Sulfa Allergy & Perms: Possible Connection? | [Your Brand Name]

Question
I am highly allergic to Sulfa Drugs.  I recently got a perm.  I received the perm on Saturday and Sunday I was totally wiped out, with chills and felt sick. This is day three and I am feeling better today, but drained.  I have had many perms and have been sick like this before, but this time I thought maybe it was linked to the perm solution.  Do you know if having a sulfa allergy can also mean you could be allergic to perm solution?

Answer
Debbie,

Thank you for writing me. To answer the question. Of course its very possible that there was a disulphide element in your perm product. But I did some basic research that says suphides and suphates are very different. Also some further research says that a sulpha or a sulphate allergy generally doesn't have fatigue or tired feelings associated with an allergy. This would however be a common side effect to ingesting or being exposed to the sulpha drug.

I am allergic to sulphates and derivitives as well and have a very severe reaction myself (throat closes) but a perm would NOT cause such a reaction for me. But two allergic people sometimes have a different reaction.

I am not able to professionaly answer this question 100% confidently though. I didn't administer the perm and am not privvy to the ingredients. Only some perms have disulphides in them and not all perms have it. Also I did not see your reaction either. I CAN share my experience with skin reactions from professional experience though. Almost all drug reactions have a skin reaction and just about every allergen you expose your skin to will react to your skin first.

Allegies I have seen have rash, hives, raised irritated skin, and sometimes in severe cases clear fluid filled blisters and swollen lymph nodes. I have never witnessed an allergy that has nausea with a permanant. If you feel that the perm caused such a violent reaction you should change the perm solution and tell your cosmetologist that you would like a perm with no sulpher or disulphides in it. Or simply ask for a different hair treatment.

Thank you for writing me and I hope I helped.

Cherie