Why can’t I use chemicals on my hair during pregnancy?

Q: I have decided to go natural because I am pregnant. I heard that you should not use chemicals like relaxers on your hair during pregnancy. Does that also include colour? I want to colour my newly natural hair.

There have been no studies or clinical trials to prove that hair chemicals are dangerous during pregnancy. However, evidence shows that whatever we put on our scalp gets directly absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, your doctor would likely advise you to avoid chemicals at least until the end of the first trimester. Sodium hydroxide, the chemical normally found in hair relaxers, is highly toxic.

The same goes for similar chemicals in no-lye relaxers. Therefore, you have done well to err on the side of caution.

Now that you plan to colour your hair, you should consider that some pregnancy hormone surges usually change the composition of your hair.

This means that during chemical processes, including hair dyeing, the colour might not take. Alternatively, your results could swing to the other extreme and be over-processed. Your stylist will know that hair during pregnancy tends to have a mind of its own, so your results will usually be 50:50.

Having said that, chemical colour also contains harmful compounds, which are probably best to avoid. Harmless alternatives include vegetable dyes such as henna, indigo and cassia.