Is Your Hair Dye Making You Sick?

As soon as I hit thirty-five I started noticing an increase in gray hairs. I considered dying my hair, but it is almost always so obvious that someone has done so that I actually decided not to.

However, there were other reasons that I decided not to dye my hair, and one of them is that many of the hair dyes that you purchase in stores contain high amounts of nickel, chromium, and cobalt. All three of these chemicals can make you sick if you are exposed to them in high amounts. Studies have shown that these and other chemicals present in hair dyes show up in your urine 24 hours after you've gotten your hair dyed. That means it doesn't take long for the chemicals to get into your bloodstream and be circulated through your body. Studies have also shown that nickel is carcinogenic to kidneys. Some symptoms of those who have been exposed to high amounts nickel are hypersensitivity reactions, dermatitis, and chronic rhinitis.

Since hair dyes are applied directly to your scalp which is closest to your root, and this is where the blood supply is the richest, you can see how easy it would be for these chemicals to get into your bloodstream.

Think you're okay because you aren't experiencing any symptoms? Think again. The reason you may not be experiencing any symptoms is simply that your body hasn't hit overflow when it comes to the chemicals. All it takes is a few dye jobs and being exposed to any of these chemicals in other ways for you to start experiencing symptoms caused by high toxicity of these chemicals in your body.

So what are your options if you want to dye your hair, but don't want to chance exposing yourself to high amounts of nickel, chromium and cobalt? Actually there are some good alternatives available. One option is to try a professional grade color from Hair Color To Go. They will work with you to pick the best color for you, and their hair dyes have some of the lowest amounts of nickel, chromium and cobalt which are available. In fact many hair dyes which are made in Europe don't contain these chemicals in as high amounts as found in hair dyes here in the United States.

Another option is to try henna. Now henna is wonderful since it is plant based, but if you are looking to cover your grays with it, it is not the best option. Henna tends to give gray hair green or yellow tones which can make your grays stand out even more.

A final option and this one is my favorite and the one I will use if I do ever change my mind and decide to dye my hair, and that is Colora. Colora is a 100% plant based hair dye which has no chemicals, additives or synthetic dyes. It is so good that even if you do not want to dye your hair but simply give it a pick-up and help to repair damage done to your hair, that they have one called Colora Natural which will do all this without actually coloring your hair.

However, if you are seeking to color your hair, they have a wonderful selection of thirteen rich colors. You can pick several colors from blonde to red to black. They even have a chart that helps you choose which color would be best for you based on your natural hair color. One draw back is that it may not be as permanent as commercial chemical hair dyes. Personally I am much happier with this option since it is plant based, and I don't have to be concerned about the chemicals leaching into my scalp, and bloodstream to eventually gather and make me ill later on. Frankly, we have enough chemicals to worry about when it comes to the air we breathe, I don't see any reason to be exposing my body to anymore of them if I don't need to!

So, if you've been using chemical commercial hair dyes and noticing some odd symptoms, now you may know why. Again though, even if you are not experiencing symptoms now that doesn't mean you won't in the future. And since there are plant based dyes which are safe to use, it seems to me that this is the better route to go if you are going to dye your hair. I hope you find this information as enlightening as I did!