Hair dye: benefits and harm. The effect of hair dyeing on the body The effect of hair dye on human health
All lovers of experiments know: changing your hairstyle and hair color is the easiest way to add variety to your life. We don’t argue with this, we just want to figure out how safe such transformations are and how frequent dyeing affects the hair.
How hair dyes work
Let's start with the fact that each hair consists of three layers:
- The medula is the medulla through which nutrition enters the hair;
- cortex is the main substance that gives hair strength and elasticity;
- cuticle is a protective layer that consists of keratin scales.
In order to change the color, the coloring pigment must get inside the hair, that is, slightly disrupt its cuticular layer. The cuticle opens only under high pH conditions: at values of seven and above. The acidity of the scalp is 4.5-5.5 pH. Therefore, in order for the pigment to penetrate the hair, alkaline or acidic components are added to the dyes. Amines are derivatives of ammonia; this is an alkaline component that is most often found in paints. It raises the pH so much that enough artificial pigment can penetrate into the hair to change the hair color by several tones.
Artyom Chepchugov
Despite the fact that coloring poses absolutely no danger to human health, harm to the hair is still possible. But if you go to a good hairdresser, this harm will be minimal.
There are four categories of dyes: ammonia, with ammonia derivatives, ammonia-free and direct dyes. Ammonia is necessary to make hair lighter or to obtain permanent coloring. To do this, ammonia must penetrate the hair, partially disrupt its cuticular layer and oxidize the natural pigment. In fact, we need to “clear the site” and plant our “guys” - artificial pigment - on the vacant field. If everything is done with professional dyes with a small amount of ammonia and by a specialist who works competently with oxides, then the damage to the hair will be quite insignificant.
Which paint to choose
Hair dye is a fairly harmless mixture of chemical components. Essentially, any dye changes hair color, but the principle of each one is slightly different. The choice depends on what color you want and how long you want the paint to last.
Permanent ammonia paint
In addition to ammonia or its substitute, permanent paints must contain hydrogen peroxide. Ammonia helps open the hair cuticle, and the oxidizing agent partially washes away the natural pigment and reveals the color of the dye. With this dye you can change the color by several tones, completely cover gray hair, or even lighten your hair.
Due to the fact that ammonia allows the dye to penetrate very deeply, permanent dyes cannot be washed off. So if you want to go back to your natural color, you will have to wait until your hair grows back.
Permanent dyes damage the protective layer of the hair more than others: the cuticle opens, but there is no natural mechanism to close it. In addition, the oxidizing agent, together with the pigment, washes nutrients from the hair. Therefore, if you choose such paint, you need to remember special care. The minimum is an acid shampoo and leave-in conditioner. The shampoo will help restore pH, and the conditioner will “smooth” the cuticle and protect the hair from environmental influences.
Artyom Chepchugov
hairdresser, art director at drugmyhair, winner of Hairbrained Video Awards 2018Paints with ammonia substitutes can be even more aggressive than ammonia ones. Therefore, if you are told that you can make your hair lighter using ammonia-free dye, know: there are definitely either ammonia substitutes or ammonia derivatives.
Semi-permanent ammonia-free paint
For those who want a softer effect on their hair, there is semi-permanent hair dye. It does not destroy the hair structure, but after you wash your hair five times, the color will begin to fade. Since such paints contain no ammonia and almost no oxidizing agent, they are not suitable for lightening: the natural pigment simply cannot be removed.
Artyom Chepchugov
hairdresser, art director at drugmyhair, winner of Hairbrained Video Awards 2018The harm of ammonia-free paints is almost imperceptible. Moreover, they contain a bunch of care components that, after coloring, will make your hair even better than it was before. But dyes without ammonia can only tint hair, creating tone-on-tone or darker shades.
Chemical hair dyes contain two main elements: a dye and a reagent. The first consists of synthetic substances and auxiliary components: ammonia, diaminebenzenes, phenylenediamines, resorcinol and phenols.
When we dye our hair, all these components mix together. In this case, an oxidation process occurs. Ammonia molecules play a decisive role in it. With their participation, the hair swells, and the scales allow the dye to pass through without problems or obstacles.
But the human body is designed in such a way that it is very sensitive to carcinogens contained in chemical paints, and the skin quickly absorbs them. There is even an opinion among scientists that breast cancer in women may be associated with this factor.
A little research
In the seventies of the last century, researchers made a sensational statistical discovery. It turned out that more than eighty people out of a hundred who had malignant tumors regularly dyed their hair over a long period of time. In addition, research by scientists has confirmed that the use of chemical paints increases the risk of diseases of the female reproductive system. Moreover, most of all this applies to brunettes and those who paint themselves in all shades of dark wood.
