Pauley Perrette is arguably best known for her NCIS character’s signature black hair, but like we just mentioned, that’s all make believe. The New Orleans-born actress is actually a natural blonde and for years, Perrette dyed her hair black to maintain her character’s look. However, in a 2014 interview with Extra, Perrette revealed that she developed an allergy to black hair dye.
Perette also took to Twitter, sharing a few scary photos (one of them is above) of just how bad the reaction got. “I almost died from Black #HairDyeAllergy,” Perrette wrote. Later, speaking with CBS News, Perrette revealed that she had a more minor reaction six months earlier when she “broke out into a rash all over her neck and scalp.” This time, she said, “The other half of my face had become twice the size of my head.”
The solution ended up being something called Elumen, which Perrette tweeted about, describing it as “an ionic infusion of color, not dye. Based on +ionic magnetic charge not dye Only safe one.” Why didn’t producers just write it into the show that her character becomes a blonde?
“I don’t think the world is ready for a blonde Abby. I’m not ready for a blonde Abby,” Perrette told Queen Latifah. Now, that’s dedication to a role right there.
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