Woman Dies After Allergic Reaction To Hair Extension Glue

February 3, 2012
By: Ashleigh Wight

A London woman died after suffering an allergic reaction to the glue in her hair extensions, a pathologist said yesterday.

34-year-old Atasha Graham collapsed in the front doorway of her home in May after clubbing until the early hours of the morning, an inquest heard yesterday.

It is thought that the latex glue used to apply her hair extensions entered her bloodstream after she began sweating on the nightclub dance floor.

A hearing at Southwark Coroner’s Court was told she died of anaphylactic shock,  likely caused by the glue used to attach her hair extensions. Ms Graham only had a moderate amount of alcohol in her body, had no known food allergies and she had not taken any drugs, which lead doctors to the uncertain diagnosis.

“I’ve seen cases where people using solvent to apply extensions has actually caused anaphylactic shock,” pathologist Michael Heath told the inquest into her death. “There are about ten to 20 deaths a year in this country, many more in America. I have seen four in the last three months.”

The pathologist stated that a reaction would normally occur during the first few hours of applying the extensions, which she had done in a salon since she was 20 years old.

“She had an allergic reaction to something as the level of tryptase in her body was 178 micrograms,” said coroner Christopher Williams.

 

Sources: www.dailymail.co.uk, news.ninemsn.com.au

Image: www.extendastyle.co.uk