Will hair dye get into my breastmilk?

[frenchleave]

I really need to have my hair highlighted again, but I'm still feeding my 9-month-old three or four times a day and don't want to poison him with chemicals. Does anyone know if it's ok to do it or should I wait?

And Ran, I bloody do take offence, as it happens. You can't call someone 'arrogant' to the extent that apparently my arrogance 'astounds' you, and not cause offence.

I am feisty, I am challenging, but I am never arrogant enough to make any sweeping statement without being very sure of my sources.

any way, sorry french, didn't expect this to get so argumentative, i tought it was a scientific given that chemicals CAN get into the bloodstream via the scalp/skin - the scalp has very high concentration of blood supply

if perfume chemicals/deodrant chemicals/household cleaning stuff and other such chemicals get into ones milk, why can't hair dye chemicals ?

tiktok, that's your choice. I stand by what I said and you've helped to prove my point.

tiktok - please provide a scientific source that states hair dyes "can't get into your bloodstream unless you have deep open cuts on your scalp" - that is just scientifically inaccurate.

that is why i challenged you on it.

I dunno, yellow....ask Dr Hale

Ran, I suppose you mean I was arrogant in my last post, and therefore proved you were right in being 'astounded' at me.

And I thought I was just being feisty again.....

steady on, rantothehills

yellow - if subcutaenous absorption is 'minimal to nil' , per Dr Hale, then in order for the chemicals to reach the blood, then you'd need 'deep, open cuts' 'cos that's the only way the blood then becomes exposed to the exterior, ok?

More on the safety of hair dye and bf, from respected sources:

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/supporterline/medication.php

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=949

otispregnancy.org/pdf/hair_treatments.pdf

ok ladies, let's call it a day shall we, i accept dr hale's profound knowledge of meds. chemicals and bf, have read his stuff before and have much respect, perhaps i shall email him and ask. i hope he replies

i would like to stress that in MY opinion and from what i have read, highlighting has less risk than full head dying and that vegetable/organic dyes have even less risk

sorry tiktok, i NEVER suggested that bog standard hair dyes are NOT safe when bf, i disputed your assertion that they CAN'T get into the blood stream. i still dispute it.

if some people get cancers, they CAN get into the bloodstream. i think i will email dr hale.

i think we are talking cross purposes to be honest ! any way, i think i will leave the thread now !

Yes, the chemicals in hair dye can get into the bloodstream if there is an open cut in the skin which allows access (or by inadvertant swallowing, I suppose, but it's possible the digestion might destroy anything harmful, I don't know).

But what Dr Hale says is they can't enter via the (unbroken) skin.

Good luck with the email.

i can't email him via the link you provided, he will only take questions from health profs.

he says "There is no data at all. But the transcutaneous absorption of these chemicals is minimal to nil" - just wondering how he can say that even though he also states that there is NO data ?

it seems a bit contradictory to be honest as there seems to be respectable research in the link between hairdressers being at higher risk of cancers related to hair dye chemicals. most hairdressers wear protective gloves, so the link must be coming from inhaling the fumes from these dyes.

he is a world expert, but that still doesn't mean he is RIGHT on this one, esp. as research on cancers contradicts what he says

He means there is no data on transference of the hair dye into breastmilk, not that there is no data on whether hairdressers get cancer.

With no data directly linking or not linking the dye to breastmilk, all he can do is say whether the hair dye gets into the body through the skin, and it does not.

So it's no leap of logic at all to say that if it doesn't get into the body via the skin, then it doesn't get into the breastmilk.

Frenchleave, I believe that highlights using foils where the dye will not touch your skin, are much safer than having an all over colour or colours where the dye touches your scalp. I would mention your concerns to the hairdresser and state that you do not want the dyes to touch your head (I know I have had dye on my scalp even when using foils if the hairdresser is not very careful).

I have looked into this myself and concluded that IMO there is some risk associated with using some kinds of hairdyes, but that once my baby was older I was happy to use foils occasionally. In a perfect world I wouldn't, but in a perfect world I would have naturally blonde and red streaked hair

I think the Women's Environmental Network has lots of great information about the risks of various beauty products, for anyone interested.

tiktok you say: "the hair dye gets into the body through the skin, and it does not".

NO tiktok, he says it is "minimal or nil", not that it does NOT get into the bloodstream !

i really don't understand why you persist in saying it DOES NOT get into the bloodstream via the scalp or some other means, if it CAN get into it even if it is minimal !!

clearly it can also get into the bloodstream through inhalation which is what the poor hairdressers are having problems with !

tiktok, honestly he does NOT SAY IT CAN NOT GET INTO THE BODY - he says it is MINIMAL or NIL

the "minimal" bit is good enough for me !

tiktok, out of interest, how do YOU explain the incresaed risk of cancer in those exposed to these dyes on a FREQUENT basis ?

they are not drinking it (i hope not any way - lol) they are exposed to it via the skin of their hands or inhalation of fumes
and it is not skin cancers we are talking about - we are talking about INTERNAL ORGANS

or do you dispute the cancer link altogther for those at high risk ?

ps - i agree that there is little risk for those who highlight and/or use dyes very infrequently

link

i still want to know how the damned thing can get into your internal organs/lymphs if it can not be absorbed by the skin ?

"Last year [2005] the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based independent organisation, analysed the ingredients in 7,500 personal care products and found that 71 out of 117 hair dyes contained ingredients derived from carcinogenic coal tar. These included dyes made by the biggest names in hair colouring. The latest study, called Epi-lymph, was carried out in Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2003. It included interviews with 2,302 people who were newly diagnosed with lymphomas, 207 of whom were in Ireland"

you can read the conclusion of the european study in the article.

No shouting, please, yellow

Minimal (in this context) means if it gets in, it's not worth bothering about. Nil means it doesn't get in.

ok great, tiktok, minimal may be ok to you, but it may not be ok for someone else ! just trying to establish the facts !

i was just trying to stress that "minimal" does not mean it CAN NOT get in to your blood at all. also minimal is just the point of view of one doctor, others may find that it is greater than minimal.

i appreciate you are trying to say to people that you can dye your hair with l'oreal or whatever and still bf, i agree, i just don't agree that it can't get into the bloodstream, because it can

Crikey, I go out for a few hours and come back to a raging debate! All very interesting though, it sounds like lightening agents (for mousey blondes like me) are less dangerous than dark dyes, and I'm sure my hairdresser would be careful with my scalp if I asked her to, but still... As someone who tries to avoid unneccesary chemicals I think I'll be putting my vanity to one side for now unless I can find somewhere here that uses non-toxic dyes that won't turn my hair orange.

There's always lemon juice

Thanks all!

oh french, i had my hair burned to the root with perming agents in a hairdresser when i was 18, half my hair fell out, the damned thing gave off fumes that made me feel sick, so i know what you mean. bloody chemicals and vanity lol !

i am very happy with the results of my vegetable dye streaks though ! i did it at home with one of those plastic caps that have holes in them, so made sure nothing/very little went on my scalp.

French I know most people are sceptical about lemon juice but I have honestly found it to make a difference to dark blonde hair. Squeeze quite a few and leave the juice on your hair more or less until it is dry (or until you can't stand it any more!) while you sit in the sunshine. It has worked, for me.

Don't you worry about the lemon juice getting into your bloodstream? Or your breastmilk?

lemon juice definitely works. But you have to sit in direct sunlight with it on (as Franny said)