A horrified woman revealed how she suffered allergic reaction to hair dye so severe  she was left with an extremely swollen head and face and painful chemical burns. 

Kelly Kruppner (26), Brockport, New York had her naturally-red hair dyed dark brown by a professional on Sunday, October 24, after she’d done it for years without any problems.

She woke up to find her head and face had ballooned. Brandon Sprague (24 years old) almost didn’t recognise her. Her eyes were also nearly closed.

Kelly had a hairdresser do a patch test on her ears for dye before she did her hair. However, the stylist failed to allow enough time for delayed reactions to develop. 

Kelly Kruppner, 26, from Brockport, New York, got her naturally red hair professionally dyed dark brown on Sunday October 24th, having dyed it years earlier without a problem (pictured)

Kelly Kruppner (26), Brockport, New York had her naturally-red hair dyed dark brown by a professional on Sunday, October 24, after she dyed it without any problems years before.

But the admin assistant woke up the following night to discover her face and head had ballooned so much (pictured) her husband, Brandon Sprague, 24, nearly didn't recognize her

However, the admin assistant awoke the next morning to see her face and head ballooned. Brandon Sprague (24) almost did not recognize her.

Kelly said that the chemical reaction worsened and her scalp was covered with painful chemical burns. Kelly cannot use shampoo as a result. 

Kelly shared that she was pleased with the results. Kelly also said, “It felt fine during the dyeing. The next morning, I developed rash-like symptoms that made it look like I’d had severe sunburn.”

“Then, I woke up on Monday at midnight to find my face all puffy and swollen. The rashes looked even more like burns. They were blistering and scabbing.

“My husband was awakened by me. Although I advised him to stay off the lamp, he turned it on anyway and got quite shocked. His fear scared me.

Kelly says she has never suffered an allergic reaction to any beauty products before and emergency doctors told her it was the worst reaction they'd ever seen from hair dye

Kelly claims she’s never had an allergic reaction to beauty products and that emergency physicians told Kelly it was their worst experience with hair dye.

Doctors told her to stay off work for a week since her eyes were almost swollen shut (pictured) making it unsafe for her to drive

Since her eyes had almost closed (pictured), doctors advised her to avoid work for one week. It was unsafe to drive.

“It was very painful, and it got more and more severe each day. On Wednesday, my eyes were nearly completely closed.

After spending nearly two hours sitting in the salon chair, the admin assistant felt devastated and ended up being taken to hospital by a specialist in burns. 

‘My cheeks were really puffy so I thought I looked like Fat B*stard from Goldmember, Austin Powers’, she said. 

‘I didn’t even look like myself. It looked almost like I was wearing an ugly suit to cover my face.

Doctors say Kelly's swollen head will take around a month to heal

As the reaction progressed over the following days, Kelly says her scalp became covered in painful chemical burns

Kelly said that her scalp began to bleed and she was left with severe chemical burns. (pictured right). Kelly’s head will also be covered. Doctors expect her head to become swollen for at least a month.

Despite her swollen face and head, Kelly is thankful that doctors believe there won't be any scarring from the burns all over her head and hairline

Kelly was thankful for the fact that she will not be scarred by her burns to her hairline and forehead, even though her face is swollen.

She has now shared photos of her face during the reaction (pictured) to warn others to leave their patch tests on for the recommended 48 hours and avoid the same fate she suffered

Now, she shares photos of her reaction (pictured), to remind others that they should leave their patch testing on for at least 48 hours to avoid suffering the same fate.

‘I was constantly saying that I looked like Sloth in the Goonies, and my friend sent me a photo of the hunchback from Notre Dame. So there was a lot of talk about who I really looked like. 

Kelly claims she’s never had an allergic reaction to beauty products, and the shock at her swelling twelve hours later was quite shocking.

How to determine if your hair dye is allergic and why some people may be sensitive

Contact dermatitis is a condition that can cause skin reactions in some people.

When they are exposed to a substance, their skin can become reddened, dry, and inflamed.

It could be either an irritant that directly damages the skin or an allergen that triggers an allergic reaction.

Paraphenylenediamine, a known allergen and irritant in hair dyes (permanent and semi-permanent), is responsible for many reactions.  

You may have an allergy.  

  • Red, itchy or redder skin.
  • Swollen eyes, lips, hands and feet – the eyelids can swell so much that the eyes close
  • Feeling faint or lightheaded
  • A swelling in the throat, tongue or mouth that can result in breathing problems and difficulty swallowing.
  • You are wheezing
  • Tummy pain, nausea and vomiting
  • Insomnia and collapse

Source: NHS 

She was told by emergency physicians that it was her worst hair dye reaction and she should stay home for the next week. Her eyes are almost completely closed, which makes it impossible for her drive safely.

Kelly explained that Kelly was told by the doctors that it could take up to 4 weeks for the burns fully to heal. They also said that it might be an allergy.

“Three doctors had to come see it and include a burns specialist because they claimed they have never seen hair dye quite like this.

“The ER doctor took me off work due to how swollen and bloated I looked. He did not want me to drive.

“My primary physician prescribed me a steroid lotion for my burns, and a steroid tablet to aid. However, the ER doctor suggested that it may not be effective because the skin was prone to an allergic reaction.

‘I am unable to use shampoo at the moment because of my severe burnt head.

Kelly suffered severe reactions and burns to her scalp. Her doctors advised Kelly not to dye her hair ever again. She would most likely experience the same or worse reaction.

This means she must wait until the nearly black permanent dye grows out before she can go back to her red hair.

She is grateful that the doctors have assured her there will be no scarring due to the burned areas.

To warn other people not to use their patch testers for more than 48 hours, she has shared pictures of the reactions to her face. 

Kelly shared that she noticed a change in Kelly’s facial appearance.

“I will never do that again. I recommend anyone who uses any product to test it, regardless of brand or type. It is a safe way to ensure safety.