She never imagined that a simple hair dye could have such repercussions on her eyesight. And yet, a few days after using the product, a 61-year-old French woman developed retinopathy, partially depriving her of her sight. The fault lies in an ingredient, paraphenylenediamine, researchers explain in a study published in the scientific journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
The sixty-year-old’s vision, with no history of illness, began to blur, although she initially did not know why. Doctors ruled out many possibilities, such as infection or cancer, before understanding the reasons for the “multiple retinal detachments” and the “unhealthy thickening of the neurosensory retina.”
Vision restored by changing coloring
The short time between the application of the dye, used for the first time, and the development of symptoms led scientists to look into the composition of the product containing “aromatic amines”, and more precisely paraphenylenediamine. Abbreviated as PPD, the substance belonging to the benzene family allows dark hair dyes to hold on to the hair.
Proof that the doctors were right, the patient’s vision returned to normal after changing brands, using a product without paraphenylenediamine. “Four years later, the patient has not experienced any recurrence,” emphasizes the team of Dr. Nicolas Chirpaz, ophthalmologist at the Edouard Herriot hospital in Lyon.
According to the researchers’ observations, products containing paraphenylenediamine “would come disturb a neurochemical pathway essential to the health of what are called retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.” With vision problems as a result. Three other cases, all associated with retinopathies, were reported in 2022.
This is not the first time that PPD has been in the news. Back in 2018, Estelle told us that she nearly died after applying the highly allergenic substance to her scalp. Paraphenylenediamine is also considered by the National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS) to be “toxic” in the event of “ingestion, skin contact or inhalation”, but remains authorized in hair dyes in France if its concentration does not exceed 6%.
