Community Chat

[pattypeep]

@Shorty2U  I'm much older than your dear granddaughter, but this exact thing happened to me about 11 years ago. No known cause. It turned out after various Dr. visits that I had developed autoimmune disorder out of the clear blue sky. Please have her see an immunologist. I apologize if this is repeated, I didn't have time to read all of the answers.

[straykatz]

Generally the type of reaction you describe is from something ingested not topical.  I swelled up so bad could barely see out my puffy eyes and even my nose/lips felt swollen from an allergic reaction to a supplement I tried for menopause symptoms.....my skin felt slightly itchy around my eyes for a day or two before the full blown reaction set in (I didn't think anything about the itchiness - it was minor) but by the 3rd day I seriously looked like a monster when I walked into the ER and my even tongue was starting to swell too....freaked me out.  ER immediately knew it was an allergic reaction and put my on a drip with antihistamine(sp?).....a few hours later I was able to go home.....the only thing I had done differently that week was take that supplement - I was 3 days into using it when this occured.  

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Sorry this happened.  If they're sure it's from the makeup, it sounds like it could possibly be a PPD (paraphenylenediamine) allergy, especially if the makeup is dark colors.  When my daughter was in cosmetology school she dyed her hair black and woke up the next day with a swollen face and eyes practically swelled shut, plus a patchy scally dermatitis.  It was bad.  She needs to do a series of prednisone and some topical cortisone cream on the rash.  It was determined to be a PPD allergy.

[Nataliesgramma]

My granddaughter is allergic to tree nuts and it can be very scary when someone has a reaction.

I would recommend seeing an allergy Dr too....it could be the make-up or really anything...

I think asking her regular Dr for an Epi pen prescription is also wise.

[OooLaLa]

@Shorty2U  Check her skin/hair care, laundry and cleaning products and cosmetics for methylisothiazolinone and do a search for "methylisothiazolinone allergy."  Read the info and click on "images," to see if the photos look like what your granddaughter is experiencing. 

I've been on a mission since I had a horrible experience with it last year. It took a long, long time to figure this out, and I unknowingly continued to use products with MI in it, making a bad situation much, much worse. I began a thread last August with more details and info in Community Chat. Unfortunately, if MI is her allergen, it will take a while after eliminating it to heal because it damages skin, but at least she'll be on the right track.  All I got from a dermatologist was that I had a contact allergy and offered to begin allergy testing.

Yes, I'm posting once again about MI, but when someone has an allergic reaction, there is a reason, and it can be a long road to get to the source.  Best of luck to her.

[Tinkrbl44]

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@Shorty2U wrote:

I was wondering if anyone had this happen to them?

My middle granddaughter (who will be 17 in weeks) entire face swelled up even under her eyes and her entire face (even around mouth and all has red blotches). I mean it looks bad like someone with a peanut allergy. (Id post a pic but because shes a teen I wont). Well its unbelievably bad. She took benedryl right away but it didn't help. We went over everything she ate, and did for days to no avail. Only thing we could think of was make up.

Long story short she went to the Dr and its from the Kat Von D make up that I got her for Christmas as one of her gifts no less! (and it was 45 bucks for the palette which I would never pay for me, I use drug store make up). Of course I did not know this would happen but I feel terrible but she wanted this so much AND shes been wearing it since Christmas and this just happened now. (Why no reaction sooner? I don't know).

So she cant wear any make up for months and she got creams to put on her face and she was off school today.

And to add my granddaughter is a gorgeous young lady and wants to be a make up artist and is wonderful at make up (even does video tutorials for friends). So she isn't thrilled! And she loved that Kat Von D makeup and so did my oldest granddaughter (who bought some for herself too and uses it with no issues).

So anyway, I hope her face will be ok and the creams help.

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@Shorty2U

OMG!!!   She could have died!    I can't believe you let her take just Benadryl and then sat around thinking about what could have caused it!    Her throat could have swollen shut ..... very dangerous!

Whenever someone has an allergic reaction, you need to take them to the ER ..... IMMEDIATELY.    

As for the "makeup" being the cause ..... she needs to know which INGREDIENT is the culprit.  That same ingredient could be in lotions, soap or whatever and this may happen again ....  and with worse reactions the next time.  

She needs to see an allergist .....  STAT.

[Shorty2U]

Hi and thank you for the replies, and advice.. Sorry it took me long to come back.

To explain better- We didn't sit around thinking, they called the Dr and made an appt (after making sure she wasn't having breathing issues) and it was her face only. And they said to give benedryl which my daughter had on hand from herself having to use it and the Dr set up the appt pretty quick (after asking questions)

When they called me to say she was headed to the Dr. we (as in her mother and I via phone) went over everything because I thought of food allergies first too. I also thought if she didn't clean her make up brushes or sponges OR if she shared them with friends. She said she cleans them all the time all and did not share them.

She also did not eat or drink anything different, nor did they use new detergents or soap.

So they told the Dr all of this and about what make up she was using and they examined her, and the Dr said its the make up.

But I agree with what some are saying here that I think it could be something else too. And my granddaughter thinks so too.

As of when she put the cream on the other night, yesterday her face was no longer puffy but its now peeling and like when you would have a burn in the Summer and peel. They also told her to use moisturizer.

I suggested (but they need to ask the Dr) that later (in a week or more), she may try to put some make up on her hand just lightly to see if she gets a reaction, then she would know.

I just hope this doesn't happen again or it could be worse if it wasn't the make up. My daughter on the other hand thinks it was the make up like the Dr because she never had an allergy to anything before from eating or drinking and she ate and drank the same things (so nothing new but the make up).

But I agree, if this happens again (and I hope it doesn't) then she needs to see an allergist to be 100% sure because of course her Peditirican isnt an allergist.

[Plaid Pants2]

Why are you waiting for her to have a second reaction, which might kill her?

Set up an appointment with an allergist NOW,  before she has another reaction.

[Irshgrl31201]

Hey @Shorty2U sorry about your granddaughter.

I work as an esthetician in a dermatologists office and I just wanted to ask you a few questions.

How did they come to the conclusion that it was from the Kat VD makeup? I ask you this because if they are just guessing without testing this will absolutely be of no help because she is allergic to an ingredient in that makeup and that ingredient is most likely found in MANY other makeup palettes of every type of makeup brand. She needs to know what specific ingredient caused that reaction so she can start reading ingredients decks so she can avoid that particular ingredient.

While it is entirely possible to develop an allergy to an ingredient you have used daily for years, you usually start showing some type of reaction before your entire face would just become so swollen like hers. She may have started noticing a little itchy or some redness or hives previous to that. 

If her dr just told her she was allergic to this makeup palette without testing her, then it is very likely this didn't cause the allergy at all. Even if you do think that it was this palette, she really NEEDS to go for allergy testing to find out what ingredient it was so she can make sure to avoid this in the future because most eyeshadows, blushes, etc... contain many of the same ingredients so just buying a different brand will not really do you any good because they likely will contain those ingredients too.