Contact allergy to para‐phenylenediamine in a permanent eyelash dye

Abstract

We present the case of a 30-year-old atopic lady with a known history of intolerance to several materials, including dark stockings, who developed a severe dermatitis on the eyelids and peri-orbital regions, as well as a conjunctivitis after having her eyelashes tinted by a beautician with a permanent black eyelash and eyebrow dye (Combinal, Dr Temt Laboratories, Austria). Patch tests revealed positive reactions to para-phenylenediamine (PPD), both diluted 0.01% and 1% in pet., to the eyelash dye (tested semiopen as is) and to some of the azo-dyes tested. The permanent eyelash dye did contain PPD, the use of which is illegal but seems to be a common practice. The patient had most probably been sensitized through nylon stockings containing azo-dyes, with PPD itself cross-reacting to them. With the growth in popularity of tattooing and permanent make-up, doctors should be aware of the new uses of this old allergen. Moreover, although many manufacturers have made great efforts to improve cosmetics concerning their safety, some of them remain uninformed about cosmetic legislation or do not respect it at all. Because many of these products are acquired via internet, lack of legislation about this shopping modality is also a serious problem.

Periocular dermatitis: a report of 401 patients

“…All of our affected patients used cosmetics and/or make ups. An increasing prevalence of PPD hypersensitivity (frequently seen as immediate reactions) has also been reported in the surveys of recent years 6,16–19 . The PPD containing make ups (eye liner, mascara) and hair dyes could be the ground of the relevance in our affected 15 patients.…”

Cases of occupational dermatitis and asthma in beauticians that were reported to The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network from 1996 to 2011

“…Additionally, beauticians can be involved in eyelash tinting, resulting in occupational allergic CD from tints containing para ‐phenylenediamine (PPD); such cases are a subset of the agents associated with the cases reported in this study. Of note, PPD allergy has been reported in beauticians' clients (rather than in the beauticians themselves) following application of eyelash tints …”

Contact blepharoconjunctivitis due to black henna — A case report

“…Total serum IgE was evaluated using the Uni-CAP system (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden). Clinical signs of ocular allergy were evaluated using standardized grading system for measurement of signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis described rarely and only as case reports [3][4][5]. To our knowledge, this is the first case of PPD-induced CB with concomitant increased eosinophilia in the tear fluid.…”