Sarah is a 38 year old expectant mum, who only recently found out she was pregnant. Her noticeably gray hairs are taking over and she wants to make a colour appointment. She is concerned if the colouring process will harm her baby.
“I am in desperate need of some advice. I am an older mum who is expecting my first child. My problem isn’t so much my age; it is the colour of my hair…gray!! I have to admit, with all the things I considered in regard to pregnancy, worrying about whether I would be able to colour my hair was not one of them. I became aware of my dilemma when I casually mentioned to a friend that I was in need of a hair colouring appointment. She quickly informed me she had read or heard somewhere that colouring your hair while pregnant would harm the baby. “How can this be!”, I thought to myself…The prospect of waiting 6 months for a dye, watching the gray take over my head would be enough to send me over the edge.
Recently, I have been looking into the safest way to dye my hair while pregnant. I have to admit, I am really confused on which is the safest way to dye. I have read that highlights can be the safest method, that salon and home colouring can be safe it just depends on the dye itself. I have also heard that it is the safest to colour after the first trimester, but I don’t know how true that is. With not knowing what is safe and what isn’t, I’m thinking I should just forget the dye until after the baby comes… but then again, I don’t want people to think (or for me to feel like) I’m the baby’s grandmother when it arrives. Surely, I’m not the only expectant mother who coloured her hair on a regular basis prior to becoming pregnant. It would be great to get some facts and to hear about what other mums have done in this situation”
Our survey results are in! For anyone who is wondering whether or not they should dye their hair while pregnant, relax - you don’t have to resign yourself to an imminent future of grey. 70% of our respondents continued to dye their hair during their pregnancies with 45% choosing home dye and 39% opting for a salon dye. The rest opted for highlights only with the main reason for their choice being the reduced level of contact between the chemicals and scalp.
Anyone who is anxious about the possible effects of hair dye on their developing baby may choose to wait until after the first trimester like 58% of our mums did, citing concerns around possible miscarriage risks before 12 weeks, and opting to stay on the safe side. Of the mums who chose not to dye at all, the main reason was concerns for their baby’s safety.
Our mums had plenty of advice for Sarah:
“Do what's right for you. My hairdresser advised colour was fine after the first trimester. Maybe you could use vegetable dyes or some sort of alternative if you're worried. I would consult a professional!” - Jennifer, Lancashire
“There's no evidence that supports hair dye being harmful, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious! Follow your instincts, I dyed my hair a couple of times whilst pregnant, I didn't go mad with bleach though. What about semi-permanent dyes?” – Lindsay, London
“Go for a dye that has no ammonia as I was told that this was the only harmful ingredient,” – Helen, Cornwall
“It's risky and you don't know the possible effects so try and not do it.” – Claire, Midlands
“I would tell her to seek advice from her regular hairdresser who knows her hair well. I would also advise her to contact her GP for medical advice.” – Joanne, Canterbury