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Dangerous to Dye For

by Ros Burton

Two out of every five Australian women and an increasing number of men are dying their hair. Permanent hair dyes, which penetrate the cuticle, offer the best coverage of the hair. They do not wash out and regrowth occurs after four to six weeks. Semi-permanent colours only coat the cuticle and fade after about twelve to sixteen washes.

A great deal of research has been done on hair dyes and there are differing opinions as to whether or not they are harmful. Recent reports have come up with some findings that will make people take another look at what they are putting on their hair, and at whether alternatives are available.

Permanent hair dyes are linked to large increases in bladder cancer risk People who regularly colour their hair with permanent hair dyes as well as hair stylists who work with such chemicals are at greater risk of bladder cancer, according to a report from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California .

A report published in the February 2001 issue of the International Journal of Cancer stated that people who use permanent hair dyes at least once a month for one year or longer have twice the risk of bladder cancer as non-users. Those who have used a permanent hair dye once a month for fifteen years or more experience three times that risk.

Hair dye could cause rheumatoid arthritis
A report published in 2001 from Linkoping University in Sweden says that women who have dyed their hair for twenty years or more have almost double the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Para-phenylenadiamine, a key ingredient in permanent hair dyes is known to trigger allergic skin rashes in some people and is thought to lead to damage of the immune system, causing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Many people in the hair dressing business leave after a few years because they find themselves suffering from skin and other allergic conditions due to the chemicals with which they regularly come in contact. Peter Dingle, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Toxicology at Murdoch University in Western Australia says ‘There is little doubt that hair colorants used over a long period of time will lead to adverse health effects. The issue is which ones?’

The Healthy Alternatives
One of the best known natural hair dyes is henna. Coffee can be added to henna for a darker brown, and beetroot or carrot juice is a good addition to dye hair red. To restore grey hair to its original colour a strong tea of sage and rosemary can be rubbed into the roots every morning until the grey disappears, then a couple of times a week to maintain the colour. To go blonde: a mixture of chamomile tea and lemon juice applied to damp hair, and followed by an hour in the sunshine before washing the mixture out, can give good results.

The Natural Compromise
Many women, and men too, use permanent hair colorants to hide greying hair. Natural hair dyes that mix plant pigments with some chemical fixatives are a good compromise for people who want complete coverage of their hair and lasting colour, but no chemical overload. One of these is NaturStyle, which is widely used by women in Europe, and is now available in health food shops in Australia .

In most permanent hair dyes the developer, which opens the hair cuticle so the colour can penetrate the hair, is ammonia. NaturStyle uses natural ingredients to open the cuticle, and because these are not as strong as a synthetic developer, drastic hair colour changes can not be made. NaturStyle’s hair dyes do not use ammonia because it can irritate the skin and is a known allergen. Ammonia can also damage the hair fibre.

Resorcinol is found in most hair dyes and in greater quantities in the ones for dark shades. NaturStyle has avoided resorcinol due to its known high irritation level and its association with various skin conditions including contact dermatitis. Also, NaturStyle uses a maximum of only 30% of the concentration allowed by law of para-phenylenediamine, to minimise any negative effects from this chemical.

With awareness of the ingredients in hair dyes people can decide whether to dye or not and choose brands that are known to be low in, or free of, the more toxic chemicals.

Ros Burton is a freelance alternative health journalist. She is a presenter for Panacea, 2SER Radio’s health program, and formerly was manager of the Mind Body Spirit Sydney Festival.