Hair Dye and Pregnancy
15 January 2016
By Gavin Taylor
Is it safe to colour your hair during pregnancy?
During pregnancy you still want to look as beautiful as ever and colouring your hair may be something you still feel you need to carry out.
There have been numerous studies on hair colouring and pregnancy and at the moment there has been no evidence that colouring your hair causes birth defects or problems.
BUT!
If hair dye is safe why am I told not to colour my hair during the first trimester?
Even though there has not been any clear evidence of hair dye causing birth defects, we are not sure of its safety. The first trimester is when all of your baby’s major organs are forming. Your doctor may recommend postponing colouring your hair until you are in your second trimester or avoiding hair colouring all together.
In 1978, the FDA proposed warning labels on hair dye that contained two coal-tar ingredients. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD found that rodents that were fed these compounds from coal-tar in certain hair dyes were more likely to develop cancer than rodents that were not fed these compounds. In this study rodents were fed large amounts of these compounds, more than what anyone would ingest. It also did not assess the risks of these components being applied to the skin. Other studies on hair dye have shown that only a small percentage of hair dye is actually absorbed through the scalp and gets into the body. Manufacturers have stopped making their hair dye with these ingredients but many have been replaced with compounds with similar structures.
Does hair colour get absorbed by my skin and cause my baby harm?
A small amount of hair dye is absorbed by the skin. This amount is so small that it is not thought to be harmful to baby. The research that is available does not show any evidence of birth defects related to using hair dye. Animal studies have been done with doses 100 times higher than what you would use on your hair. These studies have not shown any abnormal fetal development or birth defects in animals. There haven’t been enough studies on hair dye and human pregnancy to truly say for absolute certainty whether or not hair dye could be dangerous in human pregnancies.
My advice for colouring your hair during pregnancy
- Avoid colouring your hair during the first trimester.
- Choose a hair dye that will stay on your scalp for the least amount of time as possible.
- Wear gloves if you colour your hair yourself.
- Have your hair highlighted rather than a full head colour as the chemicals are not applied directly to your scalp.
- Using natural hair dyes such as henna is obviously safer and will keep your mind at rest.
My overall advice:
My personal opinion is that we shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks when we are in the early stages of pregnancy. So if you can hold off having that full head colour a few more months then do it. What’s the worst that can happen? Then have a chat with your stylist and see if you can change to highlights during the term of your pregnancy.
If you'd like any advice on hair in pregnancy and early motherhood, I'm on Jo's forum this week and you can post a question for me.
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