Hair dye horror as student's head swells up like 'Elephant Woman'

Stacy Ditroia, 16, struggled to breathe and was unable to see after her head and neck swelled up.

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The allergic reaction was caused by a £10 L'Oreal treatment which she had used to turn her hair chocolate brown.

She was taken to hospital where doctors managed to stop the swelling, but Stacy says she has been left emotionally scarred.

"I did the 48-hour patch test behind my ear and there was no reaction, so two days later I put the dye on my hair," she said.

"But soon afterwards my scalp started itching horribly. I wanted to tear my head off. The following day my hairline went bright red, I felt really hot, and the sides of my neck hurt as if the glands were swollen.

"I told my mum that she should still go to work, but when I looked in the mirror it was horrific. I looked deformed. My head and eyes were swollen and I was sure I was going to die. I phoned my mum."

Her mother Frances, 33, a nursery manager, from Brixton, South London, said: "I was met by the most horrific sight I had ever seen.

"I called an ambulance which took Stacy to hospital where they put her straight on intravenous anti-histamines and steroids."

The treatment made the swelling move down through Stacy's face to the back of her neck. She said: "It crushed my windpipe and I found it difficult to breathe."

Eventually the reaction stabilised, and Stacy was allowed home but had to take steroids and anti-histamines every day for a week. She said: "My relatives said I looked like the elephant woman. I still feel self-conscious."

L'Oreal told Stacy that a chemical called para-phenylenediamine in the colorant was the likely cause of the reaction. It has offered to pay for her to have tests.

A spokesman said: "Consumer safety is always our first priority and all our hair colorants are safe when used according to the instructions."

The company added: "Potential reactions can be detected by carrying out the skin allergy test as directed, 48 hours before using the product, every time it is used."