I have been colouring my hair for around 13 years now. I was always blonde growing up but throughout the years my hair got darker and my natural hair colour is now a very dark dull blonde.

I used to have highlights in my hair to keep it blonder, then when I was 22 I dyed my hair black. It was a very big change and one that myself and people around me had to get used to. I had a lot of compliments with dark hair as I have got green eyes and with the contrast of my hair they stud out. I had it dark for around 2 years but started to feel it was becoming a little drastic and wanted to go lighter for the summer time. This was a very gradual process and took me a few years to get my hair back to the colour I wanted (blonde) so I didn't want to damage my hair.

As a hairdresser I used to buy my colours from Denis Williams (a hairdressing supplier), I got bored with using the same colour over again that I left my hair to just fad out.
One day I was watching TV a saw an advert for John Frieda Hair Foam, it looked really good and easy to apply (which is always a bonus) I decided to give it a go even though I've never been a fan of box colours. I browsed through the colours and decided to try, Colour Extra Light Beige Blonde 10N.

I took it home and applied it straight away.
The instructions where very easy to follow, you empty the contents of the developer into the colour bottle and tilt not shake 5 times then squeeze and out comes the foam. The colour was so easy to apply and gave a brilliant coverage. The colour was also perfect and I was very, very happy. Unlike some colours this looked very natural and my hair was very soft and in great condition.

I have been using John Frieda for about 18 months I felt like I had found the perfect colour for life.
When John Frieda Hair Foam first come out it was £10 in most shops but now in most super markets it can be found for £6.66, I should have taken this as a sign and that something bad was yet to come.

On the 4th may 2012 I coloured my hair as usual with John Frieda Hair Foam Colour Extra Light Beige Blonde 10N as I have so many times before. I was going to London the next day to spend a long weekends with my cousin in Greenwich. I was so excited I wanted to look my best so I had my nails done, I had faked tanned and last to do was my hair colour but I had done it that many times it was simple and easy.
I brushed my hair so I removed all the knots then put my hair in its natural parting, I squeezed the foam on to my palm and spread it on my parting, from there around my hair line then massaged it through the rest of my head as I only do my roots.
This time when I applied it, it began to really sting but wore off within 30 seconds, when I massaged my head to get the shampoo lather it began to really sting again but like last time within 30 second had stopped. I left it on for 10 minutes and washed it off as it worried me slightly.

Once I shampooed and conditioned my hair I wrapped it in a towel and left it to dry as I don't like to overdo it after it has been newly coloured. When I took the towel off the left side just before my crown was red raw and my scalp was very noticeable. I kept apply Suda Crème to get rid of the redness , this lasted round 3 - 4 weeks as the colour had burnt my scalp and hair. I have a very noticeable bald patch around the size of a 50p and it has only just started to grow back.

I have been very upset and conscious about it as I have very thick hair and didn't realise how lucky I was till I lost some.
This was 3 months and 9 days ago.

I do not know what coursed this to happen as I have been using the same colour over and over again but I am very sad and want people who use this regularly or deciding to use it for the first time to be very careful as I would hate it to happen to anyone else.

I have contacted John Frieda and they have sent me a medical questionnaire to fill in and asked me to send the colour I just back to them but as this was 3 months and 9 days ago I have not got it any more. They said they will reimburse me for the colour but this does not help me for the hair I have lost.

When using John Frieda it tells you to do a skin test 48 hours before you use the colour but then states the colour must be used within 24 hours with in opening it. So if you did a skin test on one then bought another to colour your hair it wouldn't be the same colour you've tested so you can't win!

I hope this helps anyone who's thinking of using this, and let you know this CAN happen.


Vicky xoxox