Hair coloring, or hair dyeing, is the practice of changing the hair color. The reason behind changing hair color varies, the most common motives being: to cover gray or white hair, to create a specific look, to suit preference, or to restore the original hair color. As technology advances, hair coloring has transformed from the ancient technique of using plants to the modern technique of using chemicals. More and more people have started coloring their hair. Research showed that in the United States, out of 263 randomly selected volunteers, 91% have had their hair dyed (Patel et al., 2013). However, as more and more people lean towards the practice of chemical hair coloring, it raises speculations on the overall safety of hair coloring and ways to repair the damages. This article aims to answer the prior questions.
How Does Hair Coloring Damage Hair:
Hair coloring can be separated into two categories: temporary and permanent. The main difference between these two categories would be the chemical ingredients used. Temporary hair dyes tend to achieve the transformation in color through non-oxidative processes; while the latter relies on oxidative processes (He et al., 2022). Since permanent hair coloring appears to be the most common category, this article will focus on the damages of permanent hair coloring. Most permanent hair colorings contain a combination of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) (Sissons, 2022). The three ingredients serve different purposes. Ammonia opens the outer layer of the hair shaft, the cuticle. By opening the cuticle, it allows hydrogen peroxide to remove pre-existing colors from the inner part of the hair, the cortex, via breaking the chemical bonds of the hair. At last, PPD bonds into the hair to color it (Empire Beauty School, 2021). However, by allowing hydrogen peroxide to remove pre-existing colors, it causes oxidative damage and protein loss in the cuticle and cortex of the hair (Grosvenor et al., 2018). Another concerning ingredient is PPD. Research shows that PPD is an allergen that can cause allergic and skin irritation. In addition, PPD may also have a link to health problems such as congenital abnormalities, liver and blood toxicity (Meisser et al., 2020). Besides scientific research on the negative effects of hair dye, growing complaints about hair dye-induced hair loss have been a concern of dermatologists (Işik et al., 2017). Overall, permanent hair coloring can cause damages such as loss of hair strength, less ability for your hair to handle heat styling, reduced hair thickness, and increased roughness of hair follicles (Nall, 2021).
How To Repair The Damages
In terms of repairing the damages caused by hair coloring, there are countless methods to repair, protect, and prevent damages from happening. Some common ways to do so include: using conditioner or moisturizing shampoos, limiting heat styling, and having a healthy diet (Lim et al., 2020). By using conditioners or moisturizing shampoos, it helps minimize the degree of hair damage, as it provides hydrolyzed silk proteins (Gama et al., 2018). By limiting heat style, it repairs and prevents more hair damages from happening. This is because our hair is prone to heat. When heat is applied, the natural oils are stripped from your hair, and the water molecules evaporate, changing the hair's protein structure (Nall, 2021). At last, having a healthy diet is most necessary for maintaining and repairing hair health. Nutrients such as protein, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids all serve an important role in providing and maintaining hair health. Therefore, a diet consisting of foods such as lean meats, vegetables, and fish is most optional for hair repair (The Healthline Editorial Team, 2015).
Conclusion:
As more and more people lean towards the practice of chemical hair coloring, the safety behind permanent hair coloring has been questioned. Within most permanent hair coloring dyes, hydrogen peroxide and PPD can be found. Hydrogen peroxide is found to be the substance that removes the pre-existing color while damaging the hair at the same time as the natural protein within the hair is removed. PPD is found to be the substance that gives a new color to the hair (He et al., 2022). The effects of PPD are a lot more severe than hydrogen peroxide as even a low concentration of PPD can cause damages such as allergic reactions, skin irritations, loss of hair strength, less ability for your hair to handle heat styling, reduced hair thickness, and increased roughness of hair follicle (Nall, 2021). However, these side effects of hair coloring can all be repaired through moisturizing conditioners, limitations on heat styling, and a healthy diet (Lim et al., 2020).
References:
1. Empire Beauty School (Ed.). (2021, November 29). Does Hair Color Damage Your Hair? Empire Beauty School. https://www.empire.edu/blog/beauty-tips/does-hair-color-damage-your-hair
2. Gama, R. M., França‐Stefoni, S. A., Sá‐Dias, T. C., Bedin, V., Baby, A. R., & Velasco, M. V. R. (2018). Protective effect of conditioner agents on hair treated with oxidative hair dye. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 17(6), 1090–1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12484
3. Grosvenor, A. J., Deb-Choudhury, S., Middlewood, P. G., Thomas, A., Lee, E., Vernon, J. A., Woods, J. L., Taylor, C., Bell, F. I., & Clerens, S. (2018). The physical and chemical disruption of human hair after bleaching - studies by transmission electron microscopy and redox proteomics. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 40(6), 536–548. https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.12495
4. He, L., Michailidou, F., Gahlon, H. L., & Zeng, W. (2022). Hair Dye Ingredients and Potential Health Risks from Exposure to Hair Dyeing. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 35(6), 901–915. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00427
5. Işik, S., Caglayan-Sözmen, S., Anal, Ö., Karaman, Ö., & Uzuner, N. (2017). Severe Neck and Face Edema in an Adolescent—Delayed Hypersensitivity Reaction to Hair Dye. Pediatric Emergency Care, 33(6), 422–423. https://doi.org/10.1097/pec.0000000000000898
6. Lim, B. T., Seo, H. A., Song, S.-H., Son, S. K., & Kang, N.-G. (2020). A Study for Perception of Hair Damage Using Friction Coefficient of Human Hair. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea, 46(3), 295–305. https://doi.org/10.15230/SCSK.2020.46.3.295
7. Meisser, S. S., Altunbulakli, C., Bandier, J., Opstrup, M. S., Castro-Giner, F., Akdis, M., Bonefeld, C. M., Johansen, J. D., & Akdis, C. A. (2020). Skin barrier damage after exposure to paraphenylenediamine. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 145(2), 619-631.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2019.11.023
8. Nall, R. (2021, September 7). Does Dyeing Your Hair Damage It? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/does-dying-your-hair-damage-it#chemicals-to-look-out-for
9. Patel, D., Narayana, S., & Krishnaswamy, B. (2013). Trends in Use of Hair Dye: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Trichology, 5(3), 140–143. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7753.125610
10. Sissons, B. (2022, March 31). Does dying hair damage it, and is it repairable? Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/does-dye-damage-hair#what-is-hair-dye
11. The Healthline Editorial Team. (2015, February 26). Simple Secrets to Healthier, Fuller, Shinier Hair. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/tricks-healthier-fuller-hair#omega-fatty-acids
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