Can you dye your hair when pregnant?
MANY mums-to-be find their hair feels different during pregnancy
But for those who like to colour their locks, is it safe to dye your hair while pregnant?
Is it safe to use hair dye when pregnant or breastfeeding?
According to the , most research, although limited, shows it's safe to colour your hair while pregnant.
Some studies have found that very high doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm.
However, these doses are massive compared with the very low amount of chemicals you may be exposed to when colouring your hair.
Dyeing your hair whilst breastfeeding is also safe.
Very little of the chemicals used in hair dye enter your bloodstream, so it's very unlikely that a significant amount will be passed on through your breast milk.
What happens if you dye your hair while pregnant?
Kathy Rogerson, a hair colour expert at Nice'n Easy believes dyeing your hair when expecting is perfectly acceptable, providing you take the right precautions.
She explained: “If a woman normally colours her hair and has safely used colourants before, there is no scientifically established reason for her to stop colouring her hair during pregnancy, provided she continues to follow the usage instructions."
She added: "Always carry out an allergy test at least 48 hours before every application, even if you have used the same brand of colour before.”
“You should still have a patch test done, even if you are having the same colour service that you’ve had for years, because the changes in hormone levels could affect how the body reacts.
"This is especially important if you are having colour that is applied directly on to the scalp."
"However, there is a greater risk of allergy to the chemical PPD (paraphenylenediamine) and a patch test for PPD allergy should be performed before each hair dye."
You may decide to wait to dye your hair until after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the risk of chemical substances harming the baby is much lower.