Hair Color?

Question

What is the medical opinion on coloring your hair while pregnant?

Before getting pregnant, I would have my hair done every four weeks. I make it lighter -- so it is a pretty harsh process of lifting color.

I figured since I am pregnant now I will avoid the harsh process -- and just put color over my gray hair. (Apparantly, laying color over your hair - rather lifting color - is a gentler process.

If I wait til after the first trimester, will it be ok to do the gentler process?

Answer 1

I found you this article, I hope that it helps you:

Dying For A Change: Hair color and Your Pregnancy
Pregnancy

By Colette Bouchez
Excerpted from Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy

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If you're like many women, bleaching, dying, or highlighting your hair may be a regular part of your beauty regime. And if you're like most pregnant women, you probably have some hesitation or even a fear about continuing to color your hair while baby is in tow. Although research into the effects of hair coloring on baby's health are still somewhat limited,many experts now contend the dyes are most likely safe and that women needn't be afraid to color their world during pregnancy.

That said, don't be surprised if your doctor still suggests you approach hair coloring with caution. Because the dye is absorbed through the scalp and into the body (it can be identified in urine) some medical experts are hesitant to give carte blanche to hair coloring during all three trimesters. Often, many physicians advise holding off coloring hair with permanent dyes during the first trimester when your baby is undergoing important neurological developments. Coloring can then be resumed in the second or third trimester.

If you color your hair at home, look for products with the fewest number of chemicals and always work in a well-ventilated room, wearing gloves while handling the mixture. If you have your hair done in a salon, request the first appointment in the morning on their least busy day - when you are least likely to suffer excessive chemical exposure.
Hair Coloring Alternatives
If you don't want to take a chance on coloring your whole head of hair, you may want to consider adding highlights - a great way of accenting your color and bringing light to the face, not to mention a little pregnancy glow! Because this process involves applying the chemicals one-half to one-inch from your roots, they don't ever touch your scalp. So, they can't get into your blood stream - which is safe for you and baby. You can also easily allow 8 weeks or more between appointments - minimizing salon exposure.

If you colored your hair before pregnancy, and want to ease up on treatments until after baby is born, look for a semi-permanent dye, containing low or no ammonia, and low or no peroxide. These generally contain fewer harmful chemicals, and work well to blend the different colors of your hair, making "roots" appear less obvious. What can also help: Color enhancing shampoos, designed to deposit temporary color so they can significantly extend the time between hair colorings.

Finally, you can also try a "hair mascara" - tubes filled with temporary color and topped off with a thick mascara-like wand. Because they only coat the outside layer of your hair and don't get anywhere near your scalp, they are very safe to use. The wands are also faster, easier and safer than spray on temporary color -with no fumes to inhale - so they can work great to touch up roots.
Mother Nature Knows Best: Natural Hair Coloring
To make your own ultra safe, all natural hair tints, try these recipes:
For red highlights or to enhance red hair: ½ cup of beet juice mixed with ½ cup of carrot juice. Mix together, pour on damp hair, and let sit for one hour before washing out. If you spend that hour sitting in direct sunlight, the effects will be even more dramatic.


For blonde highlights mix 1 cup of lemon juice with 3 cups of chamomile tea that has been brewed, cooled, and strained. Pour over damp hair and let sit for one hour - again sunlight will enhance the properties of the color. Wash out and follow with a conditioner. For significant blonde color use daily for up to three weeks.


For brunette hair prepare strong black coffee or tea. After washing hair, pour the mixture through hair 15 times, re-rinsing using the same liquid. ( You can do this by placing a large pasta or soup pot in the sink to catch the rinse, then pour into a large jar for the next rinse). On the final rinse through, leave on hair for 15 minutes, then rinse with clear water.
A word about perming and straightening your pregnant hair
While there is little in the way of scientific information on the safety of perming or relaxing your hair during pregnancy, perhaps the most convincing evidence against the their use comes directly from hairdressers. Most say that because pregnancy hormones frequently interfere with, or even change, the way your hair reacts to perm or relaxing solutions, you could easily end up with a look that is quite opposite of what you expected. Hair can get frizzy or straight instead of curly, or kinky and frizzy instead of straight. So forgo the perm or straightening for now - and opt for a style that's easy to manage without the extra chemical treatments.

All content copyrighted ©2001-2005 Colette Bouchez. Permission to republish granted to Julie Snyder. All rights reserved and protected under all International Treaties and Agreements such as the Berne Convention.

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Colette Bouchez is an award winning medical journalist with more than twenty years experience. She is the former medical writer for the New York Daily News, and the top selling author of The V Zone, co-author of Getting Pregnant and upcoming book, Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy. Currently a daily medical correspondent for HealthDay News Service/The New York Times Syndicate, and WebMD, her popular consumer health articles appear daily online, as well as in newspapers nationwide and in Europe and Japan. She is a regular contributor to USAToday.com, ABCNews.com, MSNBC.com and more than two dozen radio and television news stations nationwide. She lives in New York City.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

If your color is fading out that fast, you are probably using a semi permanent color or demi permanent color. You can try what is called Permanent color, which wont fade but will grow out with your hair, so every 4-8 weeks youd just have to get a retouch. I reccommend going to a salon and having it done professional rather than buying store bought color. Also, I would shy away from completely black, once it permanent black its very hard to get any other color, including brown. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I have always heard that it is not the chemicals themselves that are the problem, but rather the fumes that you should worry about. It's preferable to avoid hair color altogether, since whatever you breathe in goes straight to your baby, but if you absolutely have to (which I can understand since you've been lightening it) then I would wait until after the first trimester and get it colored back close to the natural color so you don't have to risk exposing your baby to the fumes again.

Answer 4

I did my hair all the time and my little boys are fine...my doctor said there was no problem...instead of putting the color on your scalp do about half an inch off scalp..so do a color close to your natural color..bleach is safe..I do hair..& I know...bleach does not touch your scalp...so if you want highlights go for it..but when in doubt call your doctor...

Answer 5

it is not a good idea, the chemicals are harsh, and with your changing hormones it can effect how the color comes out

it should be safer after the first trimester, ask your doctor and get it done at a salon. home hair dyes are bad.

Answer 6

I personally did not color my hair at any time during my pregnancy. My Dr. did however say that doing it every 3-4 month's was not bad with the less abrasive chemical hair dye. Good Luck!!

Answer 7

My doctor told me to wait until my 5th month of pregnancy to avoid any problems because research is not complete on this subject. I only got highlights (no bleach) and the color didn't touch my scalp. Good luck!

Answer 8

Gray Hair No More - http://GrayHairGone.siopu.com/?hTl

Answer 9

ask your doctor for the most recent findings with this subject. Research is changing all the time and he/she will know what they are now recommending. Good luck!

Answer 10

Just don't get it done. If you think it would hurt your baby, don't do it.

Here, go to BabyCenter and they can tell you all about hair coloring and body massages.