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Hair Color
From CopperWiki
Hair coloring is a thriving market where manufacturers are continuously generating new product lines in order to stay up-to date with the ever-changing consumer demands. Today scientists have developed improved technology following greater understanding of the molecular structure of the hair. As a result damage to the hair in the coloring process is minimized. See What Are the Ingredients in Hair Color?
[edit] Hair Color and your health
- One study of nearly 900 people found that women who used permanent hair dye at least once a month were twice as likely as women who did not use permanent hair dye to develop bladder cancer.
- A panel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France reviewed the evidence and found a consistent risk of bladder cancer in male hairdressers and barbers.
- A second review of the evidence on personal hair dye use found some studies suggested a possible association with bladder cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia.
- The Environmental Working Group has ranked 456 hair colors in their Skin Deep cosmetics database, and roughly 400 of them are considered high hazard because they contain toxins linked to
- Cancer
- Developmentive and reproductive toxicity
- Neurotoxicity
- Immunotoxicity and organ toxicity
- Allergies and irritation of the eyes, skin or lungs.
- A separate study also found that women who use hair dyes for more than 20 years may nearly double their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
[edit] Useful Tips
If you are still keen to use hiar colors, keep this in mind
- Steer clear of the darkest shades. Although all of the shades use essentially the same chemicals, there's quite a lot more of them in dark brown and black shades than there are in blonde, red or lighter shades.
- Avoid permanent hair color, as they’re the most toxic. Semi-permanent and temporary colors are less so.
- Look for natural brands of hair color that use henna, herbal dyes and vegetable dyes as primary ingredients. These are likely to be much less toxic than the average hair color.
- If you go to a salon, choose one that is chemical-free, odor-free, herbal or caters to people with multiple chemical sensitivity and allergies. These salons tend to use less toxic products.
- If you are a woman under 40 and have prematurely gray hair, it might be a result of hypothyroidism.
[edit] Why Do People Color Their Hair?
There are a number of reasons people color their hair. These range from simple needs to look different, be something they aren’t, to downright lack of self-esteem. High social expectations make people, especially teenagers, feel they are not good enough, or don’t look pretty enough. It often depends on the crowd they hang out with.
Then there are those who opt for gray hair color to look younger. Most people can express the way they are feeling just by adding a color. The adventurous choose shades from a light blond, autumn gold or a light red. Some want a dramatic change in their looks.
There are certain stereotypes associated with hair color and some try to aspire to these. There is the old adage is that "blondes have more fun" and brunettes are taken more seriously. If it is true blonde yourself if you are on a date and prefer the other color if you are the one for a serious relationship.
Earlier Coloring
The practice of coloring hair goes back to ancient times when women colored their hair for beauty and men to display courage and honour. The Romans are said to have used 100 different colors for glorifying hair which included leeches and charred eggs to walnut shells and used ingredients like these to prepare the dyes. Use of hair dye was also prevalent in the ancient cultures of the Greeks, Hebrews, Persians, Chinese, and early Hindus.
[edit] Types of Colors
Coloring should be done in accordance with the condition of one’s hair. Like those who have badly damaged or dry hair should first go in for intensive hair conditioning treatment before coloring. Coloring options should be based on ones individual requirements and hair conditions.
- Temporary hair colors -- These are applied in the manner of rinses, gels, mousses, and sprays on the surface of the hair and can be washed out when needed. Temporary hair coloring is an acid-based formula that pits a coating on the strands of the hair and does not penetrate the skull. It is ideal when your requirement for coloring is only for a particular occasion.
- Semi-permanent dyes -- These colors enter the shaft of the hair but don’t remain permanently. They can be washed away by using shampoo 5 to 10 times.
- Permanent hair dyes -- Can’t be washed out as they penetrate deeply into the hair shafts. Permanent hair coloring uses a mild developer and the hair can retain its color for a few months.
See Hair Color Styles.
The majority of dyes sold are the permanent two-part dyes that can last up to six weeks. There are two separately packed components in permanent hair colors which have to be mixed before application. One is hydrogen peroxide (usually 6%) in water or a lotion base and the other an ammonia solution of dye intermediates and preformed dyes. On application, the hair swells with the effect of ammonia, enabling the dye precursors to penetrate the cuticle. It takes half an hour for the color to develop. With higher concentration of intermediaries darker shades can be obtained.
