There is a reason for the existence of the saying “beauty is pain”. Since the existence of culture and civilization, mankind has always strived to attain some kind of beauty standard.
For those who have studied history, you will be well aware that this continuous race to achieving perfection has come at the cost of health – and even lives.
Possibly one of the most well-known examples is the use of white lead for face powder – a substance that, after interacting with moisture and sweat, would proceed to eat away at the flesh.
Luckily, we have come a long way since then. The public is now well aware and increasingly educated when it comes to rejecting beauty products with harmful substances in it.
Unfortunately, some things are still relatively unknown and easily slip past the radar, with horrifying results. One such example is the case of the 19-year-old French woman, Estelle.
According to the report by the news media outlet Le Parisien, the incident started when Estelle decided to dye her hair at home.
She then picked up a hair dye manufactured by a reputable, recognizable brand and proceeded to use it per its instructions.
The only mistake she made was one out of impatience.
According to the usage instructions, the user was to apply a small amount to a discreet location and leave it there for 48 hours as a patch test.
Estelle, however, only waited about 30 minutes before pushing ahead with the coloring process.
This may have nearly cost the young woman her life. Shortly after the dye application, Estelle noticed that her scalp began to itch and swell.
Initially, this did not bother her greatly, and she simply used some histamines in hopes that the medication would resolve the situation.
Unfortunately, it did not. Instead, her forehead and the sides of her head continued to swell until it doubled in size, giving her head the appearance of the shape of a light bulb.
Alarmed, she was then rushed to the hospital.
There, the French native was given a round of antihistamines and corticosteroids before she was sent home. It became apparent very soon, however, that this did not solve the problem.
The swelling continued unabated, to the point that her tongue began to swell as well, restricting her breathing.
This prompted a visit to a different hospital, where her case was examined in closer detail.
As it turned out, Estelle was experiencing an extreme allergic reaction to a chemical substance commonly found in drugstore hair dyes.
Called PPD, the substance has been banned from being used in makeup as an ingredient but has managed slipped through regulations when it comes to hair dyes.
Estelle isn’t the only person with an unknown, deadly allergic reaction to PPD – it is estimated about two to three percent of the population also suffer from extreme sensitivity to the substance, whether they are aware of it or not.
Since her near brush with death, Estelle has thankfully made a full recovery and is now doing her best to raise awareness about this issue.
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