To Dye or Not To Dye?

To Dye or Not To Dye?

Yeah, I have been well aware of this for sometime. I think I need to print this article and post it in the back room at work. They have a habit of forgetting to turn on the air purifiers, and turning them off because they are chilly! Nope, not kidding.... They think it's a fan. One day they turned it off because there were no clients at the moment, but they were dousing the salon in bleach to clean. So I said, why are you guys turning it off? the shampoo lady's response was "no chemicals right now!" with a look of annoyance on her face. I just looked at the spray bottle and the action of the toxic spray shooting out of the bottle in slow mo and her voice had a warped monster sound to it...okay,maybe only in my head it sounded that way. I just walked away! It's not worth it. They do not want to know... ignorance is bliss. Change means more work for them.

So here are the facts:

Simple Solution
If you use permanent hair dyes at least once a month you should know about a 2001 study from researchers at the University of Southern California that analyzed the association between hair dying activity and bladder cancer.

There was no association between semi-permanent or temporary hair dyes and bladder cancer. (See Safer Ways to Color Your Hair.")

While the study was not a clinical cancer trial, it did make a determination of those who are at highest risk from use of permanent dyes:

*  Women who use permanent, hair dyes once a month for 1 year or longer have twice the risk of bladder cancer.

* Women who use permanent hair dyes for 15 or more years at least monthly have three times the risk of bladder cancer using permanent dyes for 15 or more years when the dyes are used monthly or more frequently.

*  Those who have worked as hair dressers or barbers for 10 years or more have five times the risk of bladder cancer.

The researchers note that the exposure of concern is to a family of chemicals called Arylamines, an ingredient in many oxidative hair dyes, which is a known risk factor for bladder cancer and found to cause cancer in experimental animals.

The study was considered of enough concern in Europe that the European Commission, a body that drafts legislation for the European Union, has changed their policy to demand information from manufacturers about ingredients contained in hair dyes. The United States does not required manufacturers to file data on ingredients or report cosmetic-related injuries.

Darker hair dyes cause higher risk because of the increased number of chemicals.

My professional recommendation is_ If you have to color your  hair, use foil. This way you isolate the chemicals inside the foil. It will not touch your scalp (if your stylist is good) therefore it will not absorb into your skin, and then into your bloodstream. A common misconception is that foils are for highlights only. You could also add low lights which add depth, refresh faded color and add dimension. This technique  minimizes the gray. It won't cover every single strand, but it is a very nice alternative. It is also much lower maintenance then applying to the whole head because it grows out gracefully because it breaks up that line of demarcation you get when you color it all. You could also vary highlights and lowlights to add some sun-kissed  and depth. It is a  beautiful technique.

Another alternative is using ammonia free deposit only color. These products cover/blend gray quite well without the ammonia.

For a great colorist in your area I suggest looking on this site for a board certified haircolorist

You can search by zip code. This certificate is highly regarded in the industry, and you could rest assure if they passed this stringent exam-they are very knowledgeable in their Field. And are on top of the best alternatives for healthy hair color. Although, no hair color of course is best-but, ya know....

I would be happy to answer any questions on how to get what you need from haircolor-just ask!

Have a chemical-free day!

Comments

[Becky (Yogaglamgirl)]

This is super helpful. I am in-between hair stylists/colorists right now and have my first appt at a new place next week. Have been wondering how damaging my color is for me (I get it done 6 times a year). If I'm not happy with my next visit I'll check out the list of board certified colorists. Thx Danielle!

[Regina Clare Jane]

Oh, thanks for this Danielle! It's so important for women to realize what is happening when they put this stuff on their heads! I use the ammonia free stuff- I wish I didn't have to use anything but hubby won't walk around with me otherwise! ;)