Melanin proteins found in the hair are: eumelanin, which creates hair shades from black to brown, and phaeomelanin, which provides red and yellow-ish colors. Hair turns white or grey due to absence of pigments. For details refer to Haircolor Basics: Hair Pigment Categories.
Cheap hair dyes -- Cheap hair dyes have metallic salt. These have the most damaging impact on the hair. Once it is done it is very difficult to do any other chemical services on it successfully. Such chemicals damage the integrity of the hair.
[edit] Fears of Harmful Effects
Historically consumers are known to be allergic to a wide range of chemicals in beauty products, with the biggest threats coming from hair colors.
There are conflicting views on the harmful effects of hair dyes. The cosmetics industry claims hair dyes are safe, while environmental groups feel they are risky.
Safety regulations for hair dye chemicals have always been of highest concern. Hair dyes have, therefore, been the most studied and regulated market among consumer products. Yet fears of cancer risks and allergy remain and this brings hair dye repeatedly under scrutiny. Health hazards feared are:
- Can cause dermatitis of the eyes, ears, scalp and face.
- Can result in rashes.
- Swelling of the scalp likely to occur
- Can also result in burning sensation in the scalp
- Other allergies are possible in some cases
Numerous epidemiologic studies have shown there is no risk of cancer from chemicals used in hair dye. Regarding allergies too, the studies have allayed fears as instances of hair dye related allergies occur at a rate of one per one million products sold.
Allergy warning labels are put on oxidative hair dye products to make consumers aware of potential allergy risks. Most products recommend skin sensitivity tests before coloring hair. See Decoding Personal Care Labels
Check with manufacturer -- Even if you have a list of harmful and banned chemcals, it is often impossible to know if your chosen hair dye contains them or not. Because many such ingredients appear as code numbers on the packaging, or other names are used. It is advisable to find out from the manufacturers what exactly they contain and how thay can be harmful for your type of hair.
[edit] Harmful ingredients used in hair color and hair dyes
- Para-phenylenediamine and tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline, both of which have been shown to damage genetic material and cause cancer in animals.
- Coal tar, a known carcinogen. One investigation found that 71 percent of hair dyes contain coal tar.
- Formaldehyde, a preservative linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity and more.
- DMDM Hydantoin, another preservative that is a known immune system toxin (and has been restricted for use in cosmetics in Japan).
- Eugenol, a fragrance ingredient that’s associated with cancer, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and allergies.
[edit] Hair Color Allergies
Many people are said to be allergic to a wide range of ingredients used in hair dyes, with the leading cause related to p-Phenylenediamine (PPD). Ammonia, peroxide or diaminobenzene are also known to cause allergic reactions. Hair colors that use mercury, lead or other metals are far more damaging.
Aniline dyes, which are often used in semi-permanent hair dyes, are said to be toxic and cause irritation to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes to hypersensitive people.
Reactions from PPD -- Allergic reactions from PPD are known to cause facial and neck swelling. Inhalation is likely to bring about coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, and respiratory problems in extreme cases. Skin contact with PPD may cause rashes and eye contact irritation, redness and pain. These problems, however, do not mean that you should never color your hair. These are only tradeoffs for looking gorgeous. Just like we do not give up eating our favorite foods because they may contain toxic implications.
[edit] Exercising Choice: Brands, Color, Chemicals
One not only has to make a choice of colors but even product selection requires sifting through mass of ingredients and chemicals contained in different brands to zero in on the one that is least harmful and suits the particular hair condition. What is important is not only the look of your hair but also its health.
For hair coloring to be effective permanent hair dyes must contain both color and a developer. The developer lifts the outer opening of the hair known as cuticle, enabling the color to penetrate. These developers contain chemicals in the form of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which also cause allergic reactions.
These chemicals are contained in varying concentrations in most permanent hair dyes. You choice of brand will depend on what composition is best suited to your hair and skin conditions.
Chemicals in hair dye cause a degree of damage but it is considerably mild if you are darkening your hair. If you are a regular at dying your hair, you may not notice it.
