Hair Dye During Pregnancy

Hi,

I had my 1st child at 42, so I understand about the gray hair! The information out there is conflicting - my OB said it was OK but then you read books, articles, etc. that warn against it, yet some say that it's OK. I waited until my 2nd trimester before I did anything. My hairdresser applied permanent color using foils, so the dye didn't actually sit on my scalp. (It took a really long time). Then I decided to use semi-permanent color all over. Highlights would probably be OK since they use foils for that, also. Anyway, I hope this helps.

I happen to be a mom of 2 children, but have had many miscarriges in which the doctor has never been able to find a reason for. So.... I would not do anything including drink caffine, because I would never want to have regrets.

C.

Hi J.,

I dyed my hair when I was pregnant and had no problems. My son is developing normally and is now nearly 4 years old. A lot of women dye their hair while pregnant. If you ask a hairdresser they will tell you how many that they know. That is what I did. I am really grey too.

Good luck,

W.

Retired Cosmetologist and the risks are very minimal. Some suggestions to help your conscience is to color in the foil, like a highlight in order to keep chemicals off of the scalp and/or process outside for better ventilation. Things you eat and drink have a higher potential of hurting the fetus. God Bless and reading and educating yourself is the best remedy for fear.

I did and it's fine! I asked my docotr over and over and she promised me that it is more than fine to dye your hair, it has zero effect on the baby! She said the only thing is the smell of the product used, maybe while you are sitting to walk outside and get fresh air for about 5 minutes or so! Same with getting your nails done! Hope that helped!

I highlighted my hair after I was 12 weeks since those seem to be the most critical. I have heard that highlights are better than actually dyeing your entire hair.

I had the same situation. My hair stylist did highlight my hair but was careful not to get any on my scalp. She just left a little room at the scalp. I left her place with a small amount of root already showing but it was worth it. I just did it more often. Not sure about hair coloring all over but maybe the same technique could be used.

I did it at the beginning of my pregnancy though it was because I didn't know I was pregnant at the time.

Basically most hair dyes don't really "sink" into your scalp. The dyes with harmful chemicals are pretty much no longer sold due to regulations.

Dying you hair while pregnant shouldn't be an issue however you may want to consider if the smell will make you "throw" if you've been particularly nauseous ;)

The advice I was given by my doctor was no dye/highlights during first trimester. His point was it was better to be safe (and have roots!) then be sorry. He was okay with highlights or dye that stayed off the scalp for second and third trimester.

Hi. I have always heard that you should wait till you are out of your first trimester. I don't dye my hair but I have known many people to do that. My ob went through a long list of things with me during my first pregnancy and one of them was not to dye your hair during the first trimester. But if your ob doesn't seem to object then you should be fine. Congratulations!!

I dyed my hair when i was prego but i used ammonia free dye. That way u dont have the nasty smell! good luck!

ive been a hairstylist for 3 yrs now and just had my baby girl 17 days ago
coloring your hair during pregnancy is fine especially if your doctor says it is
if there is any worry about fumes know that most modern professional hair color lets off little to no odor
your best is a natural product with the smallest amount of amonia possible i recommend paul mittchell, its the brand i used troughout my entire pregnancy both professionally and personally
you can find a paul mitchell salon near you on their website
if permanent color still scares you they have a pmshine that is demi permanant it blends your gray in but fades over 6 weeks

also my doctor told me that you dont absorb chemicals through your skin the only way to hurt the baby would be to ingest it

i just realized i sound like a salesperson
but i am very pasionate about my profession and know that of all the other sacrifices you have to make during pregnancy your looks should be the last especcialy when your not feeling your cutest.

I asked my stylist and doctor both and they both told me the same thing - it's up to me. Most people say things like highlights are safer since they can be placed away from the scalp line, put when you have as much grey as I do, that's not exactly the look you are going for. I did some research on products and dyed my hair during both my pregnancies using an all natural haircolor called Naturcolor that's free of all those harsh chemicals. The line has a good range of colors and for an all natural product, the color help amazingly well and my hair felt really healthy. I found it at Whole Foods Market. The box has a handprint on the front of it if that helps you find it. I think they have a website as well.

When my hair was shorter, I did it myself, but I brought the box to my stylist and had him do it for me once too - which he was happy to do - so I could have a little personal treatment for a change.

I was told that studies were inconclusive...as a result, hair dressers will not color your hair in the 1st trimester

I get my hair highlighted, I am almost 8 months along. I've only gone once or twice but I am going to go in again soon before my maternity pictures. Vain maybe, my doctor said It was okay.

Aveda Institute downtown would be a good choice if you have any worries. They have a gentler hair dye and if you let the technician know you are pregnant, they can make sure to not use so much product near your scalp.
I know women who have gotten highlights and dye jobs when they were pregnant and had healthy babies. From what I've read, there is a risk, but there are also risk even driving while pregnant...even walking down the street.
Make yourself feel good, because you're not just a mommy-to-be, you are still a woman who wants to look beautiful.

Best of luck!
M.

J.
I had 6 children My last at 38 and I diyed my hair through all my pregnacies I was premature gray> It is not being vain it is just feeling better about yourself
Barb

My OB stated that highlights would be better because the dye does not go all the way to the scalp like all over color. Hope this helps. M.

I'm pregnant with my second and I dyed my hair with both pregnancies. My ob doc said it's something that just hasn't been proven to harm the babies.

I was extremely delighted. I'm over 50% gray. I have mine done every four weeks.

I died my hair during my pregnancy,,, my doc gave me the same response, but the research i did i found that it was better to wait until the 2nd trimester....lots of things happen the first...more of a better safe than sorry type deal....

In my opinion, you should do it! There's no evidence to suggest that the dye has any effect on the baby, there's just a movement of people that believe in being as natural and chemical free during pregnancy as possible. While this is all well and good, feeling fat and bloated for 9 mos is natural enough in my opinion w/o also having to suffer w/ bad hair :)
I don't dye, but I highlight, and have no qualms about doing it pregnant. You need to be able to do something to feel good about yourself when you're so far from normal. That being said I recognize it's a personal choice so... good luck w/ everything!

I dyed my hair during both my pregnancies ,everything was fine. I think it's a myth when they tell you it can harm the baby.

J.,
I have dyed my hair during pregancy before ~ had no problems. Although I did make sure that there was adequate ventilation.
Good luck!
Deborah

Hello J.... I just had my first baby girl, (at age 37) and my doctor warned me against using any hair dyes. He explained to me that since the harsh chemicals contained in hair dye actually touch the scalp, my body could potentially absorb them and pass some onto my baby (the placenta cannot filter out toxins). He told me it was up to me, of course, and I decided not to. I want to give my child the best opportunities to be happy and healthy, so I used the precautionary principle.

Fumes are not the only reason it can be harmful. The harsh chemicals can also be absorbed thru your skin! Think about smoking patches or bc patches. We absorb whatever we put on our skin!! And, that is right there next to your brain. Here are a couple of nontoxic hair color that I have seen listed: www.aubrey-organics.com and www.lotuslight.com I have not personally visited the sites or used them.

I hope that you will be able to see your beautiful self shining out!

I just want to add that if you are concerned and even asking this question, then you need to listen to your tummy, your "inner voice" and go w/a more natural coloring method! Hopefully the ones I listed above will work for you.

ETA: I have been doing a little research and i found some info on the www.nonasties.com site:

Phenylenediamines

WHAT IS IT? Chemical colour.

WHERE DO YOU FIND IT? Hair dyes, tints and colourings.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS? Hair dyes containing any of the phenylenediame ingredients have the potential to cause many types of cancer including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The darker dyes like black, browns and reds are more dangerous. The chemicals in these dyes penetrate into your body via the scalp, eyes and nose and can do untold damage.

