Hair coloring - do I have to stop while I'm pregnant?

In researching the latest medical data, it seems that there is no conclusive evidence of hair color being
harmful to the fetus, however, as a cautionary measure, most OB’s are advising their clients to avoid ‘on the scalp’ color during the first trimester. Neurological development happens during this period, and doctors are choosing to error on the side of caution.

How this translates:

• If you’re doing highlights with foils, frosting caps or balayage technique, you don’t need to change a thing. These techniques do not allow the color to touch the scalp, which is potentially where the chemicals could be absorbed by the skin.

The hair strand itself, while changed by the chemical process, cannot absorb chemicals down into the root or bulb of the hair; if that were the case, color touch ups would last much longer.

• If you’re doing on the scalp color, such as covering gray hair, lightening your base, or changing your color completely, you have the option of switching to a demi or semi permanent color. These are considered milder as they only have the ability to deposit color, not lift the color lighter.

This is ideal for gray blending or adding richness to neutral hair colors. However, if you want to continue with your permanent color, try having it foiled into the hair to at least break up the grow out line until you’ve gotten to a point in your pregnancy where you feel comfortable returning to your ‘on the scalp’ color. 

• Food for thought. As a kid growing up in the 1960’s, I remember how often women used to change their hair color, and with much less sophisticated products. In fact, starting from the early 1950’s when pastel blondes were all the rage, women were doing touch up’s and toners every 2-3 weeks, not to mention smoking cigarettes and drinking Martini’s.

If you watch any TV show from this period you’ll see what I mean. While I’m not advocating a return to these lifestyles, it is important to remember that many of us survived and thrived as children from these women, who had a completely different set of social values.