But women with problems of hair loss or certain scalp disorders should be extra careful in checking the chemicals which may not suit them
Ammonia-free products -- All the more expensive hair color brands, such as Loreal, Revlon, Garnier or Sunsilk, Pantene and many others, are ammonia-free. Though ammonia is bad for your hair, colors with ammonia generally last longer than those without it. Ammonia can make some colors extremely conditioning depending on the other ingredients present in the color, like natural oils.
Though exposure to high levels of ammonia can cause irritation, in small concentrations it is not toxic to the body. If you are not allergic to ammonia, you may go for brands with low ammonia content which can be found in most brands as it is necessary for some colors to cover gray or lighten the hair.
Many colors may lead you to believe they contain natural dyes when in fact they may contain both natural ingredients and synthetic chemicals.
Ecocolors contains small amounts of ammonia and peroxide. It has a soy and flax base and uses rosemary extract to condition the hair and flower essences instead of artificial scents. Herbatint is an ammonia-free dye, but uses low concentrations of p-Phenylenediamine and peroxide.
p-Phenylenediamine -- Everybody's hair is different - what works for one might not work for the other. For effecting a dramatic color change it is difficult to avoid questionable chemicals. p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), found in many permanent hair colors, is one such chemical. In order to be effective even green-friendly permanent hair dyes too require some chemicals such as ammonia, peroxide, p-Phenylenediamine or diaminobenzene=AD.
Hydrogen Peroxide -- For some hair conditions hydrogen peroxide is the main culprit. If you want a lighter hair or change the color of your hair completely you require bleaching. Hydrogen peroxide bleaches your hair and thus damages it. But the extent of the damage will depend on its level of concentration. Some of L’oreal semi permanent hair dyes do not have ammonia but contain hydrogen peroxide. But because it is not a permanent color, it contains very small concentration which does not harm.
If you only want to cover grey hair you don’t need a product with hydrogen peroxide in it.
All the three chemicals, ammonia, p-Phenylenediamine and hydrogen peroxide are harmful for women with hair loss problems and scalp dermatitis.
Monoethanolamine -- Monoethanolamine does not cover gray as well as ammonia and cannot lighten the hair as much as ammonia can. Monoethanolamine color works well if your hair is porous. It however, fades quickly.
[edit] Hair Dye and Pregnancy
There is no conclusive study to prove that dyeing one’s hair has any effect on pregnancy. In some animal studies, however, no significant change was noticed. Low levels of chemicals in the dye get absorbed in the skin. The danger could be in the inhalation of the fumes, which, though not harmful to the baby, can make you nauseous.
It is advisable to take precaution like consulting a doctor before dying and selecting a well ventilated area for dying. Wear protective gloves if your are dyeing your hair yourself (Refer to Home Color Advice ).
Absorption of fumes can be reduced by rinsing your scalp with cold water. See How to Dye Your Hair While Pregnant.
[edit] Natural Hair Colorants
A few really potent herbs such as henna and walnut hulls can be used to color hair naturally. But most herbal dyes are slow acting and have to be used often to reach the required shade. Some plant-based colorants darken, highlight or cover the gray hairs.
You can make hair dyes from many ingredients which are normally in your pantry. Choice of ingredients will depend on what color you want your hair to be. Temporary coloring can be done by using food coloring or powdered drink mix. With these you can achieve various colors from yellow, red to blue. For grey hairs try the following recipe.
- Mix rosemary and sage in water.
- Allow it to simmer for 30 minutes.
- After removing from fire allow the mixture to steep for 2 to 3 hours.
- Apply on your hair.
- Wash with normal shampoo.
For details of application visit Covering Gray Hair Recipe.
With walnut husks and water too homemade dye can be prepared. After boiling walnut husks in water for 15 minutes, strain the mixture and apply on your hair.
Other natural hair coloring ingredients include cranberry juice, tea and henna. These are gentler on you hair than chemical preparations but they will typically create a temporary hair tint and do not last as long.
Early hair dyes -- Early hair dyes were made from plants, metallic compounds, or a mixture of the two. Bark, leaves, or nutshells of many trees. Some of these plant-derived dyes were mixed with metals such as copper and iron, to produce more lasting or richer shades.
In Europe and Asia Henna and Indigo combination was used to give hair light brown to black shade. Chamomile flower extracts were used to lighten hair. These ingredients are still used in herbal hair dyes and also as home recipes. Refer Henna and Indigo Application.