Hair colour works by being a mixture of chemicals. It is not only phenylenediamines that are potential carginogens. Other dangerous hair dye chemicals to avoid include:

4-Chloro-m-phenylenediamine 2,4-toluenediamine 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine 4-amino-2-nitrophenol Resorcinol p-aminophenol Hydrogen Peroxide

In the future it would not be surprising to see warnings on the boxes of hair dye, similar to those on tobacco products.
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Blessings,
M.
Mom to 5 Wonderful Kids
www.4MyChildrenSake.com

I've heard to wait until the second trimester,but how about trying a henna dye that's natural and free of (or has way less) chemical fumes to breathe in. Or a jaunty little hat?:)
Do pamper yourself now...you're about to have kids! (The plural was such a funny thing to get used to!) Enjoy!
P. (mom to three boys ages 7,5,& 3)

Hey there...well I can answer this one for you, without any doubt..alot of people say that you are not supposed to, but its fine. I am a 29 year old mother of 4 and about to have my 5th any day..and I always keep my hair dyed due to gray. My mother has been a hairdressor for 27 years, and it is safe. All of my children are fine, and even my doctor has advised me in the past that of course its your choice, but there is not medical evidence that dying your hair during pregnancy causes any issues...So no worries...dye your hair and feel great about yourself and look during your pregnancy....lol...Good luck
S.

I dyed my hair during pregnancy. But my suggestion would be to wait until after 3 months after the first trimester. I dyed my hair twice while pregnant. Some doctors say it is okay others don't. My daughter is just fine happy and healthy. She is 8 months now.

C.

I was told it was okay after the first trimester. I dyed my hair 2-3 times during my pregnancy and my son is just fine. I think ventilation is key.

my doctor said you can do it after the first 3 months of pregoness. something about the beginning stages. if you can keep it away from your skin as much as possible. i did it when i was prgo, just couldnt stand my hair! but doing while breastfeeding is a big no no.

I thought about coloring my hair also and it sounds like my Dr. gave me the same advice as yours. Well i wanted a little bit more guidance than that so i did some research. I found out that if you color your hair, they can find traces of it in your urine. That was enough info to keep me from doing it.
Good luck

My OB okayed me having my hair highlighted (1st pregnancy) and dyed (2nd pregnancy) saying there was little to no risk especially if the salon was well ventilated and there were little fumes (which most are these days). One thing I will caution you on is that your hair will react differently due to hormones, so have your stylist check your color earlier than she normally would to avoid "over-doing" the color. My color penetrated much faster when I was pregnant than it does when I am not.

Hi J.,

Most of the info I read was ambiguous as well, but mentioning that blond coloring might be the highest level of chemical if that was something you were looking at.

There are very good hair colors at Whole Foods. I can't think of the name but they are in a green box and provide excellent color and gray coverage.

I used this brand when I got married and the red I used was stunning. My mother who is a stylist couldn't believe how rich the color was for being a "natural" product.

I think that would be a safer choice. Henna is always an option, but that is a PAIN to apply.

You could always do just highlighting too, which doesn't touch the scalp but would offer you some color/lessening of gray. I know other women who went this route and were pleased with it.

Good luck!

I too was worried about dying my hair during pregnancy. I made sure to be in a well ventilated area. My angel is a little over 1 now, and fine. I think the doctors don't want to be liable for any info they give these days, it's hard to get anything out of them. I tried asking them, "what would you do?" They seem to be a little more open about their opinion.

i was told my my dr. during pregnancy that dying it once every few months in a VERY well-ventilated area should be fine. i did dye my hair once and my daughter is just fine =)
i think there are some more natural dyes out there, maybe you could use one of those while you are preggo?
also, i think the only reason you are told not to dye your hair is b/c of the fumes, and i just recently saw a commercial for some brand of hair dye that doesn't smell bad, i can't remember the brand, but maybe you could look into that

My stylist told me that highlighting is better because it doesn't go directly to the scalp. This may not help you cover gray that much depending on your natural color, but I did highlight my hair with no issues. I read all about it and found no solid facts against the practice. It was important to me to look my best during pregnancy -- let's face it, it's a tough time. :) Good luck. Oh by the way, I am a mom of two girls, one is four and one is 17 months. I just turned 40 in August so you can do the math on the age -- no fertility issues either.

