Don’t like your natural hair color? Annoyed with those gray strands that make you look old? Want to update your look and feel more confident? The answer to all these hair problems is hair dye or color.
National Cancer Institute reports that over 30 percent of women over the age of 18 and 10 percent of men above 40 color their hair using commercial products. While this seems pretty harmless, it’s imperative to know that some of the 5,000 chemicals used in these products have been found to cause many types of ailments, including cancer. In fact, hair coloring products have been linked to the onset and progress of cancer.
Let’s get to know more about this.
Toxic Chemicals in Hair Coloring Products
According to Epoch Inspired, a 2006 report from the European Commission revealed that there’s no single hair dye brand that’s completely safe for consumers to use. The EU Commission now prohibits the use of 22 ingredients on hair care or any personal care products. But you can still find many of these being sold in other countries like in the United States.
The reason for banning? These chemicals have been found to cause health problems such as allergies, skin irritation, eye irritation, lung ailments, rheumatoid arthritis and many more. Here are some of those that you should stay away from:
Para-phenylenediamine
Made from petroleum-derived chemical coal tar, PPD is usually utilized as a wood preservative. According to research, it is toxic to the skin and when combined with hydrogen peroxide can increase the risk of cancer.
DMDM Hydantoin
A preservative that triggers the release of formaldehyde, this chemical has been found to weaken immune resistance and cause irritation in the tissues.
Hydrogen Peroxide
This chemical is used for removing the hair’s natural color. It alters the natural hair structure and luster.
Ammonia
Used for opening up the cuticle so that the dye will be absorbed by the shaft more efficiently, ammonia is said to cause irritation in the lungs and caustic burns.
Parabens
Parabens are preservatives that are commonly used in hair products like shampoo and dyes. They’ve been found to trigger skin irritation and allergic reactions.
Resorcinol
Another dye chemical that causes many ailments, resorcinol not only irritates the scalp but also causes problems in the endocrine system.
Lead acetate
Commonly used in dark hair dyes, lead acetate is believed to increase the risk of anemia and several cognitive and neurological problems.
The Link between Hair Dye and Cancer
For years, the link between hair color and cancer has been the subject of numerous scientific studies. Many of these have found a correlation between constant use of hair dye and the increased risk of the following cancers
Leukemia
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Bladder
Breast
Some of the findings show that the chemicals in hair coloring products cause cancer in laboratory animals after it has been absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. Studies done on people meanwhile found that people who use hair dyes regularly or are exposed to its chemicals at the workplace (such as hair stylists) are at an increased risk of the cancers mentioned above.
The Solution?
Sticking to your natural hair color is the best and easiest solution. It also saves you time and money. Now, if you want to lighten your hair, there are natural ways to do this as discussed at EpiCraze. Some of the natural ingredients that you can use include:
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Honey
Chamomile
Apple cider vinegar
Cinnamon
If you prefer to have a red tone, soak your hair in a mixture of beet and carrot juice. Coffee is the ingredient to use if you’d like a brown shade. To bring out low-lights for your graying hair, organic dried sage mixed with water is an excellent homemade recipe to try.
There’s no need to put your health at risk just to have a more stunning hair color. Avoid the use of cancer-causing chemicals and opt for the natural route using the ingredients mentioned above.