Hair dye and highlights to cover the gray?

mandyreads · October 2014

I have never dyed my hair before and only highlighted it once (horrible experience). But I have noticed lot of gray lately in my hair. I was just wondering what your thoughts on the subject and pregnancy were. I've heard it is safe...especially if you are further along like me.
But I am seriously considering making an appt.
Thoughts? ?

chucktgirl · October 2014

Oh yes, color it! It makes you feel so much better. I get mine professionally colored every 8 weeks. If you are in a professional, well-ventilated salon, there should be no problems, especially if you are further along (I don't see in your siggy how far you are.) Indulge!

NeonNoon · October 2014

I think the consensus is it's OK to color your hair.

I'm choosing not to, even though I used to. Almost all hair-dyes (and make-up) contain heavy metals, and probably some other chemicals I would avoid. Heavy metals (like lead) are pretty bad to ingest or inhale (can cause birth defects) but there aren't enough studies, as far as I know, to tell us the effects of getting a small amount on your scalp for a short period of time. I'm using heavy metal and paraben-free make-up right now. The quality is pretty bad compared to the usual stuff.

My hair looks pretty bad right now too between grays and grown-out highlights. I part it a certain way to cover the grays. I have considered using natural hair dyes. But they aren't guaranteed to be free of heavy metals and I suspect the quality won't be as good. I live in a big enough city that has a couple of Aveda salons that offer naturally derived hair coloring. I'm probably going to try them out after delivery if I can hold out long enough, or before if I cave.

I think how much chemical exposure is acceptable to you is an individual choice. Everyone's threshold is different. My nail varnish has all kinds of carcinogens and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde! The internet seems to think painting your nails is safe but the internet also warns against exposing yourself to VOCs from freshly painted rooms while pregnant. So, you have to decide for yourself.

As PP says, it does make you feel so much better! I can't wait to go back to coloring my hair.

BeckyP005 · October 2014

Go for it! I haven't stopped doing mine since I've found out I was pg. Dear lord I would have to get a wig if I couldn't!!

At the end I guess it's what your comfortable with. Hey @chucktgirl‌ how the heck are you!!

harmonicbabe26 · October 2014

Girl! GO GET YOUR HAIR DONE!! I dyed my own hair all through pregnancy #1, all 3 trimesters. this time I'm getting it done bc I'm too lazy and tired. Last time I did my own research and concluded it was totally fine, this time around, at my 1st appt, one of the first things the doc said, completely unprompted, was 'you can color your hair'. i didn't even ask about it!

mandyreads · October 2014

Hahaha @harmonicbabe26‌ I wonder if he was hinting for you to have it done. I kid, I kid. I actually just made an appt. My middle DD's BFF mom does hair so she was excited to work with me. I am so nervous but don't want to look at grayish when baby gets here.

harmonicbabe26 · October 2014

mandyreads said:
Hahaha @harmonicbabe26‌ I wonder if he was hinting for you to have it done. I kid, I kid. I actually just made an appt. My middle DD's BFF mom does hair so she was excited to work with me. I am so nervous but don't want to look at grayish when baby gets here.

Hah I know right?

i tend to be so bad about making appointments bc I get so busy. Actually being prego now I scheduled all my appts all through delivery so that when we're taking all those pics with the new baby my hair looks ok

supersarah77 · October 2014

Yep, totally safe. I started going gray 10 years ago and have been dying/highlighting ever since. My OB said as long as you don't drink it there's no concern.

lib1974 · November 2014

If you are concerned you can always find a stylist that uses organic color. However it's safe, you should ask your OB these questions though..

KirstenAlecia · November 2014

Im keeping my appts!!! I go to an Aveda Concept Salon and so i feel a lot better about that! I skipped the hair appts with my daughter the first time around and i looked AWFUL because as someone who has naturally dark brown hair who goes to light and bright blonde......the white trash Barbie look isn't a good look on me.......

junismum · November 2014

as lib1974 recommended, once pregnant I found a salon that uses organic colour - and actually, there's no smell, and my hair has been so much healthier since the switch - it costs me less than the salon I was going too before and the colour seems to last better, so I am going to stick with it after baby comes.

I was told however, that if organic isn't an option, if you get foils done instead of all over colour, then the colour isnt applied all the way to the scalp. So although people say its safe to colour your hair while pregnant, this is a nice compromise if you are worried....

enjoy -- its nice to do something for yourself at this time - its also a few hours that I tend to doze off in the chair - which is always a bonus...

Tsuga76 · November 2014

I've tried to be careful about chemical exposures with cosmetics, avoiding certain high-pesticide foods if they're not organic, using fully zero voc paint, etc. But by the end of my first trimester I just couldn't handle my gray roots. I got my first gray hairs in my late twenties and at 38 am now around 50/50, and have dark hair so it definitely shows. I've been doing Aveda and trying to go as long as I can bear between colorings just to be safe. I'm about due for a touch up now and think I'll use Naturtint which rates pretty well on the EWG Skin Deep list, and do it myself.

Also I considered trying just highlights but determined that wasn't going to do much as I'd still have noticeably gray roots

Hair dye and highlights to cover the gray?

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