to be abit pissed off at the pharmacist saying I may have damaged my unborn child eye sight or is she telling the truth?

[SatHereSitting]

I had my hair streaked the other day (mainly blonde, with some brown) and I wasn't happy with one of the colours near my face (really brassy yellow ) anyway I decided rather than mess about going back to the hairdresser it would be easier to just dye it back myself.

So I've just popped to my local chemists and tried to purchase some Nice and Easy. The following conversation occurs.

Ph- Is this hair dye for yourself?
Me- Yes.
Ph- I'm afraid I can't sell you this as it is not safe to use in pregnancy.
Me- What that particular dye?, oh I'll change it then.
Ph- No all permanant hair dye.
Me- I think you'll find that infomation is outdated, I looked into it and its fine (my research consisting mainly of mumsnet though )

She then opens the box and starts going over all the instructions, mean while the people behind me are getting restless and I'm feeling more and more stupid.

Me- Well?
Ph- erm it says nothing here, but I'm sure I've read it on one of the boxes. It's the peroxide it can cause blindness.
Me-
Ph- you see it can seep through your skin and effect the baby, causing blindness. I can't sell you this product I'm afraid.
Me- But I've dyed my hair several times this pregnacy and I've never heard that.
Ph- What you've used peroxide? I think you may be ok with a vegatable based dye, but I really think you should avoid permanant colourants.
Me- (getting pissed off now) Yes with peroxide (as if it wasn't obvious, from my bloody hair colour )I only had it bleached two days ago.
Ph- Looks at me pityfuly, oh you'll probably be fine, but I would stop dying your hair from now on.
Me- Can I have the dye then?
Ph- No,it's not safe.
So with this I walked out.

Arrrgh, so is she correct? Now I'm paranoid that I've done some damage, I'm 38 weeks pregnant by the way.

Please tell me she is wrong.

[theDreadPirateRoberts]

Sounds barking to me. But I know nothing so BUMP.

[diedandgonetodevon]

How ridiculous! YANBU & very much doubt you've done any damage

[nametaken]

But I had my hair highlighted all the way through my pregnancy at the hairdresses - I've never heard this.

It can't be true because hairdressers are sometimes pregnant and they use those dyes all the time on other people without using gloves.

[poshwellies]

First trimester I think you should avoid hair dyes (a small amount of chemical can get into your system..very small amount via your scalp).I've not heard of blindness from hair colourants.Modern dyes are very different now and I don't think they contain nasties like mercury.

I'm sure theres lots of info on the web.

She sounds like she was just being cautious over your unborn childs health.

[onagar]

It's bad enough that they do this, but worse when they are only guessing. If it isn't on the box then she may have been thinking of something else.

A quick google tells me that in extreme quantities there might be some risk in the first trimester.

This place explains a bit
babyworld

[SesIsCountingdowntheweeks]

As a pharmacist myself, I am horrified that the pharmacist you saw responded in this way.

There is absolutely no reason to think this could have caused any harm.

I apologise on behalf of all pharmacists everywhere. I would be tempted to take this further (although understand that at 38 wks you've probably got enough on your plate!).

[Mummyfor3]

Total bollocks!!!

that you were made to worry by wrong information.

Forget it, go back to hairdresser and complain about poor dyejob, get yourself glamourised and enjoy the rest of your pregancy .

[onagar]

Next time a pharmacist asks you "is this for you" say "it's for my dog/granny/neighbour"

Providing of course you have checked it out yourself.

[harleyd]

i have heard something similar before, but when i asked at my salon was told the only risk is that because of all the hormones your hair can be more porous, the dye can take to it quicker, so theres more of a risk of your hair breaking if left too long. or some such explanation like that. cant properly remember, but no mention of risk to the baby.
anyway, ive had 4 kids, hair was dyed every 6 weeks through all my pregnancies

[tootyflooty]

if you had brought this product in a super market no one would have questioned you. Its the same when you buy paracetamol, shops won't sell you more than about 32 tablets ( in case you top your self !!!) heck if i was that desperate I would just go to several different shops Durrr!

