A trip to the hair salon turned into a frightening trip to the emergency room for 34-year-old health and beauty blogger Chemese Armstrong. The blogger tried to experiment with henna, a natural hair dye. However, after an adverse reaction, it was clear that the henna contained paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical that Armstrong was severely allergic to.

PPD is a chemical that, according to Armstrong, “is a dark dye used in almost every hair color on the market, regardless of brand.” After realizing that she had been given a hair dye that contains PPD, Armstrong posted her reaction photos on Instagram. The images show that her face was swollen to the point of no recognition. Armstrong admitted to posting the photos in order to remain “as transparent as possible” with her followers.

Armstrong, upset with her resulting appearance, pleaded with followers to keep their comments friendly and positive as she admitted to suffering from extreme pain and loss of vision for two days straight. It’s unfortunate that she endured such a terrible reaction from a dye to that she was told was free of all chemicals. 

Although she has not yet heard back from the Austin salon where she first received her treatment, she hopes that her experience will encourage others to properly research the products that they use. After Chemese’s face returned to its normal appearance, she made a YouTube video recounting the ordeal.

(Photo: Chemese Armstrong via Facebook)