And manufacturers of permanent paints sometimes combine more than ten substances harmful to health in them at the same time. When mixed, they act on the principle of a toxicological attack on the body.
That is why plant-based substitutes are an alternative to chemical paints. It does not contain phenyldiamine, 2,4-toluenediamine, 2-nitro-p-phenyldiamine, or 4-amine-nitrophenol. It is these substances that cause cancer in experimental animals. Some of them can cause DNA mutations. Using vegetable dyes is a wonderful alternative to chemicals because they are safe for allergy sufferers, pregnant women, and perhaps even your unborn children.
One of the classic beauty battles between fans of natural beauty and those who prefer its man-made version is the debate about how harmful hair dye is and the dyeing process in general. In these debates, dye appears either as an innocent cosmetic product like conditioner, or as an evil monster devouring the hair of unsuspecting beauties. The question remains: how harmful is hair dye really and how to minimize the damage?
Initially, confusion in opinions and conclusions arises due to the wide variety of hair dyes. In essence, paint is a chemically active cosmetic product; its composition directly depends on its type and the desired result, and this composition can vary significantly, including both completely gentle and mild substances and aggressive components. In general, when talking about paint, you always need to take into account what kind of product we are talking about. Henna is a paint, a product with hydrogen peroxide is a paint, and a light tint foam is also a paint. All of them have a different composition and in different ways.
All hair dyes can be divided into 3 types:
Persistent. Permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes contain components such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia - this is what determines the depth of effect of the product on the hair. These are chemically active substances that “open” the hair and replace a person’s own pigment with paint pigment. Permanent and semi-permanent paints are suitable for covering gray hair; they do not wash off - except that they may fade a little over time. You can get rid of them only by dyeing your hair a different color or growing it out. Semi-permanent hair dyes contain less ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and other aggressive chemicals, making them more gentle and less likely to radically change hair color.
Tinted. Tinting agents do not interfere with the structure of the hair in any way: they create a film on the surface of the hair - the color that you have chosen. Tinted shampoos, foams and dyes are very unstable: it is enough to wash your hair 4-6 times and not a trace of the artificial color will remain. They cannot radically change the hair color - only slightly shade your own. For example, if you have light brown hair, using a tint product you can make it more golden or slightly reddish, or darken it a little with light chestnut. Such products do not cover gray hair.
Natural. Natural dyes - henna and basma - also do not damage the hair structure, but create an indelible film on its surface. The main advantage of natural dyes is their harmlessness and incredible durability (henna is almost impossible to remove - and it is also quite difficult to paint over), the main disadvantage is the limited range of shades (red, red-chestnut, black) and the unpredictability of the result. Natural paints can behave very capriciously and even insidiously, giving different effects under the same conditions. On gray hair they often look too bright (for example, henna can give an orange color).
When talking about the dangers of hair dyes, we primarily mean permanent and semi-permanent products, because tinted and natural dyes do not affect the hair at a deep level, they simply envelop it in color.
What are the harms of hair dyes?
The main danger to health - hair and the whole body - are aggressive chemical components. Here are the negative consequences you face when dyeing your hair:Hair structure disorder. Penetration into the hair structure and removal of natural pigment cannot go unnoticed by the hair: it loses not only its color, but also a number of nutrients, and its integrity is compromised. Hair becomes drier, brittle, and splits more at the ends. In modern professional paints, this effect is partially compensated by caring elements, but this does not change the essence. Dyed hair is by definition less healthy and stronger than naturally colored hair. If you dye your hair constantly, it can become thinner, weaker and lose shine for a long time or permanently.
Allergic reaction. It is very possible to have an allergic reaction to one of the many chemicals contained in paint, or a combination of them. Therefore, paint manufacturers always strongly recommend doing a control test on the crook of your arm before using paint. Don't ignore this advice: an allergic reaction to paint can be quite severe!
The effects of “chemistry” on the body. Active chemicals can harm not only your hair, but your entire body. First of all, the scalp may suffer (unsuccessful dyeing is a risk factor for various problems such as seborrhea, hair loss, dandruff). It is also possible for a hidden allergic reaction to occur, which manifests itself indirectly. In addition, there is a suspicion that the impact of chemical components of paint may, in the future, with frequent painting, accumulate and result in negative health effects - for example, an increase in the risk of developing cancer.
Should you dye your hair? It would be healthier, of course, not to dye your hair, especially since naturalness is now in fashion. On the other hand, it is clear that many people perceive possible negative effects as a small sacrifice placed on the altar of beauty, so people will still dye their hair - and not only women. And few people are willing to put up with gray hair. Therefore, it is important to follow a few simple rules to minimize damage. First: for painting, use only high-quality paints, preferably professional ones. Second: if possible, if you do not need to cover your gray hair, choose gentle paints with minimal ammonia content. Third: take proper care of your hair after dyeing, use special restorative products; If you notice any negative effects after dyeing (itching, hair loss, feeling unwell), try another product or stop dyeing altogether.
The natural desire for beauty is inherent in every woman. And every woman strives to realize this impulse in her own way. Some exhaust themselves with newfangled diets in order to lose extra (in their opinion) kilograms, others change hair colors in search of their unique look and image. A tribute to fashion, fashion trends - all this pushes women to make sacrifices for the sake of beauty.
To date The most affordable option for changing your image is hair dye(there are, of course, but they are not cheap) . From thirty to forty-five minutes - and a stranger looks at you from the mirror. Enough has already been written about this on our pages, but here it is: how does dye affect hair, It wouldn’t hurt to remember and clarify...
- Is hair dye as useful and absolutely harmless as its manufacturers indicate on the packaging?
- What do you need to know before taking the radical step of changing your image by dyeing your hair?
All modern paints can be divided into the following categories:
- - paints that contain ammonia,
- - paints that do not contain ammonia - “ammonia-free paints”,
- - toning agents,
- - natural natural dyes.
Now let’s look at all the “pros” and “cons” of each category of paints.
Paints that contain ammonia
Ammonia is a rather toxic and persistent chemical with a characteristic pungent odor. It is the ammonia in such dyes that determines the depth to which the coloring pigment will penetrate into the hair structure, and it is it that is responsible for the intensity and brightness of the color. The result of dyeing your hair with a dye that contains ammonia will be a bright, rich color that can remain that way for six to twelve weeks (depending on the integrity of the dye manufacturer). If you need to paint over gray hair, then no one can do this job better than paint with ammonia.
Now, as for the “cons”- your hair becomes lifeless, brittle and weak because ammonia not only colors the hair, but also has a destructive effect on both the outer hair shaft itself and the structure of the hair inside. Constant use of such dyes destroys both the structure of the hair itself and the natural pigment of your hair color. By leaving this dye on your hair a little longer than the specified time, you can end up not only with the wrong shade and color, but also lose part of your hair, lifeless hair will simply begin to fall out. In addition, any chemical that reacts with your skin, hair and body as a whole can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, those who are prone to allergies, have reduced protective functions of the body and have chronic diseases should think carefully about the possible and not entirely pleasant consequences before purchasing paint containing ammonia. In addition to poisonous and toxic ammonia, such paints also contain parabens (special coloring substances), which have the unfortunate property of accumulating in the body and causing the development of cancer.
"Ammonia-free" paints
Recently, they have become very popular among those who care about their health. First of all, because they do not contain the dangerous substance ammonia. However, in order to achieve the desired hair color using this dye, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances. The required shade is possible only on dark hair and only after it has been completely bleached. This dye is suitable only for brown-haired women and those with blond hair. The effect of such dye on the hair structure is quite gentle, which is both a “plus” and a “minus” at the same time, since the final color of the dye is quite unstable and is quickly washed off, which is noticeable after every hair wash.
Special tinting products
Beauty experts consider the use of toners to be the safest and most harmless method of hair coloring. True, the palette of possible shades is limited to natural natural color; variations on the theme of several tones are possible, either lighter or darker from the main natural hair color. No harmful substances have yet been found in toning products, so they are generally considered harmless. The only “minus” in their direction is the low color fastness of the dye.
Natural natural dyes
Natural dyes include plant-based dyes or dyes of natural origin. This includes henna and basma, chamomile flowers, onion peels... In ancient times, our great-grandmothers changed their appearance and image with the help of these natural remedies. The undeniable “advantages” in favor of these natural dyes is, of course, the complete absence of a set of chemically aggressive substances. This allows you to preserve the natural beauty and provide care and attention to your hair. If we talk about the “cons”, then this is a weak coloring effect, possible uneven coloring, and quick washing off of the hair color. If you still decide to try natural dyes, then do not forget the basic recommendations regarding their use. Let's take basma, for example. This natural dye promotes hair growth, strengthens hair roots, eliminates the problem of dandruff, but you can only use basma in combination with henna, otherwise you will be guaranteed the original dark green color. But henna can be used separately from basma. Depending on your natural hair color and how long you leave henna on your hair, the final result of the dyeing depends. The palette of possible colors ranges from bright red and red to chestnut hair.
If you suddenly decide to radically change not only your image but also your hair dye to a chemical one, then failure awaits you here - chemicals hardly penetrate the natural layer of natural dyes, so you will either have to use natural dyes to maintain color, or radically change not only hair color and dyeing method, but also the length of the hair itself.
Many expectant mothers wonder Is it possible to dye your hair during pregnancy?