Highlighting hair during pregnancy

[July2015]

...is this safe? I usually have highlights (bleach) but haven't since finding out about I'm pregnant. I am 22 weeks now, and just wondering if I hold off 18 more weeks or just bite the bullet and get them done?

I don't do it whilst pregnant.

I've spotted some new greys recently and am so tempted but I'm going to leave it.

You really dont want to expose your baby to all those awful chemicals!

Hello! I'm 20 weeks and had mine done yesterday. Half head highlights with colour and bleach. My hairdresser said it was safe (if you are concerned you could ask not to go so close to scalp). I feel so much better now I'm blonde again

It's fine.
www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/949.aspx?CategoryID=54#close

Both my midwife and hairdresser (well known, fairly upmarket) said it was completely safe.

Ahhh...conflicting views! Lol. What is the actual risk involved? I understand if it touches the scalp it can get into the blood stream - what would that do to the baby?

gemerama while I understand your cautious approach regarding paracetamol my dr was adamant that pregnancy isn't about suffering and if you have a splitting headache or temperature it can be more harmful to the baby than taking paracetamol. Obviously speak to your own doctor but just passing on what I was told. Hopefully you won't need them.

All I know is my midwife was practically laughing at me when I asked (in a nice way) as obviously it's a very common question. I was ready to forego getting my colour done but I really don't think medical professionals would mislead me. I can't remember the science part but basically the chemicals aren't getting anywhere near the baby. Do speak to your own midwife though as that will probably be the only thing that puts your mind at rest. It worked for me!

How in God's name could you expose your baby to harmful chemicals by having your hair bleached or dyed? Your hair is a load of dead cells that grow outside your body, and fall out occasionally. Your baby is inside your body. Your hair doesn't absorb stuff from the outside and send it inside.

It's fine - if it was likely to affect your baby, it would also be likely to affect you, so wouldn't be allowed anyway.

I think the caution about dyeing hair in pregnancy arose because of the changes to your hair that can happen - it can become dryer and more porous, or greasier, so your usual products might not work in the usual way. That is all.

gemerama trust me I know how you feel. I had to go to the dr at 9 weeks as I had an ear infection. He gave me anti-biotic and I was sick with worry! He could tell so we had a massive conversation about it. In a nutshell a happy mum is a happy baby. Treating something is much better than letting the mum suffer as that could have worse consequences.

This was when he asked me what I thought I could take for pain and I said nothing! Not true he said. The only reason that there are a lot of things not recommended as funnily enough pregnant women don't often like to be research projects but there has been lots of research on paracetamol.

What my dr said is I have any questions call the surgery and tell my question to the receptionist and they will call back with an answer, I'm sure you could do this too as I doubt I would have trusted a random on the internet! Please don't suffer unnecessarily x

I've chosen not too, purely because my hair is temperamental enough when not pregnant let alone with pregnancy hormones thrown in

I've chicken out as booked for just a cut. My roots are really bad, but don't think I would forgive myself if anything happened.

Dying hair is fine; there's no research that points to it being harmful for you or the baby. The only stats that are related are to do with slightly lower birth weight in Swedish hairdressers, who had been around hair dye, day in day out.

If you're on the fence about caffeine, hair dye, painkillers (and btw, Paracetamol are fine) alcohol etc I suggest reading Emily Oster's book 'expecting better'. She's a PHD who has basically gone out and researched a lot of the theories, stats and myths about what to do and not do in pregnancy. Her research is from peer reviewed studies and based on proper statistical analysis

Recurrent mc here so I was super cautious but still had my highlights done during successful pregnancy after speaking to consultant

I didn't during first 12 weeks which was just me being paranoid but then kept up my appointments (after 12 weeks the roots were , no way it would last the whole pregnancy)

There is actual evidence about caffeine which you chose to ignore, yet you won't take a paracetamol?! I think it's fine not to have your hair dyed and chose not to drink, but can you not see the bizarre contradiction?