There are many superstitions around pregnancy due to the fact, that a pregnant woman is very vulnerable and there are many restrictions, that come from the folklore and rich the mind of the modern woman. Some of the superstitions, however, have a scientific ground. It is still believed that cutting your hair during pregnancy is strictly prohibited. But what about dying your hair, if you want to look great while pregnant? Will you have to hide your hair under a cap or a scarf for all of nine months? Or maybe the assertion that dyeing your hair during pregnancy is nothing but an echo of the ancient superstitions? We decided to look into the matter as close as possible. Let’s find out more on the matter of hair dyeing during pregnancy.
Where Does the Prohibition Come From?
We’ll start with the fact that all the prohibitions concerning dying and cutting hair during pregnancy have no basis from a scientific point of view and are rooted deep in the past. Our ancestors treated hair as amulets, energy accumulators so any manipulations, particularly during childbearing, were considered as interference in the karmic world. Now, as we are modern people, let’s try to understand this issue from the point of view of medicine. Does hair dyeing damage the health of the unborn child?
Can Pregnant Women Dye their Hair: The Opinion of Doctors
Having talked to the experts, we have come to the conclusion that the opinions of doctors on the matter have split opposingly into two camps. Those who are skeptical of hair coloring during pregnancy argue that permanent dyes contain hazardous substances that can harm the health of the fetus.
These substances include:
- Resorcinol, which irritates the mucous membrane of the eyes, throat, and skin, as well as causing cough and decreased immunity
- Hydrogen peroxide, which can cause burns of the skin and trigger allergies
- Ammonia, which can cause nausea and headaches
- PPD, which can cause sharp inflammatory processes
However, it should be noted that nowadays research on the influence of hair dyeing on the fetus has not been done, so we can’t say whether hair dyeing is dangerous for pregnant women or not. You may also hear the opinion of another group of doctors who claim that during the time of contact with hair dyestuff only a small amount of harmful substances come into the bloodstream, and this quantity can hardly harm the baby. Then you can safely dye your hair and remain attractive, regardless of the position.
Moreover, everyone knows that the placenta protects the baby from adverse effects, and if coloring pigments enter the blood only in small quantities, the placenta doesn’t let them pass to the fetus.
The only thing that should be noted referring to the hairdresser is that hair dyeing can cause allergies during pregnancy due to changes in hormonal levels. and even in case you have never been allergic to hair dyestuff, the allergy may occur in pregnancy quite unexpectedly.
Recommendations of Hairdressers
Answering the question, we decided to share some recommendations from experts. It is not a secret that women need a lot of positive emotions during pregnancy. And the mood of the pregnant is not likely to improve if a prospective mother will see something bad in the mirror. Thus, staying attractive during pregnancy is not only possible but even necessary. Let’s just follow a couple of rules to prevent harm to the health of your baby and the mother as well.
Tips for Pregnant Women on Hair Dyeing
- Experts recommend avoiding dyeing hair in the first trimester of the gestation period. The matter is that the unborn baby’s vital organs are formed and there is a revolutionary restructuring of the hormonal levels during this period. Therefore, try to escape hair dyeing to protect yourself and your future baby and postpone it to the 12th week of pregnancy.
- Dye your hair no more than once per trimester. Give your preference to the paint that is close to the natural hair color. This allows you to keep calm about the regrown roots and dye your hair not so often.
- In order to avoid undesirable result of hair coloring, try to test for an allergic reaction and test the paint on one strand before dying.
- Don’t use resistant paints for the period of pregnancy. Use semi-proof, organic or natural dyes. The fact that such dyes are less harmful, since ammonia is replaced by less toxic amines.
Do not forget about the natural dyes such as henna that will not give your hair an extremely wide range of shades but will make your hair shiny, resolving dandruff problems, strengthening strands, and stimulating the growth of new hair.
What about hair dyeing at the hairdressers’? You should warn a professional about your pregnancy before the procedure. Remember that only an experienced specialist will offer you a gentle form of dyeing and will try to minimize the contact of a colorant with the skin. One more tip: assign your hair coloring for the morning to breathe less chemical vapors from the previous procedures.
If you want to dye your hair at home, buy a good gentle hair dye which does not contain substances such as ammonia, aminophenol, phenylenediamine, and dihydroxybenzene hydrogen peroxide in the composition. Dye your hair in a well-ventilated room and do not keep the dye on the hair longer than it is recommended.
Highlights are a good alternative for hair coloring during pregnancy. Using a toning shampoo and other benign methods of hair coloring is also a less harmful option.
Born in Belarus, 1985, a pedagogue and family psychologist, mother. Taking part in procedures of social adaptation of the foster children in new families. Since 2015 is a chief editor of the motherhow.com project, selecting the best and up-to-date material for those, who are planning, expecting, and already having babies.