Your OB's rec on hair color?

LMH1209 · May 2011

What does your OB recommend about coloring your hair during pregnancy? My OB for DS recommended waiting until after first tri, but otherwise, she was OK with her patients coloring or highlighting their hair. I switched OBs for this pregnancy, however, and my new OB's recommendation is not to color your hair at all during pregnancy. I looked on americanpregnancy.org, and it doesn't sound like the general advice on hair color has changed since my first pregnancy -- just that some OBs may be more cautious than others. I'm probably going to go ahead with coloring it after first tri (because seeing all that gray for six more months would really make me sad and because I felt comfortable doing it in my first pregnancy). I'm curious, though, about what other OBs recommend.

Blondie3328 · May 2011

My OB said I can highlight my hair at any time, but if I am worried about it I should wait til after 10 weeks b/c that is when a major development process (I cannot think of the name of it) is complete.

lageorgiapaperie · May 2011

Mine said to wait until 12 weeks. I waited until 12w3d to do it

I'm 26 and have quite a bit of gray hair on the top of my head, and it just HAD to go! I used that new L'Oreal Moose, and while it was easy to apply, it really didn't get rid of the grays

stephers_7 · May 2011

Mine told me ok after the first trimester but she'd prefer I didn't at all. I'm ok with that. I have really dark hair and the only time I ever color it is if I want to go a shade lighter.....

sportsmomma · May 2011

My OB said it was fine to get my hair highlighted at any time.

slmayer1981 · May 2011

Mine said after first tri

amanda~mm · May 2011

I dyed my hair about every other month the whole time in my first pregnancy.

brookie9 · May 2011

My OB said hair coloring is safe at any time.

LMH1209 · May 2011

Thanks, everyone! I'm still a little irrationally proud of how nice my hair looked in the pictures taken when DS was born, which happened to be just a few days after my last hair appointment

I just wanted to make sure there hadn't been a general shift in the advice OBs were giving since then. I may ask at my thirteen week appointment just to see what my new OB says in person (vs. on the handout). In any case, I think I'll be scheduling a hair appointment for mid to late June.

Happily Overwhelmed · June 2011

I hold a costmelogist license in my state. Legally I'm bound to say "consult your doctor" however through the state boards and all that I've learned in classes and the salon I can't imagine haircolor having any effect on the baby. Working in the salon I've done hundreds of pregnant women's hair in every trimester. I'm continuing to color my own hair and my doctor has no issue with it. This being said maybe there are other concerns? Like the fumes from the at home color and a not so well ventilated bathroom? I'm not sure why some doctors have a fit about it.

Putting haircolor aside I have seen interesting things happen with highlights. Prenatals play a big part in this. Whatever drug like we put in our bodies comes out in our hair. This can reak havoc when "decoloring" or "highlighting" hair. The bleach strips your hair to make it blonde-carmel-etc. If you've been taking prenatals for some time I've seen highlights peak at orange and even turn greenish. Its rare though. Perms often don't take either when prenatals get involved. Everyone's chemisty is different...

Wow...my little answer got lengthy. Sorry.

Bucha27 · June 2011

My OB said to wait after 1st trimester.

Linds1224 · June 2011

I coloured my hair before 12 wks with both of my kids .. no issues. I have an appt to have it done in a few weeks now as well .. I'll be about 14 wks. I just make sure to tell my hair dresser because the fumes sometimes make me nauseous while under the dryer and also because the hormones during pregnancy make my colour set faster for some reason.