<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

As with so many things, we have different thoughts on this subject.
Many people responded; almost all had  confirmed celiac, and not
DH.  Some react, some don't.  Seems like an individual thing
again.

HAVE REACTIONS TO HAIR PRODUCTS WITH THIS INGREDIENT --
itching, rash, welts, swallowing, internal reaction

I don't think I ever reacted to a product that goes on the skin or
hair. recently I have made the decision that it's possible to be doing
damage without reacting to it.  I don't want to look back and say I
was so careful except for these products and end up with
lymphoma.

I couldn't believe we would have problems using external products,
but after eliminating everything else, I figured out a condition with
wheat I was using caused a rash.  I loved the product, too, but
gave it up.

It will not cause a gluten (stomach-type) reaction, but may trigger
something else in the immune system.  I found something from a
doctor saying external products can't cause you to have a gluten
reaction.  Which is most likely true, but you can have other
reactions and it seems we are more likely to react to things after
going GF.

I have avoided wheat & other possible gluten-based ingredients in
shampoos mainly because I'm afraid of swallowing a bit, or of
getting it in my eyes, because since the tear ducts drain into the
throat getting anything in the eyes can lead to accidental ingestion
of it.

I avoid shampoos and conditioners with hydrolized wheat protein.

My main reason is that when I am in the shower, when I rinse my
hair and water runs down my face, sometimes I get some in my
mouth.

Since avoiding these products, my dandruff problem has almost
vanished, and my head doesn't itch the way it used to do, but
whether that's because of gf hair products or my gf diet or both, is
hard to say.

I get a lovely rash all down my body if I use a product with wheat in
it - not to mention the concern that you may accidentally swallow
some!

Every time I (in an emergency or at the hair salon) use the
products with these ingredients I get welt like things on my head
and the back of my neck.

I have horrible dandruff that won't go away with any dandruff
shampoo I have tried.  When I eat gluten new spots appear even
on my ears and forehead.  They are these weird little flaky
patches but not DH.  Anyway, since they seem to be worsened by
gluten I avoid using gluten containing shampoos as well.  The one
time I did accidentally use a shampoo with gluten in it I did notice
that my dandruff got much worse for a little while.

I have had trouble with only one hair care line and that is Graham
Weber(sp).  My scalp itched like mad, was red, and I lost a
good bit of hair.  When it dawned on me that it might be the new
products I went back to the previous group and things went back to
normal.

I can not use any things with hydrolized wheat protein in it.  I get a
reaction that looks like you have measles, hives, or something of
that nature.  I would not remend you using that because of my own
experiences with that.  I now have to be careful with any form of
wheat or such products with those ingredients in them.  I use some
Paul Mitchell products that are working good for me.

I am a  celiac for 8 years and I have to watch everything that I put
on my skin. Hair products, make-up, soaps, lip salve, deodorants.
creams and lotions. I have itching and sometimes redness. I
have to look for, wheat free and odor free, otherwise I'm in trouble.

Nothing with gluten on your skin as it is absorbed  into your blood
and the blood travels through your brain and intestines and
damages It still is poison

After being gf for about a year I went back to my favorite shampoo
and conditioner, which had the wheat protein you were talking
about.  My scalp really itched, after about a week I noticed small
sores starting to erupt in my scalp and neck area. Finally dawned
on me what it was, took about a month for it to go away.

I don't break out when I use a shampoo with hydrolyzed wheat
protein, but I do get a reaction similar to when I ingest gluten.  This
only happens if I use the shampoo in the shower and accidentally
swallow the rinse water. When I wash my hair in the sink and the
rinse water never gets in my face, I don't get a reaction.

ur gastro insists that skin contact does not get into the
bloodstream (never mind nicotene patches, etc.!), however, our
experience is that shampoo, clay, whatever, does lead to a
behavioral reaction - SO, whether it is inhaled or goes through the
skin, I suspect the safest thing is to avoid wherever possible.

Most of the research I have read and most of the celiac experts I
have heard speak on topical gluten will tell you a celiac will not
react. However, my celiac son absolutely reacts to gluten that
touches his skin. First realized this with a hair product.  His
symptoms are the same as if he had eaten it -- loose "celiac"
stools, etc.

I broke out on my back from the shampoo running down it when I
showered and residual itchiness over scalp and neck.

I stick to tom's of Maine Baby Shampoo or Sassoo


HAVE NO REACTIONS TO HAIR PRODUCTS WITH THIS INGREDIENT

I needed to use tea tree oil shampoo on my celiac child because of
lice infestation at her school.  The only products I could find all
contained wheat protein.  With trepidation I tired it and there was
no noticable reaction.  I also use aveeno cream on my other celiac
child's excema (it contains oatmeal) with his doctor's approval.  His
opinion is that topical contact is not a problem.

products like that have never caused me problems

I've used them with no ill effects but I'm curious what the
concensus will be. Ive always felt that products that don't actually
enter the blood stream are ok unless you're hyper sensitive and
been skeptical about eliminating makeups and creams that have a
wheat product.

I decided not to worry much about things I don't somehow injest.

Those of us with CD only have to worry if the product goes through
our intestinal tract or for some if we breath say wheat flour, for
instance.

mary nicholas humphries
University of Maryland Medical System
Baltimore, MD. 21201
410-328-5478\fax 410-328-8664