Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Mar 2024)
Quantification of p-Phenylenediamine in Hair Dyes and Health Risk Implications in the UAE: Describing Discordances Between Regulations and Real-Life Practices
Abstract
Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun,1,2 Sabaa Saleh Al-Hemyari,2,3 Moyad Shahwan,4,5 Obaida Jairoun,6 Sa’ed H Zyoud7,8 1Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 2Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang, 11800, Malaysia; 3Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 4Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates; 5Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates; 6College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, 44839, United Arab Emirates; 7Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine; 8Clinical Research Centre, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, PalestineCorrespondence: Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun; Moyad Shahwan, Tel +971558099957, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) has been used over the past five decades as a primary precursor in the production of oxidative hair dyes. Numerous health dangers are associated with the short- and long-term use of PPD, raising concerns about its safety. For instance, mounting data suggests that PPD is linked to dermatitis and allergy cases.Objective: To quantify the PPD content in hair dyes by measuring the PPD concentration after mixing the ingredients of commercial hair dyes.Methods: A total of 290 permanent hair dyes were tested. RP-HPLC-DAD analysis was performed to determine and quantify the PPD content.Results: The estimated mean of the PPD limit was 0.89 (95% CI [0.81– 0.96]). Of the 290 tested hair dyes, 7.2% (n = 21) exceeded the recommended PPD concentration after mixing. Significantly more hair dyes manufactured in India and China had a PPD content exceeding 2% after mixing compared to dyes from other regions (P = 0.001). Moreover, hair dyes manufactured in India and the UAE were more likely to have incomplete descriptions of the conditions of use and warnings on the label (P = 0.002).Conclusion: The effectiveness of the current regulations relevant to these products should be reevaluated. Moreover, through the use of good manufacturing procedures (GMPs), research, and the reporting of adverse reactions, hair dyes should be subjected to better control and monitoring in terms of their safety and quality.Keywords: PPD, gap analysis, allergy, contact dermatitis, permanent hair dyes, sensitization
