Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 9/5/2007

Question
I had a brow lift this morning (15 hrs) ago.  I was instructed to use a product antiseptic/antimicrobial skin cleanser (Hibiclens) to wash my body and hair the evening prior and again the morning of my surgery.  My hair is colored blond via a toner by a professional hair coloriest.  When I went in for surgery this morning my hair was dry and its usual light blond.  
This evening, since my head is mostly wrapped in a spongy gauze it was the 1st time I had looked at the hair not covered by the gauze in back.  It is a raging, scarlett red!!!!  Now that I have read the ingredients on the bottle I see that it includes "Red 40" which I am sure is a dye.  Yes I will address this with my surgeon at tomorrow's gauze removeal, but I would greatly appreciate any information or experience you may have had or heard of with this problem.  I only want as much information as I can get to give my hair colorist a fighting chance to get this color recified - if at all possible - before I return to work in 2 weeks.
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Terri "Redhead" Hirsch

Answer
To be honest, I cannot find anything in the literature regarding Hibiclens and hair color (which is not to say that it is not related). The company recommends not using Hibiclens on the face or head but I don't know if this is related to the coloration problem or just the fact that it is an irritant. The Red 40 give the Hibiclens its pink color but I don't think it has anything to do with changing your hair color. I would imagine that you colorist can correct the problem becuase he will be putting a dye in you hair that will (or a bleach) that should fix the problem but this is way out of my area of expertise.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston