Is It Safe To Dye Your Hair While Pregnant?

There are so many rules you need to remember when you first get pregnant that it's hard to keep up. Not only do you have to remind yourself of the tiny human growing inside you, but you need to keep note of what you can and can't eat while coping with common pregnancy problems like morning sickness. When it comes to your beauty routine, you start to question everything, from your choice of moisturizer to your choice of shampoo. Luckily, provided your products don't contain any harmful chemicals, your beauty regime can remain relatively the same. But is it safe to dye your hair while pregnant?

"You absolutely can dye your hair whilst pregnant," Adam Reed, co-founder of Percy & Reed, told Harper's Bazaar. "It's an urban myth that you can't!" he added. Dr. Angela Lamb, director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Faculty Practice in New York City, agrees. "It just does not stay in contact with your skin long enough to absorb into the bloodstream in a way that is harmful to a growing fetus," she told HuffPost. "My vote is that hair dye is completely fine."

However, Fran Dixon, creative colourist at Hari's Salon in London, is quick to point out that it's best to wait to refresh your roots until the first trimester's over to be extra safe. "Women usually wait until after the initial 12 weeks (or first trimester) of pregnancy when any potential risks are much lower," Dixon told Harper's Bazaar. If you're feeling anxious, "you can convert from all-over colors to highlights, so that the dye doesn't come into contact with the scalp," or switch to ammonia-free colors, she added.

If you're past the 12-week point, it's also important to be aware that being pregnant may cause your skin to react differently to chemicals than it usually would. Shannon Lewis, color director at Neville Hair & Beauty, and Anna Short, color director at Daniel Galvin, warn that it can even change the final color and smell of the hair dye. Always be sure to do a patch test before the treatment begins, they told Harper's Bazaar, and if you experience any irritation, do not proceed. Above all else, it's a good idea to ask your doctor, just to be on the safe side.