Foil highlights

[EmilyG2020]

I've just found out I'm 5 weeks pregnant and booked in to have my hair done tomorrow. I'm having foil highlights but I've just read having your hair coloured in the first trimester should be avoided. Does this apply to foil highlights does anybody know?

As far as I am aware it should be fine. Your skin might be more sensitive in pregnancy so you might react to the dye, so make sure to patch test. I just follow NHS dos and don'ts.

I was in the same boat as you!

Various people and hairdressers say it’s fine but the truth is you just don’t really know. Yes I doubt it would cause significant harm to your baby but can one absolutely rule out that the chemicals that your hair/scalp absorb won’t also reach the baby in some capacity? Nope!

If you look on most websites they say to try and avoid hair dye at least until after your first trimester. Highlights are better than having dye applied straight to the scalp but I take it that by highlights you mean bleach as that’s the only way to lift the colour and bleach is very potent.

Maybe lowlights or whatever wouldn’t be so bad but yeah i’d avoid bleach all together in my pregnancy at least for first trimester.

People will having different opinions to mine and ‘oh I got highlights and my baby is fine’ but that doesn’t actually mean that you’re not exposing the baby to harmful chemicals unfortunately.

Sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear I just think that the common response of ‘my hairdresser did it and said it’s fine’ is not 100 percent accurate or responsible really xx

The main issue with having highlights or other treatments in pregnancy is that your skin changes alot and can become really sensitive to products you've used a million times before.
You can suddenly have a reaction to hair dye, face cream, shower gel etc that you've used a million times before without any issues.
If you decide to attend your appointment, you must let your hairdresser know about the pregnancy so they can do a patch test 24 hours before so you know you're OK with it.
I haven't had any reactions as such but I did find the colours/toner takes differently to my hair during pregnancy and doesn't last as long.

Foil highlights don't touch your skin. It's fine. A well ventilated salon is best so you're inhaling fewer fumes but you'll have your mask on anyway (I presume salons have to have doors and windows open now under COVID rules? They do where I am but that's abroad). Obviously if your salon also offers nail treatments, stay well clear of that area.