Many hair dyes contain chemicals that may be considered harmful to humans. This might raise an important concern: Can you dye your hair during pregnancy?
Are dye chemicals absorbed by the skin?
The chemicals in the dyes may be absorbed by the skin, just like some medicines intended to treat skin diseases.
The permanent dyes contain ammonia which forms chemical bonds with the hair to ensure longer retention of the color. In addition, these dyes also produce toxic fumes and may need to be avoided by people with a documented allergy to the chemical.
Although dyes are minimally absorbed through the skin, exposure to the fumes during the dyeing process could be harmful.
Dye usage could lead to allergic or irritant reactions at the site of application or sometimes even serious and widespread allergic reactions.
What are the effects of absorbed chemicals on the baby?
Although some studies have found very high doses of the chemicals toxic, most research shows that it is safe to color your hair during pregnancy. In addition, hair dyeing exposes you to only a few chemicals.
There have been concerns that dyeing your hair during pregnancy could cause possible adverse effects like congenital abnormalities and increased risk of cancer in the baby, although most of this data is derived from studies conducted on rats.
Only some human studies support the association between hair dyeing and abnormalities in babies. Yet erring on the side of caution, it might be wise to delay any flamboyant idea of dyeing your hair until after delivery or at least during the first two months of pregnancy. This is an important time for forming all the major organs in our body.
Are these chemicals harmful when you dye your hair during pregnancy?
The chemicals crossing the skin during pregnancy are not considered to significantly affect the developing fetus. Moreover, there is limited research on this topic.
However, the same can not be said for individuals constantly exposed to these chemicals or fumes for years or decades during their jobs. Hair dyes contain some chemicals which can increase the risk of cancer in hairdressers and barbers.1,2
Ways to minimize exposure to dye chemicals during pregnancy
- Wear a pair of gloves.
- Leave the dye on for a minimum amount of time.
- Rinse your scalp after applying the dye.
- Highlight hair by selectively dyeing the strands to minimize the amount of dye applied.
- Avoid using caps to cover hair during or after dyeing.
Chemical dyes are most concerning, and natural dyes such as henna are considered “relatively safe” to use during pregnancy. These dyes are marketed as being free of chemicals. However, even natural dyes are not necessarily free from all adverse effects and can not be considered “absolutely safe” during pregnancy.
References
- Gubéran, E.; Raymond, L.; Sweetnam, P. M. Increased risk for male bladder cancer among a cohort of male and female hairdressers from Geneva. International journal of epidemiology 1985, 14 (4): 549−54.
- Alderson, M. Cancer mortality in male hairdressers. Journal of epidemiology and community health 1980, 34 (3), 182−5.
