“Is It Safe To Dye My Hair During Pregnancy?”

Is It Safe To Dye My Hair During Pregnancy?

Many women want to feel and look their best during pregnancy. A simple way to achieve this may simply be a new hairstyle. Other women prefer to dye their hair. Many women who routinely dye their hair often wonder if this is safe to do during pregnancy.

The jury is still out on whether dyeing your hair is completely safe during pregnancy. Many doctors agree that there is no harm in dyeing your hair during pregnancy. If you go to your local salon they will probably tell you the same.

The fact of the matter is however that dyes contain certain chemicals that do get absorbed by your skin and into your bloodstream in small amounts. Some studies have linked some of the chemicals found in hair dyes to birth defects in lab animals.

That said, it would probably take a lot more dye that what your body absorbs through a processing treatment to affect your baby. Still, that may not be enough to help you feel comfortable during pregnancy.

Your best bet is probably waiting until after your first trimester before you decide to dye your hair during pregnancy. During the first trimester your baby is most susceptible to birth defects from exposure to toxins including those found in hair dye. After this time, the risk of anything happening to your baby is decreased significantly.

Is Highlighting Your Hair Safe During Pregnancy?
Many women decide to highlight their hair instead of dyeing their hair during pregnancy. Highlighting is much safer than dyeing your hair simply because the dye is not applied directly to the scalp.

In fact, relatively little dye if any will reach your scalp if you decide to highlight your hair. This will prevent your body from absorbing any dye during pregnancy. If you would like to treat yourself to a make over, highlighting is usually considered a safe alternative to traditional hair dyes.

Hormonal Changes During Pregnancy
Hormonal changes during pregnancy may affect the way your hair “takes” a hair color during pregnancy. This means the color of the highlighting agent may look different when applied to your hair during pregnancy than during other times.

Keep this in mind if you plan on highlighting or dyeing your hair during pregnancy. The same is true in the months following pregnancy while you are breastfeeding. The altered levels of hormones in your body may affect the way your hair color looks. Some women find their hair color processes much faster during pregnancy. Be sure to tell your stylist you are pregnant or breastfeeding so they can take this into consideration when coloring your hair.

Are Natural Hair Dyes Safe?
Natural hair colors usually contain less toxic ingredients than traditional hair colors; so many women prefer to use them during pregnancy. You might consider a temporary instead of permanent hair coloring agent during pregnancy, as temporary hair dyes contain less toxic chemicals than traditional hair dyes.

There are also substances that color hair including henna that do not contain chemical agents. Keep in mind these hair dyes are not recommended on women who routinely color their hair using chemical hair dyes, as a poor chemical reaction may result.

Consult with your hair stylist if you want a new look during pregnancy. Sometimes simply adding a few highlights and changing your hairstyle is all it takes to help you feel refreshed and renewed during pregnancy. You might also consider waiting until a few weeks after you have your baby. Then you can indulge in a new hairstyle and color to help complete your make over!