Question:
Suddenly, my favorite perfume seems to be giving me hives. Why is that?
Answer:
A common rule of thumb with allergies is that you can develop an allergy to anything at anytime. Unfortunately, this means you could have used the same perfume your whole life, and then suddenly develop an allergy. It’s also not uncommon for perfume manufacturers to change the formulation, which may have triggered the allergy. There are common chemicals used to add fragrance to perfumes and many of them can be very allergenic. If you have similar problems when you switch to a new perfume, you should consider having allergy testing done to help identify the chemical responsible for your reaction.
Mark Callery, DO
Family Medicine, Skin Care
Utica Park Clinic – Owasso
10512 N. 110th East Ave., Suite 200
Owasso, OK 74055
918.376.8900
