'Last Mohican' needs hospitalization for Purim dye job

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Dying you hair for Purim with products not approved by the Health Ministry can land you in the hospital: A 15-year-old youth who wanted to look like the Last Mohican developed a serious rash in an allergic reaction and was hospitalized late Saturday night at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. His head was red and and swollen over as a result of the slash of dye down the center of his head. When he washed his hair with shampoo at home, the situation got only worse because the dye spread all over. Doctors at Hillel Yaffe's emergency room treated his with steroids and antibiotics, and he will be hospitalized in the pediatrics ward for several days. The same reaction could have resulted from unapproved Purim makeup, said Dr. Ias Kassem, deputy head of pediatrics, who advised that in such a case, the hair should be washed with ordinary water; in case of a significant reaction, the patient should be brought for urgent medical care.