A man walked into a Southern Indiana barber shop to get a haircut but quickly noticed something strange happening to his skin. The hairstylist asked him what he drank on the way there, revealing devastating news about one of his favorite beverages.
TikToker and musician Christian Shaffer (@christianshaffersmusic) sits in his car after the hair appointment in a video that garnered over 84,000 views.
“I just got some s—, s— news,” he remarks.
He explains that he noticed his ears turning bright red while sitting in the barber’s chair and asks her if his ears are “hot.”
The barber touches his ears and confirms they are warm to the touch, indicating irritated skin. Then she asks him if he had a beer before his appointment.
He questions why his beverage choice is relevant but admits that he drank a beer on the way to get his hair cut.
“She’s like, ‘You’re allergic to your beer,'” Shaffer recalls. “I said, ‘No f—— way.'”
He says his ears had been turning red “for weeks” whenever he would drink a beer.
“I think she might be right,” he says. The caption reads, “Need a doctor to clear this up asap.”
How Common Is A Beer Allergy?
An actual allergy to beer is uncommon, according to Healthline, but more people report developing reactions or intolerances to certain beers.
Most beers are made with wheat, barley, hops, or yeast, which can cause mild itching, hives, and skin redness in people with a sensitivity.
On the r/beer subreddit, beer drinkers with food sensitivities say not all alcoholic beverages turn their skin bright red. Instead, they’ve gone through trial and error to figure out what they can drink without flaring up.
“I’ve narrowed the cause down to cheap flavored booze with colors in it. Think Blue Caraçao, Apple Puckers, Cherry Puckers and other similar colored crap,” one writes. “So, basically if I’m out and someone gets me a shot and it’s colored I won’t drink it. It has happened on the rare occasion with beer and wine but much less severe.”
Several say they carry an antihistamine, such as Benadryl, to the bar, just in case one of their drinks triggers a mild allergic reaction.
Do Other Beer Fans Get Bizarre Reactions?
In the comments of Shaffer’s video, viewers said they also developed unexpected reactions to beer.
“Same. The heat and redness starts on my chest and will go all the way to my knees. I couldn’t take it anymore and switched to whiskey. Sometimes that does it to me as well,” one said.
“I’m extremely allergic to beer my entire body does what your ears are doing,” a second wrote.
Many agreed that their reaction depends on the beer they drink.
“My hands swell when I drink coors light. which sucks because that was my favorite for 20 yrs. had to switch to yengling,” a viewer shared.
Another said, “Busch does this to my nose. Miller, Mich, and coors don’t.”
“I drank that prickly pear Mich Ultra once and this happened,” a third added.
@christianshaffersmusic Need a doctor to clear this up asap. #wtf #truestory #howdidthishappen #whyme #dontletthisflop
BroBible reached out to Shaffer via email for further comment.