Are you pregnant and considering changing up your look with a new hair color? It’s only natural to want to look and feel your best during pregnancy, and a new hair color can be a great way to boost your confidence. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential risks of coloring your hair when pregnant, especially during the first trimester. In this blog post, we’ll break down the safety concerns and give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to dye your hair during the first trimester of pregnancy. Whether you’re looking for advice on how to dye your hair safely or just want to learn more about the potential risks, this post has you covered.
Be Mindful of Changes to Your Hair
Pregnancy changes many things about your body, including your hair. Your hair may react differently to your typical hair dyes as a result of these changes. If this is the case, it is best to wait until after delivery to prevent any long-term harm to your hair. Â.
Your hands might become stained by hair dye, and you might get chemical burns. If you’re pregnant, your skin is more prone to irritation, so wearing gloves can help you avoid unsightly stains and negative allergic reactions.
The chemicals in hair dye can be bothersome. For pregnant women or people with breathing sensitivities like asthma, the fumes can be extremely irritating. Apply hair dye in a well-ventilated space.
Ways to minimize chemical exposure from hair dyeing during pregnancy
The same safety precautions that you would follow whenever coloring your hair at any other time apply when you are pregnant. To reduce the chance of breathing in chemical fumes, make sure to color your hair in a well-ventilated space. Keep a close watch on the time. Keep the chemicals off your hair for no longer than the package recommends. When performing the procedure, wear gloves, and afterward, be sure to completely rinse the color from your scalp.
Even if it’s a brand and/or color you’ve used before, conduct a patch test first to reduce any reactions to the hair dye that could harm you or your child. Your sensitivity to certain chemicals may occasionally be affected by the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. Additionally, you might want to postpone dyeing your hair until the second trimester and make sure to talk to your doctor before doing so.
Never dye or bleach your eyebrows. Many professional colorists won’t do this, and doing it at home isn’t safe either. It may result in eye swelling, raise the risk of infection, and even cause blindness.
Instead of completely changing the color of your hair, think about getting highlights. This guarantees that the color is applied to the strands themselves while avoiding contact with your scalp. To disguise the difference between roots and ends, you can incorporate sporadic highlights or lowlights into your current color. Or, you can choose an ombre color, which gradually changes from your natural color on top to a lighter one at the bottom by applying a lighter dye to the bottom half of the hair.
Even if it’s a brand and/or color you’ve used before, conduct a patch test first to reduce any reactions to the hair dye that could harm you or your child.
Henna is one natural dye that can be used to add a subtle color. The dark auburn tones that henna imparts might be appealing if you like the idea of being a redhead. When selecting henna, be sure to read the labels carefully because some formulas have chemicals added; instead, look for the pure henna varieties.
Before applying henna to your hair, perform a patch test on your skin. If the product has a black stain, this means it contains additional chemicals, and you shouldn’t use it. Do not use henna to dye your hair if you have given birth to a child who has G6DP deficiency, anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, or any other condition affecting the blood or immune system.
Use gentle color
The type of coloring you employ should also be taken into consideration. Discuss gentler options with your stylist, such as color with an ammonia-free base.
Consider a semi-permanent color if you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer; it doesn’t contain ammonia and usually doesn’t contain peroxide (bleach). Additionally, it fades gradually after about a month and is more forgiving than permanent dyes.
Other less harmful DIY options include vegetable and henna dyes, but always read the label before purchasing. Some purportedly “natural” procedures use the same amount of chemicals as their conventional counterparts.
FAQ
What happens if you dye your hair in the first trimester?
Can I dye my hair at 5 weeks pregnant?
To minimize potential harm to a developing fetus, some experts advise against coloring hair in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. You should wait until your second trimester to color your hair.
Is it OK to dye hair during pregnancy?
Can you box dye your hair in first trimester?