[edit] Organic Hair Dyes
There are many organic hair dyes which have natural plant colorants and conditioning ingredients, such as certified organically grown henna, walnut shells and buckthorn bark.
[edit] Hair Dye for Men
Today men’s hair dye has come a long way since only black was used to cover grey or pink or green used by gay rockers. Now men too have the option of using frosty red or gold used by stylish women of the day. Now there are brands men can relate to. With men caring more and more about their looks, men’s hair dye could not be far behind.
[edit] Did You Know?
- Women who started dyeing their hair at the age of 20 are twice at risk as against women who started dyeing their hair at the age of 40.
- Permanent and semi-permamnent hair colors increase risk to cancer, especially breast cancer.
- Tests on animals and humans show that during the 30 minutes the hair color is applied on the scalp, it is rapidly absorbed by the human body.
- The global hair dye market is now valued at approximately $7.2 billion.
- There are over 70 different blond shades available in the Clairol range of hair colors.
- As against 7 percent of American women coloring their hair in the 1950s, 75 percent color their hair in 2000s.
- In Asia, where, across the continent, everyone’s hair has near-same natural color, about 60 percent of the women in Japan and Korea color their hair.
- About 30 to 40 percent of the women color their hair in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong and less than 20 percent do so in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam.
- The first safe hair dye was created in 1907 by French chemist Eugène Schueller.
[edit] Natural Rinses for adding Color and Highlights to hair using Herbs, Fruits & Vegetables
These rinses work over a period of time to subtlely color and add highlights to the hair. First wash and rinse hair, then pour any of these rinses over the hair 10 - 15 times catching the excess in a bowl or the bathroom basin as it runs off the hair, reusing the rinse by pouring it over the hair again.
For Brunettes
- Cook an unpeeled potato in boiling water. Cool for a little while. Dip a cotton ball in the cooking water, cover and then saturate the hair, being careful not to get any on skin. Leave on hair for 20 minutes then rinse out.
- Herbs like Rosemary, Sage, Raspberry leaves, Parsley, Ivy Berries, Catnip, Black coffee, Black Tea (for chestnut highlights) when made into strong infusions and used repeatedly, help in add strong highlights to the hair.
For Blondes
- Marigold petals gives golden highlights to light hair and brings out red and gold highlights in light brown and red hair. Saffron, tumeric, calendula, mullein and yellow broom in addition to any yellow blossomed herb or flower also add color and highlights for blondes.
- Rinse hair with a solution of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to approximately 3 litres of water after shampooing.
- To bring out highlights and lighten blonde hair, steep 1/2 cup of camomile tea in one litre of boiling water . Strain and cool till luke warm. Shampoo hair, then rinse with the tea infusion.
- Add 4 tablespoons of chopped rhubarb to 3 cups of hot water, simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, cool, then use as a rinse after shampooing.
For Redheads
- Strong black coffee as a final rinse
- Make a decotion of red hibiscus tea, use as a rinse
- A Calendula rinse
- Use an infusion of saffron for a rinse.
For Grey Hair
- Potatoes: Boil potato peels in water, strain, and cool. Use the strained water as an after-shampoo rinse to darken grey hair.
- Simmer 1/2 cup dried sage in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Steep for 2-3 hours. Strain, use as rinse on clean hair. Leave on until hair has dried, then rinse out. Sage covers the grey when used consistently over a period of time.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of apple-cidar vinegar with one gallon of warm water, use as final rinse.
For All Hair Colors
Use infusions of any of the follwing to add color, conditioning, highlights and shine:
- Catnip: Make a rinse of catnip and water to promote hair growth and shine.
- Nettle
- Parsley
- Rosemary: good as a hair tonic for thinning hair and dandruff and as stimulant for hair growth.
- Thyme: makes a great stimulating shampoo.
- Yarrow: Use a yarrow rinse for mild cases of dandruff.
[edit] References
- Hair color business to dye for as sales picture keeps brightening
- Can I color my hair while I am pregnant?
- Hair Coloring
- Non-Toxic Hair Color Facts
- Finding the Right Hair Color for You
- A Homemade Hair Dye May Be the Answer!
- Non-Toxic Hair Color Facts
- Can Hair Dyes Give You Cancer?
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