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Exclusive: Hair Dye Disaster

CEDARS, Pa. (CBS) -- Tired of her blonde hair, Vicki Kneeland wanted to go back to her natural color. She says she went to 'Looks salon' in Cedars, Montgomery County to dye her hair brown.

Almost immediately after the dye was applied she says she had a troubling reaction.

"I can't even really describe this feeling. I felt like bugs were all over my scalp crawling inside," said Kneeland.

Vicki claims she broke out with painful hives around her face and scalp, and since that day at the salon, she says the rashes return with exposure to sunlight and certain household cleaning products.

So she went to see her doctor.

"When he told me it was his belief I was having a severe hair dye reaction, I still didn't believe it," she said.

The mother of two from Lansdale is now suing the salon as well as Redken, a subsidiary of L'Oreal.

Her attorney believes the hair dye, sold only to salons was a Redken product.

"If you don't know what you're getting into and you don't know the risk, the danger that's causing you that is unfair," attorney Charles Mandracchia said.

The suit alleges Kneeland had an allergic reaction to a chemical in the hair dye called paraphenylenediamine, otherwise known as PPD.

A chemical that attorney Charles Mandracchia says has been banned in five countries because of the number of negative reactions people have had.

"There's a lot of hazardous chemicals in these hair dyes and if you're allergic to it you should be warned."

L'Oreal released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:

"L'Oreal USA and Redken deny these allegations and will vigorously defend ourselves in court."

Numerous calls to the salon have not been returned.

Mandracchia says this whole thing could've been avoided if the salon had done a patch test 24 to 48 hours before Vicki's hair was dyed to see if she was allergic.

L'Oreal also recommends doing a patch test.

Reported by Todd Quinones, CBS 3

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