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, at least you know you will look good in the delivery room

[Sbeanmum]

OP & Ses - I'm also about a fellow pharmacist behaving in such a ludicrous fashion! I do hope she also told you that you shouldn't drink it - just in case that was how you were planning to use the left-overs!

The indignity of her rooting through the leaflet desperately trying to find anything to support her claim did make me laugh though - I have been that pharmacist (though not for a hair dye)! You go through this ridiculous frenzy of 'I'm sure it's in here somewhere...' whilst getting redder and redder in the face, right up until the point you realise that in fact you are talking about a completely different product. But the next step is apologising profusely, not refusing to sell the product! Silly mare.

[Sbeanmum]

but on a related note - get thee back to salon and complain! Why are we so bad at complaining to hairdressers? We shuffle out of the shop, thinking 'if I just wash it myself when I get home, it'll maybe be OK?'

Then again, that might just be me...

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Unbelievable -- refusing to sell hair dye?

Wow, I'm not a pharmacist, and know nothing about drugs, but shouldn't she have some sort of evidence to back up her claim of 'it's not safe?'

[SesIsCountingdowntheweeks]

Sbeanmum - what gets me is that it is experiences like this that make the general public think we are just trying to be difficult rather than ensure they are taking medicines appropriately.
Also, like the paracetamol example already cited. To abide within the product licence and the law, we are restricted to the number of paracetamol tablets we sell at a time but the supermarkets (who sell smaller packs) aren't regulated in terms of how many smaller packs they sell!

There are plenty of examples however of pharmacists going out of their way to make a difference to someone's life through the advice and help they give - often the simplest of things such as putting medicines in blister packs for confused patients, advising on use of asthma inhalers, etc.

We get lots of stick for appearing to be nosy and being difficult but if all pharmacists explained why they were asking questions and did it appropriately, I'm sure pharmacists would have a better press and earn the respect that we should (but don't always) deserve.

Sorry, I'm trying not to get on my soap box here and in terms of the OP, there was absolutely no reason for the pharmacist to interfere unless they had been asked for advice, which the OP didn't. Even then, if asked, it would be nice to think they would give accurate advice or simply say that as a pharmacist they don't specialise in hair colours but would be happy to find out and phone the manufacturers or check the leaflet then.

Sorry.... I'll shut up now!!

[Sbeanmum]

Ses - I'm with you all the way!

[gagamama]

Haha, I think I'd be tempted to tell her I was was actually buying it for my 2-year-old. To drink.

[Kayzr]

I have heard that you shouldn't use hair dye in the first trimester. But I was told that they can not test on pregnant women but that hair dye is probably fine.

[choccynutter]

big bowl of shite but if ur worried ask ur gp hun

[ravenAK]

The bit I'm not getting is that the hair dye isn't on prescription. It's freely on sale in the shop along with the bobbles & the bits of pumice, yes?

So absolutely not the pharmacist's business to control its sale, surely.

[chegirl]

So peroxide can seep through your scalp and find its way into your unborn baby's eyes?



Its a wonder any of my kids can see at all!

Surely if this was a danger it would be one that all pg women would be made aware of? If hair dye blinded children I would like to think the government would produce a leaflet or something.

I am almost blinded by the amount of posters and flyers on my GP's wall telling me about stuff I shouldnt do when I am with child.

Its a worry,it really is.

[edam]

Shop assistant clearly a numpty. (Am hoping it was an assistant rather than an actual qualified pharmacist...).

Remember seeing some research into hair dye and pregnancy but the apparent risks were to do with darkening your hair, not lightening it - nothing to do with peroxide at all.

[PinkTulips]

my friends a hairdresser and refused to dye my hair while preg... not because of risk to my baby but because apparently one you have the baby and your hormones settle it can go really horrid and stange and look awful.

either way... your baby is fine!

stoopid cow should lose her job for saying things like that to a pregnant woman

[solidgoldshaggingbunnies]

Oh dear yet another example of an officious twat taking it upon him/herself to treat a PG woman like a moron who needs to be restrained for her Baby's Good (not her own, she's irrelevant...)

[PinkTulips]

friend's...