What risks can hair dye cause?
Hair dyes are not as harmless as you think. Understand!
How, overnight, is it possible to change hair colors? Is our hair capable of transferring substances from synthetic hair dye to the rest of the body? Are There Natural Hair Dye Alternatives? What is the difference between synthetic and natural dye? For all these questions there are answers. Let's understand more!
This video briefly explains how hair acquires color through the use of dye:
Hair dyes can be classified into temporary, semi-permanent and permanent. It is possible to color the hair because interactions and chemical reactions occur between the components of the dye (natural or synthetic) and the hair structures.
Temporary dyes dye the hair because they can deposit dyes on the surface of the strands. The duration of this type of dye is a few washes (two or more).
With a longer duration, semi-permanent dyes appear, which reach the threads with more depth and remain for up to six washes.
Permanent dyes can be absorbed by the hair fiber and last much longer than six washes.
Synthetic and natural dye
Most natural dyes have the characteristic of being temporary. Natural dyes can be obtained from plants such as walnut, indigo, Terminalchebula, the marsh cress (button weed), the sarandi tree, the pepper tree Piper betle, a sinuata acacia, the fenugreek seed, the Sapindus mukorossi, arnica and the popular henna.
Synthetic dyes are composed of artificial dyes and have a large amount of solvent. They can be temporary, semi-temporary or permanent.
Common ingredients and their risks
The risks of hair dye are primarily in its makeup. There are hair dyes that are normally used to color gray hair, which are composed of metallic dyes such as lead, bismuth or silver. Elements such as lead are considered heavy metals, which in addition to dyes are present in many other cosmetics.
In hair dye, lead can be found in the form of lead acetate. When it enters our body, lead can lead to neurological, gastrointestinal, muscle and hormonal problems, cancer, among others.
- Lead: applications, risks and prevention
Another very common ingredient is formaldehyde, which is only allowed in Brazil as a preservative and not as a straightener. The substance can cause effects such as hair loss, dermatitis, ulcerations and cancer.
Tar considered to be carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) can also be found in semi-permanent dyes. The worst effect of tar is precisely the appearance of cancer (skin, lung, bladder, blood cells).
Fragrance is another ingredient present in synthetic dyes that deserves attention. Its effects range from allergic reactions to increased risk of DNA modification, depending on the concentration and frequency of use.
- "Hidden" perfumes in cosmetics are potentially dangerous to health
Another common component is paraben and its most common types: methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben. The effects of parabens can be allergies, premature skin aging and hormone disruption (endocrine disruptors).
- Know the problem and types of paraben
Dioxane releasers make up a large part of synthetic dyes. They are considered possibly carcinogenic by IARC and can cause scalp irritation, trigger allergies, irritation in the throat and nose through inhalation of products such as dyes.
Allergic reactions caused by these ingredients are not limited to mild symptoms such as nose irritation, they can cause extreme swelling of the face to the point that medical attention is required.
All damage to health can only occur if these substances come into contact with our body (externally or internally). Thus, there are studies that indicate the absorption of dye components through the scalp, that is, the products that come into contact with the scalp can be easily absorbed and cause negative health effects.
Alternatives
There are already products on the market that use henna as an active ingredient in natural dyes. the henna in nature leaves hair with a reddish tinge. To change the final color, other natural vegetable colorings are added and, in the case of industrialized products, synthetic preservatives can be added.
Opt for henna-based products that are currently well distributed on the market, but which contain as few synthetic compounds as possible - they are still needed to maintain the quality of the product for a longer time.
