To dye or not to dye?

Hi all

Just wanted some advice on whether people have continued dyeing their hair or not during pregnancy. The books / articles I've read appear a little vague at times saying nothing has been proven that you will damage baby by doing so but on the other hand they can't say its 100% safe either. They also can't tell you if hormones will have any effect on what way the colour turns out

I normally just get a semi permanent put it - haven't done anything since I discovered I am pregnant but could do with a bit of a lift in colour. Natural hair colour is dark brown so is similar colour that I have put through usually so no peroxide.

What have you girls done?

Meadsie

Hi Meadsie,
As a hairdresser and pregnant it hasnt stopped me at all! we also get lots of preggie mums that dye there hair!!
I would not be concerned. old wives tale. GO FOR IT!!!

I got mine done when I was about 7 months. I had read there haven't been any extensive study into the effects but thought that if it was an issue, by 7 months the baby is mostly just getting bigger so it should be okay. My bub is healthy and happy so seems like it was fine to me!

I got blonde foils all through my pregnancy. All good hear. I think the thing to avoid is bleach directly on your scalp for a long period of time. A semi is fine as there is no bleach and foils are fine too as the bleach isnt on your scalp.

Hope that Helps :)

i always dye my hair.. i did it a few times while pg with dd, and i did it just the other day :)

Yep, I'm with the other girls - a semi is fine as it has less/no ammonia (look for an ammonia-free formula if you can) and no peroxide. Permanents are fine, most people recommend not letting it touch your scalp though so if you do it at home (as I do) you might want to look at going to a salon as it's a bit trickier... but that being said, I've dyed my hair throughout both my pregnancies (although I did avoid doing it during the first 12 weeks, once you hit the second trimester it's apparently safer) and never had a problem apart from feeling a bit sick from the fumes (although I always do it in a well-ventilated area, my oversensitive nose during pregnancy gave me some trouble) :)

Go for it :) If you're concerned about possible effects on bub, maybe just try a colour that's a bit closer to your natural colour so that you can go longer between dyeing? I'm naturally dirty blonde and dye my hair black but my regrowth never bothered me much so I would let it go as long as possible and then just dye it before a special event/occasion so my hair looked good... all up I've probably managed to get away with two or three dye sessions each pregnancy rather than every few weeks.

yes i have done it

Yep, no problems at all. I've continued with my normal appointments every six weeks starting from the 4 week mark. My hair dresser assured me no harm can be done to bubs. He also told me the dye he uses is actually an all natural dye anyway and he also uses it on his pregnant daughter.

Definitely tell your hair dresser your pregnant though as they may opt to use different products and some pregnant woman react to dyes differently during pregnancy too so they may want to factor that in.

I don't mean to scaremonger, but numerous studies have linked volatile chemicals in hair dyes and nail varnishes etc to increased respiratory and toxicity problems in the newborn.
Its not as though the colour continues to be harmful for days - it is only the period of time that you are being exposed to breathing in the volatile chemicals (when they are being applied, drying etc). We are told to avoid painting or going near renovated homes for this reason.
If you are going to do it - go for highlights, rather than a full head colour, so the colour can be applied without touching the scalp, and do it in a well ventilated area- preferably outside or next to an open door or window.
Henna colours, or ammonia and rescorcinol-free hair dyes available from health food stores are probably good alternatives to consider whilst you are preg. NaturStyle is a common brand to look out for, or you can google tints of nature.

XX

I just go for foils when I'm pregnant, that way the dye doesn't touch my scalp.

To put a different view :

I did not dye my hair during either pregnancy. My DH feels strongly that it should not be done. Personally I waver - there are arguments that unnecessary toxins absorbed trhu the skin during pg can have a damaging effect on the foetus (for example there are quite a few studies that link excessive makeup use to problems later on). I wear next to no makeup and try to limit chemical exposure so wasn't really fussed by the "risks" however real or small or whatever) but it was something DH felt strongly about so I didn't do it. I figured they were his kids too so he had a say.

Now I am using permanents all the time (the greys are a little stronger these days LOL!). What will I do when pg with number 3? I honestly don't know. I suspect DH's stong stance against it will lead be to use foils (no contact with scalp) or a natural dye. There is also that gut feeling I have that I don't want to take the risk.

So my advice is to do some research and weigh up the risks for yourself. But I would not take the advice of your hairdresser seriously - they are not experts in the area and a sample size of a few 100 (or event 1000) preganant clients with "no problems from hair dye" is not statistically sufficient for them to make a call. Plus they have a vested interest in continuing to use whatever dye they are currently using so are not entirely unbiased.

IMO this is just one of the many risks you will have to weigh up as a mum, so welcome to the world of worrying about your baby LOL!!