New Forest mum blinded by allergic reaction to hair dye

Saffron Veal said she will “go grey gracefully” following the ordeal, which blinded her for two weeks.

The grandmother of three was looking to freshen up her locks ahead of a family member’s birthday meal.

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But after applying the L'Oreal dye, rinsing her head and blow drying it, she knew something was not quite right.

The 49-year-old from Hythe said: “I phoned my mum, and I told her that I had dyed my hair and she said how lovely it was.

“When I started to feel the heat in my head I rinsed my head."

Her husband and full-time carer, Darren, 51, called 111 and paramedics went out to see her.

They said that if her symptoms got worse she should go to A&E.

It all went downhill from that point when Saffron’s head, eyelids, and cheeks started to swell up to the point that she stopped being able to see.

Saffron Veal, 49 (Image: Provided)

She said: “Within four hours my head started to look like an American football.

“After that blisters started to develop on my scalp."

She added: "It was awful."

The mum travelled to Lymington New Forest Hospital but was then told to go to Southampton General Hospital straight away.

She said: "By the time I went to the General, I was completely blind, it had moved to my mouth and cheeks.

“The doctors there said they have never seen such a bad case of reaction like mine.”

Saffron Veal, 49 during the allergic reaction (Image: Provided)

She remained at the hospital for three days.

Following that Saffron - who suffers from spinal condition Spondylosis, and relies on a wheelchair - was sent home where she was bed-bound for a week.

She said: “I was just in bed with the radio on to hear what was going on because I couldn’t see anything.

“It took about 10 days for the swelling to go down and my left eye was closed for about two weeks.

“It was really hard to eat when you can’t see where your hand is.”

Saffron previously had an allergic reaction to hair dye in 2018, but was told that this was due to the medicine she was on at the time.

After this latest nightmare, which began on September 9, she said she will never pick up a packet of hair dye again.

She added: “This has put me off, I will go grey gracefully now without a doubt.”