Woman's allergic reaction to dye

Paula Pratt temporarily lost her sight after she used the packet of Clairol Nice'n'Easy.

Mrs Pratt, 38, of Brazwick Avenue, was sent to the A&E department at St Richard's Hospital by her GP because her condition was so severe.

Doctors there treated her with steroids and anti-histamine tablets.

The production manager said she had followed the instructions and carried out an allergy test before she used the dye.

She went to work the next day but her head, face and neck began to swell that evening. The condition worsened until her eyes closed and her scalp stretched and started to weep.

Mrs Pratt described herself as looking like an alien with one side of her face sticking out like a rugby ball.

"My GP took one look at me and sent me straight to A&E. By the time I got there, the other side of my face had swelled up too.

"I couldn't see my ears. The swelling must have gone out about three inches on either side," she said.

She had to take a week off work to allow the swelling to go down.

A Clairol spokeswoman said: "Allergic reactions are very rare. However, we recommend all consumers conduct a 48-hour allergy test before each use of our colourant products."

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