Coloring your hair requires an investment in time and money. And your looks and self-image are at stake. Unfortunately, the chemicals needed to color your hair can have unkind effects on your hair and scalp. The after-effects can also cause your hair to discolor. In this article we’ll look at how dyes can damage your hair, and what kind of special care you can take to prevent or correct this damage.
Your Hair
The hair shaft is the part we see when we brush our hair, the part that comes out of the hair follicle in the skin. It consists of two components: a cortex in the middle, and a cuticle that covers the surface of the cortex.
The cuticle is thin and transparent, allowing the cortex to determine the color of our hair. Its purpose is to protect the hair from chemicals or anything else that could damage the hair.
The cortex (and the inner medulla) is the part that gives our hair its strength, texture, and shape. It decides if your hair is thick or thin, and straight or wavy. It also contains pigments that determine your hair color.
Coloring Your Hair
To permanently color your hair, the dye must penetrate the hair’s cuticle then get to the pigment in the cortex. To do this, hair dying products usually contain three active ingredients:
- Ammonia, to penetrate the hair’s cuticle and cortex
- Hydrogen peroxide, to strip the hair of its natural color
- p-phenylenediamine (PPD), to bond to the hair and color it
Other common dye ingredients include resorcinol, alcohol, phthalates, and parabens.
All these ingredients are toxic to the hair and scalp. Some are toxic to the rest of the body and the environment. For example, hydrogen peroxide stresses the hair, and can cause breakage and loss. It can irritate or burn the scalp, and its fumes can irritate the eyes and lungs.
Avoiding Hair Damage From Hair Dye
Opting out of a permanent dye and instead choosing a temporary or semi-permanent dye may reduce the damage to your hair. Temporary dyes only target the outer layers of the hair, and wash away quickly. Semi-permanent dyes penetrate the hair cortex and remove your natural color, but the chemicals involved are weaker and less damaging. They usually wash out after 4 to 12 hair washes.
Awareness of the toxicities of hair dye ingredients has resulted in many PPD-free hair dyes being offered on the market. Reading the label will let you know if the product contains PPDs. Ammonia- and peroxide-free dyes are also widely available.
The more drastic the color change, the more disruption there will be to your hair’s natural structure. For example, a brunette who wants a different shade would require very little disruption of her hair. On the other hand, becoming a blond would require harsh chemicals. Try to stay within three shades of your natural color, and it is preferable to darken rather than lighten.
Choosing a conditioning hair dye, such as one that contains milk protein or hydrolyzed silk, may reduce the damage from dying.
Special Care of Colored Hair
Taking extra care of your colored hair will help your hair recover from damage from the dying process. It will also help you maintain your color longer and keep your hair healthy.
The following tips will help you take better care of your colored hair:
- Avoid sun exposure to your hair by wearing a sun hat
- Use a specially formulated shampoo for color-treated hair
- Use a shampoo or conditioner formulated with special lipids, stearyl alcohols, cetyl, and/or ceramides
- Use a conditioner after every wash, especially at the hair ends
- Avoid exposing your hair to chlorinated water. For example, wear a bathing cap in pools
- Minimize heat exposure to your hair, and apply a heat protection product beforehand
- Use hair products matched to your hair type and color
- Space out dying and other damaging hair treatments as much as possible
- Treat any scalp conditions that may develop from hair dyes. Damage may occur to the hair follicles
Check out some of our other articles on optimal hair-care, such as Dry, Brittle, or Frizzy Hair? Stop Making These Hair Mistakes, and Your Guide to Dying Your Hair Safely and Effectively with Henna, Indigo, and Amla.
Take-Home Message
Coloring your hair can stress and damage your hair due to the harsh chemicals involved. By taking some extra care during the dying process and after, you can do much to prevent or reduce damage and maintain your color.
