BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuHair dye poisoningHair tint poisoningHair dye poisoning occurs when someone swallows dye or tint used to color hair. This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Different types of hair dye contain different harmful ingredients. The harmful ingredients in permanent dyes are:Naphthylamine Other aromatic amino compounds Phenylenediamines Toluene diaminesThe harmful ingredients in temporary dyes may include:Arsenic Bismuth Denatured alcohol Lead (lead poisoning) Lead poisoningLead is a very strong poison. When a person swallows an object that has lead in it or breathes in lead dust, some of the poison can stay in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mercury MercuryThis article discusses poisoning from mercury. This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Pyrogallol SilverHair dyes may contain other harmful ingredients. Where Found Various hair dyes contain these ingredients. Symptoms Symptoms of hair dye poisoning include:Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blurred vision Breathing difficulty Burning pain in the throat Burns to the eye, redness, and tearing Collapse CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea (watery, bloody) DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Low blood pressure Low blood pressureLow blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Inability to walk normally Inability to walk normallyWalking abnormalities can be caused by many different types of problems. Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities),...Read Article Now Book Mark Article No urine output No urine outputDecreased urine output means that you produce less urine than normal. Most adults make at least 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours (a little over ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rash Slurred speech Stupor StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article VomitingVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Seek medical help right away. DO NOT make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the hair dye, give them water or milk right away, unless a provider tells you not to. DO NOT give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include:Vomiting Convulsions A decreased level of alertness Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests. Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator). Chest x-ray. ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing). Endoscopy: camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach. Laxatives. Fluids through a vein (by IV). Medicines to treat the effects of the poison. Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement). Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days.If the poisoning is severe, the person may be admitted to the hospital. Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much hair dye they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach is possible. The outcome depends on how much of this damage there is. Damage to the esophagus and stomach can continue to occur for several weeks after the product is swallowed. A hole can develop in these organs, and that can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgery may be needed to treat these and other complications.Exposure to lead or mercury (one time or continuing) can lead to permanent brain and nervous system damage.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Hair dyes. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier B.V.; 2016:643-644.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. 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Hair dye poisoningHair tint poisoningHair dye poisoning occurs when someone swallows dye or tint used to color hair. This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Different types of hair dye contain different harmful ingredients. The harmful ingredients in permanent dyes are:Naphthylamine Other aromatic amino compounds Phenylenediamines Toluene diaminesThe harmful ingredients in temporary dyes may include:Arsenic Bismuth Denatured alcohol Lead (lead poisoning) Lead poisoningLead is a very strong poison. When a person swallows an object that has lead in it or breathes in lead dust, some of the poison can stay in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Mercury MercuryThis article discusses poisoning from mercury. This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Pyrogallol SilverHair dyes may contain other harmful ingredients. Where Found Various hair dyes contain these ingredients. Symptoms Symptoms of hair dye poisoning include:Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blurred vision Breathing difficulty Burning pain in the throat Burns to the eye, redness, and tearing Collapse CollapseFainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness) ComaDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Diarrhea (watery, bloody) DiarrheaDiarrhea is when you pass loose or watery stool.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Low blood pressure Low blood pressureLow blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Inability to walk normally Inability to walk normallyWalking abnormalities can be caused by many different types of problems. Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities),...Read Article Now Book Mark Article No urine output No urine outputDecreased urine output means that you produce less urine than normal. Most adults make at least 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours (a little over ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rash Slurred speech Stupor StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article VomitingVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Seek medical help right away. DO NOT make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.If the person swallowed the hair dye, give them water or milk right away, unless a provider tells you not to. DO NOT give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include:Vomiting Convulsions A decreased level of alertness Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests. Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator). Chest x-ray. ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing). Endoscopy: camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach. Laxatives. Fluids through a vein (by IV). Medicines to treat the effects of the poison. Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement). Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days.If the poisoning is severe, the person may be admitted to the hospital. Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much hair dye they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach is possible. The outcome depends on how much of this damage there is. Damage to the esophagus and stomach can continue to occur for several weeks after the product is swallowed. A hole can develop in these organs, and that can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgery may be needed to treat these and other complications.Exposure to lead or mercury (one time or continuing) can lead to permanent brain and nervous system damage.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Hair dyes. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier B.V.; 2016:643-644.Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.