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If you’re looking to lighten up your locks, your stylist might bleach your hair before dyeing it—but can you bleach your hair while pregnant? Bleach is considered as safe to use during pregnancy as hair dye, but, similar to the other dyes, Reavey still recommends waiting until after the first trimester. Plus, she and Ross recommend taking extra precaution to ensure the product isn’t directly applied to the scalp. “During pregnancy, your skin is often more sensitive to new ingredients, so prolonged exposure to the scalp/skin can cause irritation,” Reavey says. Even though the chemicals in hair dye are likely safe, it's always better while pregnant to use plant-based dyes to minimize your risk of chemical exposure.
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Different Types of Hair Dye During Pregnancy
Although the chemicals in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes may cause harm, this is only in very high doses. When you use hair dye, you are only exposed to very low amounts of these chemicals. Read on to learn more about the safety of using hair dye while pregnant, hair dye alternatives, and the safety of other hair treatments during pregnancy. The structure of your hair itself may also change during pregnancy, making these chemical treatments ineffective for the result you want. While many women report that their hair is shinier, thicker, and grows faster (due to the extra folic acid they’re taking), other women experience the opposite.
Highlights
As an expectant mother, you’re bombarded with information on how to have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Hair Health Hotline is your direct access to dermatologists, trichologists, hairstylists, and other beauty pros. Each story in this series tackles a common hair or scalp concern and offers science-backed solutions to care for your strands.
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We Clear the Air on Pregnant Women Who Dye Their Hair.
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When in Doubt, Call Your Doctor
To learn what we do to deliver the best health and lifestyle insights to you, check out our content review principles. By Larell ScardelliScardelli holds a BA in creative writing and specializes in health and wellness content, focusing on diet and supplements. If you have existing skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, you may be more susceptible to irritation and sensitivity at this time. Hair dye can lead to more irritation and breaking of the skin, ultimately making the skin condition worse. If you opt to have your hair straightened during your pregnancy, Dr. Zanotti recommends doing some homework ahead of your appointment. While it’s true your baby can cry in the womb, it doesn’t make a sound, and it’s not something to worry about.
There aren't any conclusive studies about how safe the chemicals used in perms are during pregnancy, but the body absorbs very little of those chemicals. To be extra cautious, you can wait to color your hair until your second trimester, after the critical stages of your baby's organ development are complete. If a person has any concerns about hair treatment during pregnancy, they should speak with a healthcare professional. A person should perform a patch test every time they dye their hair.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), previous animal studies have found that high doses of the chemicals used in hair dye don’t cause any serious birth defects. Plus, only a small amount of these chemicals are actually absorbed into the scalp. To minimize any reactions to the hair dye that could harm you or your baby, do a patch test first, even if it’s a brand and/or color you’ve used before. Sometimes, the changes in hormones during pregnancy can affect your sensitivity to certain chemicals.
When it comes time to start coloring, experts agree you should take some extra safety precautions. The bleach does penetrate your skin, but not to a degree that most doctors would consider harmful,” says Dr. Zanotti. A Brazilian straightening treatment uses keratin to simultaneously repair and straighten your hair. As it's applied to the hair strands it means that the chemicals are not likely to be absorbed by your scalp. However the treatment does contain a low dose of formaldehyde which you should avoid exposure to during pregnancy, particularly in your first trimester.
Can you dye your hair when pregnant?
When dyeing your hair, it’s important to complete a test patch first to ensure you don’t experience any allergic reactions or problematic side effects. To do so, apply a small amount of mixed dye behind your ear—about the size of a dime. Let the dye dry, then reapply a second and third time in the same area. The dye should sit for 48 hours to see if itchiness or irritation occurs.
What About Other Hair Treatments?
Of course, you can also skip services altogether and treat yourself to a much-deserved refresh after baby is born. Women are encouraged not to have piercings done on the belly button, nipples or genitalia during pregnancy or while trying to conceive because of the physical changes happening in your body at this time. Bleach is a common cleaner that most of us have used at one point or another. Chlorine and chlorinated disinfectants have not been shown to increase the risk of birth defects. For example, exposure to high levels of lead while pregnant can cause problems like preterm delivery, low birth weight, and miscarriage.
Fortunately, there’s no evidence at this point to suggest that hair dye will get into your breast milk if you use it as directed. So, on balance, it seems highly unlikely that it would pose a risk to your baby. Make sure you apply color in a well-ventilated area, and keep a window cracked open to limit the amount of fumes you breathe in. This measure reduces the amount of chemicals that touch and absorb into your skin. Choosing a safe, gentle hair dye is one way to protect your baby from chemical exposure.
When it comes to safety during pregnancy, there's no difference between bleach, hair dye, relaxers, or curling solutions. They don't pose additional risks as long as you follow the precautions below. If you’re at home, open up the windows so you’re breathing in fresh air, not toxic fumes. Always wear gloves if you’re applying the product to your own hair, and slip into a long-sleeved shirt for extra coverage.
According to both Ross and Reavey, previous research has shown that it’s unlikely dyeing hair while breastfeeding poses any increased risk to baby. “As long as you follow the same guidelines recommended during pregnancy, there should be no harm done to your breastfed baby,” Ross reassures. That said, Reavey emphasizes the importance of using safer dyes that are ammonia- and peroxide-free. If you’re having your hair dyed in a salon, tell your hair stylist about your pregnancy right away.
She has served as a medical officer for the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland and as senior medical advisor for the International Planned Parenthood Federation in London. Dr. Culwell currently serves as the senior vice president and chief medical officer at Afaxys, Inc. She maintains an active medical license and continues to regularly see patients in need of outpatient gynecologic care. Whether you’re in your 2nd or 3rd trimester, pregnancy can affect your hair's normal condition, so it’s worth remembering that your hair may react differently to colouring than it usually does. Several small studies have found that there isn't an increased risk of miscarriage among women who get their hair chemically relaxed, or straightened, while pregnant.
Bleaching your hair includes the use of hydrogen peroxide and may be used in conjunction with other types of hair coloring. They may be composed of lye (sodium hydroxide) or no-lye (potassium, lithium, or guanidine hydroxide) solutions. If a healthcare provider is on board, bleaching your hair during the second or third trimester of pregnancy is most likely safe. Currently, no data on hair treatments while breastfeeding is available. Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis cause cracking of the skin. These breaks allow your skin to absorb more of the hair dye's chemicals into your bloodstream.
Therefore, she says, natural, semipermanent vegetable dyes such as henna are a safe alternative. "Make sure you check the label before buying, as some 'natural' products or processes may contain the same amount of chemicals as the traditional options." As with all chemicals, it's advised they're avoided in pregnancy as very little research has been carried out around the true impact of these chemicals on pregnant women and their foetus. If you are coloring your own hair, make sure to wear gloves to minimize chemical exposure to your skin. Also, be sure to wash any skin that may have been touched by color treatments well afterward.
