Hair Colour or Hair Dye during pregnancy

Pregnancy in a woman causes several changes. Your body will go through several changes along with your developing baby. Though pregnancy is an absolute delightful period for any mother you may not always feel good about yourself as your body goes through these changes.

It will be sometimes stressful, so to move on through that phase we should dedicate some time for ourselves as we also have the right to look beautiful. Fresh, new hair colour can brighten your mood.

Hair colour or dyes includes various chemical compounds which are mixed together to produce various types of colour that can be applied on the hair. Hair colours are available in two forms

• Chemical-based hair colour
• Natural hair colour
  

Mother’s thinking that hair colouring or dying your hair during pregnancy leads to adverse effects on the foetus is only a myth.

Because according to (OTIS) Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, which collects information on potential reproductive risks, reported that hair colouring or dying has no danger to the baby during pregnancy.

They have found that there were no such cases reported until now which caused major changes during pregnancy to the foetus, as the very little amount is absorbed by the body.

Chemical-based and natural hair colours or dyes are again comprised of four types They are as follows:

Types of dyes available in the market

• Permanent Hair Colour
• Semi-permanent Hair Colour
• Temporary Hair Colour
• Bleach and Highlights

1. Permanent hair colour

Permanent hair colouring or dying involves mixing of two chemicals like hydrogen peroxide and ammonia with the colouring agent.

Permanent dyes are colourless precursors which require activation with a developer. The developer usually contains hydrogen peroxide.

This process of mixing of Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia creates a chemical reaction named as oxidation according to Cunnane-Phillips.

• Permanent hair colouring is very complicated compared to other colouring techniques.
  
• Hydrogen peroxide helps in swelling of cuticles for diffusion of colour inside the hair strand.
• In permanent hair colouring, the hair structure changes as the colour interacts with the natural pigment of your hair.
• The tiny molecules present in the hair colour penetrates through the hair cuticle.
  
• Strong chemicals are being used in this process of colouring in order to withstand multiple washes and to remain for a long time. This may cause more damage to your hair as the chemical stay for a longer period of time in the hair cuticles.
  

2. Semi-permanent hair colour

Semi-permanent hair colouring is ammonia-free. In this process, the hair colour doesn’t penetrate through the strand-like in case of permanent hair colour. Instead, it wraps around the hair cuticle as a coating.

• It is easier to use,  as it is already mixed and we can straightaway apply.
• Bleach is not present in semi-permanent hair colour.
  
• This hair colour lasts about 24 shampoos approximately.
  
• The hair colour fades away with shampooing and exposure to the air gradually.
  

3. Temporary hair colour

Temporary hair colouring is mostly used by the people who love experimenting and also by the people who want to look fashionable. 

• This hair is available in different forms like spray, cream, gel in all colours and shades.
• In this process of hair colouring the colour doesn’t penetrate through the strand but it only remains along the shaft and also it doesn’t stain the hair.
  
• It starts fading from the first shampoo and may last for 6 weeks.
  

4. Bleach and Highlights

In this method of hair colouring, the original hair colour of yours is removed by a process called oxidation. The hair will turn to white or pale yellow colour as the bleach interacts with the pigment of your hair.

In highlights, the small parts of your bleached hair are highlighted by using hair colour.

Which Dyes can be used?

As every mother wants her child to be safe and healthy keeping this in mind it will be better to use natural hair colour techniques compared to chemical-based ones which do not cause any side effects to your baby.

It is preferable to opt for semi-permanent or temporary hair colours or dyes during pregnancy. Because in semi-permanent and temporary hair colouring techniques there are no harmful chemicals used. In these methods of dying the hair colour doesn’t enter the scalp.

Natural hair colouring techniques involves henna and vegetable dyes. Henna is used to cover your greys and also to change your hair colour from brown to black or brown to red.

There are also other ways of colouring the hair to any desired colour by using some dyes from vegetables like beetroot, tomato, lemon, carrot, sage and coffee, chamomile tea etc.

Here are some of the popular organic hair dye brands across the world which can be used:

• Shehnaz Henna - Buy Here
• Garnier Hair Naturals - Buy Here
• Godrej Nupur - Buy Here
• V Care hair colour - Buy Here
• Herbatint
• Bio Organic Herbal Hair colour
• Naturtint hair colour
• Madison Reed Root touch up
• The henna guys
• Tints of nature

Dyes which should be avoided

Permanent hair colour and bleaching your hair are harmful to your baby as they contain harmful chemicals and bleach. The ammonia and hydrogen peroxide may affect your health as a pregnant which in turn affects the health of the baby.

These harmful chemicals penetrate through the strands of your hair so there may be a chance of reaching the foetus in your body and cause ill effects.

The researchers are still identifying any link between long term hair dye or colour use and the risk of cancer. You definitely dont want to be in that zone while pregnant.

The women who take permanent hair colour are prone to develop certain types of cancer according to the 2016 International Journal of Cancer research. But then there are studies which have conflicting results. So why take the risk, it is better to take safe dyes during pregnancy.

Overall you can always dye to colour your hair during pregnancy as long as you are following certain precautions.

Precautions to be taken before applying hair dye during pregnancy

• Try dying a strand: Before you do your whole head, try a test strand so you don't wind up punk pink
• Cover if possible: Pulling hair through a cap and then applying colour is a less common method but equally as safe, since the cap covers the scalp.
  
• Must have ventilation: In a salon, ask to be seated in a well-ventilated area. If you’re at home, open up the windows so you’re breathing in the fresh air and not toxic fumes.
  
• Protect yourself: If you’re applying the product to your own hair always wear gloves for protection and slip into a long-sleeved shirt for that extra coverage.
  
• Wash out: Be sure to wash your scalp thoroughly when the job is done.
  
• Dying Time: Try to reduce the dying time per sitting to minimize the exposure.
• Petroleum Jelly: Try to use a petroleum based ointment on scalp to decrease the exposure to the dye or colour.

Tips for dying the hair during pregnancy

• Second trimester the safest: We should not take chance, though your body doesn’t absorb much of the chemicals in hair dye. The first 12 weeks during pregnancy is a time of major organ development for your baby. Organs are developing, muscles, vocal cords and skin are forming, and nail beds, hair follicles are starting to form. So after 3 months, we can use hair dye.
• Visit good salons for safe service: Dye is applied to the hair and scalp, where the pores in your skin soak up the chemicals, so try and use alternative techniques of hair colouring where the paint is made on the hair shaft instead of scalps like lowlights, highlights, frosting and streaking. 
  
• Use gentle colours: Prefer a semi-permanent colour which doesn’t contain bleach. Try to use colour which is ammonia-free.
  
•  Natural is always better: It is better to prefer natural hair colour techniques.
  

References