A teenage girl has vowed never to use hair dye again after using a treatment that made her face swell up "like an alien".

	Lois before she tried the dye

Lois Queen, 13, had to be hospitalised in severe pain after using L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss in chocolate brown.

She suffered a severe allergic reaction after applying the lotion and her face is still puffy ten days later.

"The pain was intense," she said. "It was terrifying.

"Within hours of using it my eye went red and itchy, then the swelling started.

"The next morning I could barely open my eyes.

"It was so painful. I thought I was going blind and dying. My head was such a weird shape I looked like an alien."

Lois bought the hair dye from a shop near her home in Mottingham, south London, so she could colour her hair for her 14th birthday party next month.

	And after, when her face swelled up

She followed instructions on the pack and applied it with help from her mother but her face ballooned.

Doctors gave her steroids and antihistamines but Lois said she needed to go back three times for more treatment.

Her mother Lorna said: "The doctor said she was lucky to avoid permanent eye damage.

"The swelling has gone down a bit but she is still covered in weeping sores that are getting infected. It's miserable."

A L'Oreal spokesman said: "L'Oreal is totally committed to ensuring that our products are safe and that our customers can use them with absolute confidence.

"We were concerned to hear of Ms Queen's recent experience and have contacted the family to offer medical assistance.

"Allergies to hair colourants are extremely rare but can occur for a very small number of people.

"That's why it's vital that people using hair colourants are informed of the risks and know the importance of carrying out a skin allergy test 48 hours before using the colorant, following the instructions carefully."