As far as the hair trend goes, hair coloring has reigned supreme for several years. Bold hair colors have been inspiring and trendsetting. It could be balayage, streaks, or highlights, they are all in fashion. One thing that experts agree on is- “Your hair color should look healthy”.
Your hair should look rich, buoyant, and taken care of. One thing all hair trends have in common is shine. Today there is a shift towards strong colors like red, deep black, brown, and blonde. Ultimately if your hair is well conditioned whatever the color it is, it is in trend.
Our favorite celebrities inspire and influence us in ways we can’t even imagine. They get their hair colored and often end up giving in to the fad. While hair coloring sounds fun and funky, there are a lot of side effects associated with it. These symptoms and effects might show up immediately. However, you will surely notice it in a few weeks.
If you color your hair frequently then the chances of severe damage may go up by several folds. Here is something you must know about chemical therapies and what it might end up doing to your hair.
Effects of Long-Term Hair coloring:
- Brittle hair: We all are well aware that hair colors contain a lot of chemicals. Irrespective of the brand of hair color, all of them contain chemicals. These chemicals can strip off the moisture from your tresses and separate the cuticle scales. This would make your hair dry and brittle.
Dry hair ends up losing its shine and gloss. To solve this problem you will have to compromise on the length of your hair. One way to get rid of damaged hair is to get a haircut. So if you love your long and strong hair, avoid coloring it.
- Irritable Skin: Hair coloring can also cause skin disorders. Skin reactions to hair coloring include- flaky skin, burning sensation, itchiness, and discomfort. Doctors and experts recommend you take up a patch test 2 days prior to getting your hair colored.
A patch test is recommended to check if your skin reacts to suspected allergens. This test is taken just to make sure you are not allergic to the chemicals present in dyes.
- Cancer: Apart from just minor skin reactions there is a possibility of being affected by skin cancer. Hair colors are applied from the scalp. These hair colors or dyes come in contact with your skin and if you keep coloring your hair frequently you could be diagnosed with skin cancer sooner or later.
Studies have proved that PPD (Para PhenyleneDiamine) can damage human DNA and cause cancer. Even small amounts of PPD present in the hair dye or color can cause cancer and that has been established. Another carcinogenic chemical present in hair colors is resorcinol.
Resorcinol is believed to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical. It can increase the risk of breast cancer. How is this possible? Well, this happens because resorcinol can disrupt the natural balance of hormones in your body.
Hair coloring not only causes skin cancer but can also affect your lymph and cancer related to this is called Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It can most often be found in bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. Cancer diminishes the body’s ability to fight infections and decreases the body’s metabolism.
- Allergies: You could be coloring your hair to just experiment with your hair or to hide your greys. Either way, you could be risking several allergic reactions. The primary perpetrator of allergies is PPD. These symptoms include swelling around the eyes and eyelids, scaly skin around the eyes, nose, and face, dandruff, redness and swelling in the scalp, and itchy scalp.
- Affects Hair Quality: Long term coloring or permanent coloring of hair can render your hair brittle and over-processed. The ammonia present in the dye can increase the pH of the hair. It also opens up the cuticle scales and allows the color to enter the cortex.
From here on a chain of chemical reactions start. Hydrogen Peroxide present in the dye bleaches the hair. Dyes also contain other color pigments that settle down on the cortex.
Bleaching your hair will further dry it out. Bleach will let the moisture in your hair artificially escape. If you happen to leave hydrogen peroxide in your hair for long the more it will damage your hair. There is also a possibility of free radical damage. We have discussed how it can lead to irritation and brittle hair but it also leads to hair fall.
If you choose to color your hair permanently then try to avoid a box kit. Visit profession salons. Even if you use a box kit then look for ammonia-free products that contain hydrogen peroxide less than 40 percent in volume. Condition your hair well so that you don’t lose much moisture.
- Might Affect Fertility: This might sound bizarre, but it is true. Hair colors can cause infertility in both men and women. Recent laboratory experiments and studies have found out that chemicals in hair products are likely to cause reproductive disorders. One chemical is known to cause reproductive disorders is lead acetate which is found in most progressive hair dyes and colors. It is important that the manufacturers provide a cautionary note to all users to keep them aware of all the ingredients in the dye.
Natural Alternatives:
To avoid the chemicals in hair color and its adverse effects on your hair switch to natural alternatives. Hair is the most attractive feature in a person so protect it. The natural alternatives are:
- Henna: This is also called henna. Most Asian women prefer using henna. It conditions your hair and leaves it luxuriously soft. It gives a reddish-brown color hoe to the hair.
- Lemon juice: This will help discolor your hair.
- Black tea: Brew fresh tea and cool it before applying it. This will help darken your hair.