So my husband has been giving me a really hard time lately (although he is only partly serious) saying that I've gone off the deep-end :) Sadly, I can't say I disagree with him all together. I want to make sure that my readers understand that although I have become much more paranoid about our environment and what I let into my home. However, I feel that this makes me and my family healthier and happier, not scared to leave the front door. I'm not one of those people wearing a mask because I'm freaked out about germs or someone who won't touch the register receipts because they contain BPA (although I do immediately throw away all non-essential receipts). I feel that the things I bring to the table on this blog are concerns that are being raised all around this country for good reason. There is a movement, mostly by moms, to save our environment (not in the "let's recycle" kind of way, but more in the "let's keep chemicals out of farms and food sources" kind of way) and protect our bodies from companies that serve us chemicals on a platter, albeit a very tempting platter ("Reduced lines and wrinkes!" "Smoother, sexier hair!" "Vegetables in the microwave in minutes!" etc). There are things we can't control, such as wireless internet everywhere and the person smoking in front of us, but if there are ways to control harmful substances that are somehow creeping into my body, I'm going to do it 100% (I'd say 110% but my husband would give me a hard time because he says 100% is the max, there should be no 110%) :)
Onto today's topic...hair dyes. Yikes! This one is going to ruffle some feathers, especially my mother's. I remember in college, the few times I did have my hair highlighted, the wonderful feeling I felt afterwards. I felt skinnier, taller, and so gorgeous. I tried so hard to hang on to the blondeness of my youth until I just couldn't afford it anymore. It was a bit of a grieving process, but I haven't chemically treated my hair in six years, and I have to tell you, I have more people comment on how healthy my hair is than I ever did before then, although I also don't use any product on it or use a straightener/curling iron. When I had my hair cut before my wedding, the woman asked me how long it had been since I had my hair cut. When I told her at least 10 months, she gave me the speech about how often I should have it cut and that she was probably going to have to cut off more than I wanted because of split ends, etc. But once she combed out my hair and started analyzing it, she noted that I have very few split ends and my hair looked really healthy. I still don't cut my hair very often (mostly because I'm cheap), but I do understand that those with a more complex hair style have to (I just keep my straight across the bottom, nothing fancy because I'm super lazy when it comes to hair....wash and air dry, that's all I do). Plus now I LOVE my brown hair. However, in the next 10-20 years when that color starts to fade to gray, I hope I'm still as adamant about avoiding hair dyes (and I'm REALLY optimistic that they'll have improved technology by then) :)
The synthetic dyes that salons and at-home kits use directly affect our health. There are tons of research articles to support this. Two separate studies in 2005 and 2007 found that dye ingredients are cancerous, specifically leading to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and bone marrow cancers. A study in 1995 linked dye chemicals to breast cancer. In these studies, the risk of cancer increased anywhere from 19-26%. These cancers are more present in hair care professionals who have worked with hair dyes long term than those who haven't. As I mentioned in my Safe Cosmetics post, the scalp absorbs the chemicals in the dyes and they enter directly into the blood stream, which is how the cancers are popping up in other places of the body. Most of the research claiming there is no risk from hair dyes was typically conducted by companies who have ties to the cosmetic industry. Another study from the University of North Carolina linked maternal hair dye use to elevated risk of childhood cancer, including neuroblastoma.
What strikes me as so sad is that not only have concerns been raised beginning in 1995, but that now our children, the pre-teens and teens out there, are readily using these products. Oh I just cringe when I see this. There's no need for kids to be dying their hair, which is likely so beautiful underneath all the crap they put in it. To me, this is just another symptom of an underlying message our young children are receiving: you are not good enough as you are, so let's cover you up with makeup and hair color and give you a spin. This may be a bit dramatic, considering I remember being so excited to try makeup on so I could be cool like my friends, but my skin has never been as nice as it was before that (and I started makeup late, so I don't really think that puberty can take all the blame for my bad skin after makeup).
Okay, back on topic. Here are the chemicals you need to look out for (there are more that are considered dangerous, but there are the really bad guys):
phenylenediamine
aminophenol
ethanolamine
hydroquinone
2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol (do any of these really sound like they could be good for us?)
Sadly, there aren't really any healthy alternatives. A few "green" hair dyes actually contain chemicals as well. I haven't been able to come across any that truly are safe, but there are some that are less awful :) I hope that by the time my hair starts turing gray, we've become a society that accepts and embraces gray hair (as I think we should).
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