No, para-dye sensitisation is a real thing and has nothing to do with the location of your tattoo.

ok i'm back..

Paraphenylenediamine is the chemical in pre mixed store bought hair dyes that reacts and makes the color permanent on your hair. iiifff the box says skin test this is why. even if said box claims to be a natural product,

you can have an adverse reaction to ppd the first time or 50th time you dye. there is a higher tendency if you are using brown/black because the reaction to tar in those colors are worse.

after you have a ppd reaction you will continue to get them and each one will be worse than the last. it can put you in the emergency ward.

where do tattoos come in?? a tattoo is the injection of ink under the skin. the main color is black. it has some of the same chemicals as hair dye. it is felt that having a tattoo will make you sensitive to ppd.

they noticed a spike in ppd reactions a few years ago. it was among people who dyed their hair, often with exotic colors and were tattooed. from what i gather you can have this problem using speciality dyes like blue.

ok what's a girl ta do?? use natural products. but here's the deal many companies have seen there is a certain client that will snap up anything that says it's natural. trouble is most isn't.

if the product says skin test it has ppd.

henna/indigo; these are an alternative BUT if you get a bag o stuff that is not bright green and smells like grass it is contaminated with ppd. this is the dreaded "black henna" it is not henna/indigo.

worse case scenario you not only have a horrid reaction to coloring you hair you will be sensitive to dark cosmetics and dark clothing. yes they share the same chemicals.

i dyed my hair for 20 years. i got tattooed for 25 years. then i colored my hair black while resuming tattooing and had a $%#@!&*^%$ reaction. i looked like an alien.

i love both activities and am not a nature girl. i hhhaaaatttee henna-ing my hair now. to be honest i had no idea this stuff existed till it happened to me. ppd is not listed on the boxes. by the by we are the only country that has not banned this either.

so in short this has nothing to do with tattoo location it is a warning that if you are tattooed you definitely want to skin test or maybe avoid chemical hair color all together. so yes now you see warnings on boxes.

go google there is plenty of info out there about all of this. tinah