If you dye your hair you’re not alone. Estimates are that just over half of women color their hair either at a hair salon or at home. Although the color you apply to your hair may look quite pretty, there have been some ugly concerns in the past regarding hair dye safety. Many hair dyes, especially those used to darken hair, contain coal tars which have been linked to a variety of health problems including cancer in animals. Is it safe to dye your hair?
Anything that’s applied to the scalp should be scrutinized since the scalp has one of the richest blood supplies of any part of the body. This means that any chemical that’s capable of being absorbed through the scalp will have a high density of channels to reach other parts of the body. It’s believed that permanent hair dyes have the capability of being absorbed through the scalp and, thus, the ability to travel via the blood stream to other parts of the body.
Equally troubling regarding the issue of hair dye safety is a study performed at Michigan State University in 1997 which showed that hairdressers have a 2.7 times higher risk of developing cancer of the salivary glands when compared to the average population. Other studies carried out on hairdressers have shown an increased incidence of bladder cancer in stylists who work in the field for over ten years.
Despite this, studies on permanent hair dye safety have been inconsistent with some studies showing no association and others showing a weak link between frequent use of permanent hair dyes, particularly dark hair dyes, and certain types of cancer. A recent study published in April 2008 in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed an association between the use of dark-colored hair dyes and the risk of lymphoma, particularly in those women who started using dark hair dye prior to 1980. These results as well as the results of previous studies raise concerns about the safety of dark-colored hair dyes. An association between the risk of cancer and light-colored hair dyes, bleaching agents, and vegetable hair dyes has not been apparent in most studies.
If you’re concerned about hair dye safety, what are your alternatives? From the available data, it would appear that dyeing your hair a lighter shade, particularly if you use bleach, is less unsafe than going dark. You may want to consider this when you make your haircolor decision. Adding highlights would also be a safer option since you’re not applying as much of the coloring agent directly to the scalp. If your goal is to go dark or red, there are a variety of vegetable based, natural dyes on the market that can enhance your hair color without exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Check with your local natural food market or health food store to see if they have these in stock.
Although you may not want to give up coloring your hair, spend some time considering whether or not you are using the safest alternative for dyeing your hair.
Reference:
- American Journal of Epidemiology. 2008 April 11
