The hidden dangers of dyeing your armpits like Rosalía did: "You have to be very careful."

With Rosalía being one of the hottest artists of the moment , it's no surprise that her every move is closely watched, especially by her fans in Spain. Those small details that might go unnoticed are often messages or clues that reveal details of her new projects.

By studying all her gestures, we've been able to notice something very curious, and it's become a source of debate among the artist's followers . Although it's more common for women to shave their armpits, Rosalía chose not to and, surprising everyone, dyed her hair in that area. What health risks does this pose?

The risks of dyeing your armpit hair

This is a decision the artist has defended on social media after being questioned about it. She hasn't given it much thought, but she also didn't want her body decisions to be questioned. Beyond all this, dyeing this area isn't common (although it's not the first time it's been seen; Miley Cyrus did it at one point), so it could pose certain unknown risks .

This is what dermatologist Paloma Borregón advocates on social media, where she offered her professional perspective on the matter, beyond her own personal opinion on Rosalía's style choices. "You have to be very careful if you want to dye this area, since the armpit area has some of the thinnest skin on our body," explains the professional, noting that it's one of the thinnest "along with the eyelids."

This has its consequences, because exposing that area to hair-dyeing products "could lead to greater absorption of the ingredients in the products we apply there, or even cause irritation." The skin in this area is delicate, so it could cause "either irritant eczema —simply because we apply it and it irritates our skin—or allergic eczema."

Furthermore, the dermatologist wanted to highlight an additional risk, because it is not well known that the use of dyes in this area can have long-term consequences , especially if we use them a lot: "If we dye our hair for a long time, what we are going to achieve is an increased risk of becoming allergic to these dyes , whether they are dyes or hair dye sprays."

It's not entirely clear whether this aesthetic detail by Rosalía will go from being a mere anecdote , a choice for a specific outfit the Catalan has chosen to attend a fashion show, to something routine, a trend that becomes commonplace on the streets. In any case, if she decides to take the step, it's best to do so taking every precaution, avoiding products that could damage the skin .

What to do in case of eczema?

If someone decides to dye this area and develops irritant or allergic eczema (red, itchy, dry skin) as a result, it's best to consult a professional . If it's allergic eczema, it will appear every time someone comes into contact with that substance, and knowing what it is will be key to avoiding further exposure.

Once the trigger is identified, it is recommended to avoid further contact with that substance, but the lesions are also treated , usually with corticosteroids (topical or systemic), antihistamines, moisturizers, and antibiotics.

References

He, L., Michailidou, F., Gahlon, H.L., & Zeng, W. (2022). Hair Dye Ingredients and Potential Health Risks from Exposure to Hair Dyeing. Chemical Research In Toxicology , 35 (6), 901-915. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00427

Contact Dermatitis - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic . (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/contact-dermatitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352742