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.
Natural Hair Coloring Recipes from PamperingMom.com
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.