Hi J.,
THere is a wonderful product called tween time. It's a color stick, looks like a fat lip stick, that you use by coloring over the gray. It's temp so it washes off the next day but it's a safer alternative. Oh and it's very cheap:) Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=tween+time&...

My Dr. never had a problem with me coloring my hair or with me doing color while I was pregnant. I did try to wait til the end of the first trimester just to make me more comfortable. I've also done plenty of womens hair while they were pregnant so I think its ok. Good luck.

Hi J.,

I went through the same thing except mine was I had horrible roots showing! I also researched and spoke with my hairdresser. I was told it is completely ok after the first trimester. I know you are thinking, but oh my gosh that is 8 weeks away! Yes, I know like I said I went through the same. My OB's office also agreed with this finding of anytime after the 1st trimester.
Good luck with everything!

I dyed my hair with both of my pregnancies and both of my babies are perfect and smart in great health...well, my almost 3 year old...the baby its too soon to tell, but he is perfectly healthy. Go ahead and do it...it doesn't get into your bloodstream (hair dye chemicals) and doesn't hurt the baby.

My mother is a hair dresser and I have dyed my hair since I was 12. I got pregnant when I was 36 and everyone told me "don't dye your hair". However, my mohter said she did when she was pregnant with me and my brother. So I dyed my hair at least four times thru my pregnancy and never felt like it was ever a problem or issue. My daughter was born perfectly healthy and she is 21 months old now and still perfectly healthy. Do whatever you can to make yourself feel beautiful and enjoy your pregnancy! It is such a wonderful time of life.

i'm pregnant with my third and i've dyed my hair with all three pregnancies and in every trimester. I've never had any problems and both of my previous births were perfect healthy baby and so far this one is too! Congrats on being pregnant!

I colored my hair during both of my pregnancies and never had any trouble. I think the only issue would be ventilation so that the fumes don't bother you. Best wishes for you and your family!

I do not think there would be much risk in it doing something to the baby. I would however, watch out and be careful as to what it does to you! During my first pregnancy I did highlights that were supposed to be a subtle blonde. She checked them about half way through and said she needed to wash me right then...it was bleach blonde! She had done nothing different, except check on them sooner rather than later since she knew I was pregnant. During my second, I was in a coloring phase. She was doing my roots the same color she had been doing my hair for close to a year. This time the roots came out a very dark brown and we were dying them a dirty blonde color. So my opinion is to go to someone to have it done and make sure they know you are pregnant. With hormones every which direction it should be closely monitored.

Good luck!

P.S. I consider myself lucky in what happened to me, my mom told me after the fact in my first pregnancy when she did hers during pregnancy her hair turned green instead!

My daughter is a hair styist.She checked with her gyn about dyeing her hair and he said it was not dangerous to the baby. She dyed her hair with her first child and is now doing the same with this pregnangy.

This is a funny story...
I was about 8 months along and decided to color my hair. I, too was full of greys. I put the color on as usual and went about my normal routine. When it came time to rinse, which normally I would do under the tub faucet, I COULDNT GET MY HEAD TO REACH IT!!!! My belly was soooo big!!! It never even occured to me that the basketball under my shirt would come into play. I had to strip down, get INTO the tub and hang my head upside down to get that color out!!! So, the morale of the story is....if you have a HUGE belly like I did...consider how youre gonna get that stuff OUT once you get it in!!! hahaha
I hope this makes you laugh...
Margaret :)

Have you thought about Roux, it is a color that washes out every time you shampoo, but makes your hair look much brighter & gives enough color that you don't look washed out or so grey. And I am sure is not absorbed so would not hurt your expected little one. W.

hi there
i colored my hair every 2-3 months (blonde going blonder) when i was pregnant with both my babies. they are beautiful and healthy!
the dye that they have out now is not strong enough to affect anything in your pregnancy. if you have gray, just use a semi-permanent color. i did learn that the loreal and clairol types that you get at the grocery store have mercury in them so i probably would not go that route. i would go to sally hair supply and get a demi/semi color to do yourself, or go to a salon and get it done professionally. anything to make yourself feel better is a good thing! :) if you are super concerned, just wait 5 more weeks until you are out of your first trimester! good luck!!

