Health : Harmful effects of hair dyes

She was a middle aged lady who had come to the emergency services at 12 in the night. She had suddenly developed swelling over her face and the whole body with big red patches and this entire picture was very frightening for her and her family. Enquiries done revealed that she had colored her hair with a dye for attending a function. Few hours after that, she developed this reaction. Hair dyes or colours are substances used to change the colour of the hair temporarily or for a long time. With fashion trend setters, bringing in new trends, colouring of the hair has come into vogue in a big way, in the past decade or so. It is not only for aging people to cover their grey hair, but even younger people who use hair colours to match their dresses, complexion or to create hair styles. Hair colours are also used by people to add shine to their hair. With hair colours so much in use, it needs to be reviewed as to what hair colours do to our body and health. Artificial or chemical hair colours contain a variety of substances which are used to change or replace the natural hair colour pigment. Many of these substances, particularly PPD (P-phenylene di-amine) is known to cause allergic reactions. This may manifest in the form of localized or generalized itching and skin rashes. In more severe cases, there is generalized swelling, hoarseness of voice and even death can occur. Other allergy related problems like bronchial asthma and eczema are also aggravated by use of hair dyes. Though the hair looks good for some time after applying hair colour, long term use is bad for the health of hair. The hair becomes dry, looses luster and becomes brittle. Thus it can break easily. Regular use of hair colour can lead to loss of hair also, causing baldness. Other chemicals like resorcinol and hydrogen peroxide, e.t.c. are also not very safe for the body. Resorcinol is known to induce hypothyroidism in experimental rats. Hydrogen peroxide has been linked to neurotoxicity and has been banned in some countries. Ammonia is an irritant to the eyes and nose and also produces allergic reactions and asthma. As the normal natural hair colour pigment is replaced or removed by hair dyes, there is a risk of inducing graying of hair in young people in whom hair is naturally black. Lead acetate present in hair dyes can potentially produce many harmful effects in the body including cancer. It is still debated whether small amounts of chemicals present in hair dyes can cause cancer. But some studies have shown higher prevalence of cancer in women who use hair colours regularly, than those who do not. Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bladder cancer, lung cancer are some of the cancers linked to hair dyes. It is not only the people using hair colours, but also the hair stylists and barbers working with them on a daily basis, who are at risk of these problems. One should ask himself or herself; is colouring of hair really necessary? If the hair has few grey strands and a person wants to cover them, it is better to use natural colouring products like henna and indigo. Naturally occurring henna if applied on the hair in form of a paste and washed after drying, leaves a reddish or orange colour. If somebody has a lot of grey hair and desires to cover it, it would be prudent to check the contents of the hair colour before using them. A word of caution here, many hair colours claiming to be, “natural”, do contain chemicals though in less quantity. One should think wisely before starting using hair dyes regularly. Is it absolutely necessary to use them and expose oneself to these potential risks or one can do without it? This should be a personal decision. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk