Is it safe to dye hair while pregnant?
What's that? You want to look attractive during your pregnancy? I'm sorry but we need to see your roots come in so we can tell how pregnant you are – like rings on a tree.
It looks like hair dye, coloring, highlights, etc. are all relatively safe to do while pregnant. Many sites will try to throw the to-be-on-the-safe-side crap and suggest you opt for highlights instead of full coloring because you'll come in contact with fewer chemicals. One site even suggested frosting as an option but, for the love of Pete, put down the Frost n' Go kit.
This appears to be one of those cases where the test of time is providing the research seeing as pregnant women have been dying their hair for decades and there hasn't been an increase in birth defect among their children. Animal testing hasn't been very reliable because they've been exposing them (I don't even want to know) to higher level of chemicals than any human would encounter. Some sites suggest vegetable dyes or henna but many of these dyes contain just as many chemicals as the real deal so, if you're still twitchy about it, most sites agree that skipping the first trimester should do.
Your hormones may alter the way your hair reacts to dye, henna, perming or relaxing so, if you can swing it, get a pro to do it. Thankfully those salon capes generally tarp your stomach so it will ward off any Debbie do-gooders that decide to enlighten you on hair dye dangers. On the off chance she still launches into a lecture just widen your eyes and say "do you think I'm pregnant?!" then whack her with the four-year old InStyle magazine you're reading. That should do er, sassy locks.
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Reader Comments (10)
YES! I read this and laughed my butt off!!! I can't recall how many times I have gotten lectures about dyeing my hair while pregnant! On top of things like ordering a steak anything but super hell roasted well done, drinking a caffeinated soda, or heaven forbid...painting my toenails (because haven't you heard? Apparently the fumes will cause an arm to grow out your baby's forehead!). Granted there's some advice that people should take (for instance my sister in law who thinks her mother- my mother IN LAW- is the all knowing power of pregnancies just because she pushed her out 20 years ago... who has her convinced breast feeding is disgusting and that babies should stop drinking formula at 4-5 months or they will become morbidly obese...that may be a person who should take all the "Don't freaking do that!" advice just to avoid being stupid.) But most of it is unscientific crap and I am very happy with the way you inform the public! :-)
-Robyn
Stay in a well venilated area.. or dye your hair on the porch, haha.
It seems that no one ever takes into the consideration that there are alot of hairstylists that reproduce and are exposed to these chemicals on a daily basis! I, being one of those hairstylists, had to work with my first pregnancy, and am still working while pregnant with my second. My daughter turned out just fine, and I am having a healthy pregnancy as we speak. And let me tell you, I did not and will not refrain from doing my hair with my pregnancies. A good hairstylist can't be looking like poop...pregnant or not. I stood on my feet all day, while my ankles got fatter, and the veins in my legs got way more noticeable, all the while inhaling and touching these so-called "dangerous" chemicals.
So, to wrap it up-use your best judgement. There are way more things to be worried about while you're pregnant. I'd be worried if you were eating the hair dye out of the bowl. But if you were doing that, you probably shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place! :)
-Shannon
This website is fantastic! A friend in Sweden told me about it just now...:)
I just had my hair done this weekend, highlights, lowlights, haircut and all by a super good friend of mine who said there was no reason to worry.
We discussed her daughter's pregnancy and mine while the color set, so I think that's a productive hair session! keep up the funny comments...this site is great and I think i'll read it everyday until my baby is born. :)
Frosting?!?! WTH...
I wanted to be safe so I did not dye my hair while I was pregnant. I have dyed my hair once a month since. I am prematurely gray. The smell/fumes concerned me more than anything.
Another option--just go bald. That will throw everyone off. Are you pregnant? Dying of cancer? All of the above?
Hello! I had heard about the "hair dye ban" as well. I currently live in Spain and I dont think mothers-to-be take it very seriously here... But to be safe Im getting henna from the local organic store...
Julie
I agree with this post, but my OBGYN said "no," so "no" it shall be. It's a good excuse for me to figure out what my natural hair color is, anyway, though I am afraid to see what is under there in terms of gray (my sister is 5 years younger than I and going gray, and my brother is 3 years younger than I and almost totally gray).
It's not so much, for me, the chemicals that I am exposing myself to, but it is the addition to this with other unavoidable exposures (I supervise a chemical lab and run some R&D projects as well). I would rather just cut down the exposures I CAN avoid and use personal protective equipment for everything else.
My OB said "There's no data on that, so I can't say 'yes'" and my husband has asked if I can hold off until after the baby is born. It was easy enough to go along with it at the time, but now that I'm staring down 2.5 inches of roots with black & faded pink growing out, I want to cry :-( He suggested I used food colouring, not understanding that if it turns out to be a hot mess, I'm going to be stuck with said hot mess on my hair for weeks before it rinses out... I'm going to try mixing it with conditioner and see what I get. If it doesn't turn out, I think I might just shave my head...
As for 'henna' - read the label. Just because people think it's "natural" doesn't mean it actually is..