Can You Dye Your Hair While Breastfeeding?
During pregnancy, you may not have had a lot of time to look after your appearance. If you now want to devote a little more to your look and thought about dyeing your hair while breastfeeding, be aware that it can be harmful to your health and that of the baby.
If you are pregnant or nursing, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the products you apply to the skin and scalp.
Therefore, in this article we want to explain the precautions you should take into account. Also, let’s list some alternatives to dye your hair while breastfeeding without affecting the little one.
Is it safe to dye your hair while breastfeeding?
Unsurprisingly, hair dyes contain chemicals that are toxic to health. Most are based on ammonia, which is a dangerous chemical. Inhalation or direct contact with these toxins can cause serious health problems.
Therefore, many women assume that the chemicals circulating in the blood can cause problems for both mother and baby. This is why many people avoid dyeing their hair while breastfeeding.
In fact, the amount of chemicals entering the mother’s bloodstream through the scalp is not large enough to pose a threat to the baby. Thus, there is no possibility for the baby to acquire these chemicals through breast milk.
Precautions for dyeing hair while breastfeeding
Although you are allowed to dye your hair while breastfeeding, taking certain precautions can ensure maximum safety for you and your baby.
As mentioned above, the amount of chemicals entering the bloodstream through the scalp is not enough to harm you or the baby. However, scrapes or sores on the scalp increase the chances of more chemicals getting into the blood.
Therefore, it is important to make sure your scalp is healthy before coloring your hair.
The biggest problem with dyeing hair while breastfeeding is the baby being affected by the smell of chemicals in the hair. If you try to dye your hair at home, make sure the room is spacious and well-ventilated. This way, the chemical gases will not stay inside and will not be inhaled by the baby.
What are the alternatives?
One of the solutions that you should consider when dyeing your hair while breastfeeding is to use a colorant or just apply the dye on some strands to hide the gray hair. That way you don’t need to color your hair completely.
If you are still concerned that hair dye could harm your baby, there are other alternatives. Keep in mind that some dyes known as “natural” are actually formulated with harmful synthetics. So stay tuned.
These products are hidden behind healthier ingredients such as oils, fruits or herbs. However, the toxic elements are still present.
Therefore, it is necessary to be careful with the color composition. Choose only natural colors that are 100% vegetable. We present some alternatives below:
1. Coffee to get brown
Coffee works well for shades like brown or light brown. Coffee also protects hair keratin, which promotes growth and minimizes shedding.
2. Cover gray hair
Sage is a perfect remedy to cover gray hair because it has many astringent and revitalizing properties. It also helps the flow of melanin to reactivate, thus restoring the hair’s natural tone.
3. Cocoa for chocolate reflections
Cocoa can also help to cover gray hair. However, the effects will only be seen in the long term. The recipe consists of cocoa powder and honey, and should be applied to dry hair.
4. Black tea for a dark shade
It is a plant that, par excellence, allows you to obtain a darker hair tone. Prepare a tea in the form of an infusion and let it act for 24 hours. This solution can be applied after shampooing your hair.
5. Chamomile for golden reflections
The powder obtained from the dried flowers allows you to give golden and blonde highlights to your hair. However, it must be remembered that it is a better method for lighter hair and not for darker hair.
If possible, we recommend that you wait until your baby is nutritionally independent to apply chemicals to your hair.
Anyway, if you think a new hair tone can improve your look, go for it. After all, you have the right to be happy after doing the best job in the world: being a mother!