Hi, I wanted to tell you to be careful with your color because with your harmones the color may be a little different. My hair dresser is the one that told me I was pregnant for my 2nd child!! LOL She was giving me my normal highlight, same color I had been doing for years, and that one day my highlight turned red!! I didn't believe her at first but when my home test turned up positive I knew she was right!! So coloring your hair is not a bad thing but just make sure your hairdresser knows you are pregnant so they watch the color. My hairdresser had to use another color in order to get the color I wanted. Funny what your hormones can do to your body!!!

Congradultions on the baby!!
A.

I was given a book on pregancy by my ob and it said not to dye hair. To avoid all the harsh chemicals. If you can hold off for a few months till you have your baby. It would be best not to have to sit in a chemical smelly salon. Just like they say avoid painting rooms while preggers. That little baby is super sensitive and is developing. I personally did not and would not do it. Good luck hope you find a safe solution to looking good.

I am 28 weeks pregnet and i dye my hair around 10 weeks. It okay for you to do it as long as you do it where is well ventallet. The ob also say that you should also wait until your 2nd trimaters. you can go to www.parenting.com. they have a section on do and don't of preganacy.

I did it in week 8 (highlights) and my stylist said it's not an issue, she does it all the time. The only thing is because of your ph levels it may have different results...the color may be off of what it usually is. I did not find this, and in fact I'm going back today for touch up. I say go for it!

The other alternative is to use a dye that is semi-permanent or temporary. Of course you would have to dye your hair more often, but there would be no risk of hurting your baby that way. There is no correct answer to the debate because some research says it can be harmful, while others show that it's just fine. I think the bigger risk would be inhaling the fumes in the salon.

I was 41 when I had my now almost 7 month old baby boy. I am 42 now. I used over-the-counter hair color, Garnier reddish brown and it didn't do anything to harm my hair. But everyone is different so I if you are a regular hair color person that uses the over-the-counter hair color, you should be fine, but you might check w/your hair stylist. Good luck! p.s. I would do it in the second trimester.

DO NOT DYE.... Unless you don't mind the light shade of purple. Something about wacko hormones. I was 9 months in to my 1st pregnancy and two weeks before my baby shower :) I HAD TO dye. I am a dark brown and tried the no ammonia type light brown, hahahahahahah, I had a pastel purple wife beater shirt that I liked to wear often (summer pregnancy) , my hair was an exact match. Spare you self. Buy the dye now and wait till you come home from the hospital. ;)

I just switched to highlights during pregnancy. I went to a very skilled stylist who went as close to my scalp as she could without touching. Basically, chemicals that touch your skin get into your bloodstream, and therefore, could end up getting to the baby as well. I realize there is no incriminating evidence against it, but I chose not to take the risk.

I highlighted my hair during pregnancy with doctors approval and I have two healthy little girls. They do recommend that they not put the dye directly on the scalp. For highlights this is possible. If you are dying all of your hair then I am not sure. You might ask your doctor for their opinion. Hope this is helpful!

Everything I've ever heard says it's probably okay to dye while pregnant - just do it in a well-ventilated area just in case. The only issue I've ever heard that is a real problem (and I think some of the responses you've already gotten hint at this), is that you hair texture and scalp oiliness may change a little during pregnancy. So your color result will be somewhat unpredictable. (Think of what's probably happening to your skin and nails and apply that to your hair!)

J.,

If the OB has given you the green light, get rid of the gray! I am 46 and I have a 3 year year old, so I highlight my hair blonde to get rid of the gray. I don't want anyone to think I'm his GRANDMA:)

Good luck,
C.