The safety of Hair Colouring and chemical exposure in Pregnancy

One of the commonest questions asked in pregnancy is" can I colour or dye my hair".

We all want to look and feel out best, and with all those raging hormones, weight gain and skin and body changes, we want to minimise the impact of the stuff we do and our chemical exposures to the baby, right?

Well, the short answer is yes! There is no evidence that any harm will come to a baby in any trimester.

While this is anecdotally true, it is difficult to design any formal study to prove or disprove the safety of certain types of chemicals applied on the hair at different stages in pregnancy.

There are different techniques of colouring hair being permanent, semipermanent, highlight, painting or frosting. Certainly, safe careful application in a short duration in an airy space  should not cause any toxins to be absorbed into your or your babies bloodstream. Chemicals are not absorbed through the hair shaft , so avoiding contact with the scalp  and wearing barrier gloves should also minimise contact.

Some ladies like to ask salons for lower risk or more natural products., or vegetable dyes rather than synthetic chemicals.

The bottom line is that when your pregnant , it is good to be careful, and if the smell makes you feel sick, its best to avoid it.

But looking good and feeling great is just as much a part of your amazing pregnancy too... so if those new streaks , or those highlights, or just covering up the random grey streaks sets off your pregnancy glow... then go for it!!!