Q: My mother suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. She wants to apply hair dye but we have heard that hair dyes affect eyes and should not be applied by persons who have some eye problems. Is it true or just a myth?

A:It is possible for the patient to use hair dye, as this is not known to cause any further deterioration in the status of retinitis pigmentosa. The only precaution to be taken is to ensure that the chemicals do not enter the eyes as they cause a lot of irritation and redness (chemical injury). If that occurs, the person should thoroughly wash the eyes and seek the opinion of an eye specialist.