Does Hair Dye Cause Hair Loss

The Longer You Dye The More Damage You Cause

While the bleach is sitting on your head, the molecules are going into the strands and developing. But the longer the cuticle is lifted the more damage is done to your hair.

“Most people donât realize this but most hair color has a built in timer. After a certain point the color will stop working,” Jaymi Smith, a hairstylist at Cavana Spa & Salon, tells Bustle. As for bleach, that is where the damage can really occur. Unlike hair color, bleach is constantly working. The goal with bleach is to lighten the hair to your desired level of lightness Anything beyond that is removing stuff that doesnât need to be removed, and thatâs where the damage comes in.”

Smith warns about putting color on top of color. “This process of emptying and filling the hair with color molecules over and over is like painting on the same piece of paper over and over again. Eventually that paper with be flimsy and when it driesâ¦it will crack. The same thing goes with your hair.”

Does Hair Dye Cause Hair Loss

While coloring your hair does not necessarily disrupt the natural process of hair growth, it can cause hair loss due to the damage on your strands. This is because the hairs that have yet to emerge on your scalp do not directly contact the chemicals.

But the strands that are treated with the hair dye are affected in a few ways. The dyeing procedure involves a lot of rubbing and combing, and this can loosen the hairs and cause shedding. Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide do this, too, and weaken your hair shafts, leading to increased breakage.

Those of you who use dyes that lighten your hairs natural color are at the most risk of breakage and hair loss. This is because these dyes contain high volumes of peroxide.

The brunette-turned-blonde will notice shortened locks or less need for a haircut as the breakage and cuticle disruption happens at the distal ends of the hair shaft .

While those who have hairs that have gone from very dark to exceptionally light experience breakage all the way to the scalp to the point of alopecia. It is temporary though until new hair growth occurs.

The time it takes for the hair to grow back varies from person to person. On average, people who have suffered hair loss may see fuller, thicker locks once more after 6 to 9 months.

However, it is possible to suffer from permanent loss and damage if you consistently attack your hair with coloring and heavy bleaching.

So, what can you do to keep your strands in place?

Dieting And Hair Loss

Dieting may be popular but definitely not when it comes to hair. Dieting can make your hair root too weak to sustain the pressure of your hair, leading to a form of hair loss called Anagen Effluvium. If you want to lose weight, do so under the qualified supervision of a dietician who can help you with a safe and healthy diet plan.

If you ever notice worrying changes in your hair such as hair loss, itchy scalp, and split ends contact a hair loss specialist like Simone Thomas immediately. You may be too fashionable for your hairs liking but with timely help you can rectify the condition.

For a hair loss consultation please contact Simone Thomas on 01202 760003.

You May Like: How Do You Prevent Hair Loss From Diabetes

Add A Protein Treatment

The hair coloring process may weaken your hair so itâs a good idea to get a protein treatment done along with hair coloring. âThese proteins work to add nutrients back into the hair while the cuticle is vulnerable from the coloring process. This reduces harm done to your hair and may leave your hair feeling more soft, shiny, and healthy,â Scott Paviol, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Paviol Dermatology in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells WebMD Connect to Care.

How To Avoid Hair Loss While Using Hair Dye

No matter if youre dyeing your strands at home or getting the treatment from a saloon, follow the below tips to prevent hair loss:

• Always use PPD, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide-free hair dyeing products.
• Avoid bleaching your strands at all costs.
• After dyeing your hair, moisturize the strands properly and eat hair nourishing foods.
• As hair dyeing weakens the strands, thats why getting a protein treatment along is highly recommended.
• Opt for natural hair dyes instead of traditional ones, as they are free from harmful chemicals.
• Dont brush, comb, and blow-dry your strands after the hair dyeing process.
• Do follow your hairstylist suggested hair care routine.

Don’t Miss: Can Breastfeeding Cause Hair Loss

Can Hair Dyes For Men Cause Hair Loss

While scientists are still working to find out how and why hair loss exactly happens, we do know that it can be caused by several factors like genetics, hormonal imbalance, and stress. Certain hair products have also been linked to hair loss, as some chemicals found in these products may damage our hair. Recently, hair dyes have been under the spotlight for their potentially damaging effects.

So, is there a link between hair dyes and hair loss?

Hair Dye Causing Scalp Irritation

Hair dyes containing hydrogen peroxide and ammonia may cause scalp irritation which results into itchy and red rashes on the regions which have come in contact with the dye. Hydrogen peroxide has many ill effects on the hair such as:

• Alter the hair structure
• Increase dullness and weakening of the strands.
• Partially destroy the outer surface of the hair
• Removes natural protection of hair

All these effects make the damage irreversible and the hair becomes rough and difficult to manage. The hair becomes dull, weak and brittle. There are some ways to minimize the ill effects of hair dye which are:

• Apply the dye only to grey roots of new hair growth so that rest of the hair remains protected from chemicals.
• Use special shampoos and conditioner made for colored hair.
• Protect your hair from sunlight and harmful ultraviolet rays when you step outside

Hair dyes can cause an allergic reaction but their effect is not found on hair follicles or hair growth and it is also found that regular use of hair products along with regular washing and combing does not have any link with hair loss. Most people have suffered from genetically caused hair loss known as androgenic alopecia and this condition can progress over time. Therefore, it is true that hair dye can cause hair loss but it should not be blamed as the sole cause as there are many other factors which are equally responsible for hair loss.

Read Also: What Kind Of Doctor Do You See For Hair Loss

Real Stories From Real Clients

Hairline Ink is proud tooffer this helpful eBook.

Hairline Ink Reviews

At Hairline Ink, we do our best to make sure that every client has an experience worth sharing. Just read what some of our clients are saying about their own results. A leap of faith is all it takes, and it starts with a simple phone call with one of our amazing Client Care Managers.

I often find myself browsing through the pictures you have taken of all the customersOne million Stars for youVisiting hairline ink was an incredible experience.If you’re reading this because you’re on the fence – DO IT!This Procedure has changed my life!They ask me who my barber is and compliment me!I had two treatments and I cant say enough positive things about my experienceHaving been bald for the last 5 years i can honestly say that hairline ink has changed my lifestop thinking about doing this treatment AND just get it done

Allergic Reactions To Hair Dye

In rare instances, hair dye can cause severe allergic reactions.

Swelling of the lips and eyes are early indicators of allergic reactions. Seek emergency medical attention if you start to experience problems breathing after applying hair dye.

Its possible to perform a patch test of hair dye by applying it to a small area before dyeing all the hair. Keep in mind that not all people who have an allergic reaction to hair dye have a reaction from a patch test.

Read Also: Can You Recover From Hair Loss

How Does Hair Dye Actually Work

Hair dye works by penetrating the hair cuticle through the cortex and reacting with the melanin in your hair strands. This can sound extreme, but when you dye your hair, youre essentially dying something that is dead. Once the hair has reached the skins surface, it no longer contains any living cells. Hair grows from the follicle at the root and is fed via the bloodstream. Its for this reason that many people assume that hair dyes cannot possibly cause hair loss and for the most part, theyre right. There are some instances however, where dying your hair may be the cause of or contributing to your hair loss, even though these instances are rare.

How Does Hair Dye Damage Your Hair Exactly

There are several different ways in which frequent hair dye application can torment and damage your hair over time. How applicable each of them is will depend on the individual hair dye in question, as different hair dyes include different components, are applied over different stretches of time and are generally applied in different manners. However, more or less, each hair dye will damage your hair in any of these ways at least a little bit. So, lets go over them one by one:

• The manipulation of the hair shafts itself will have a direct effect on them. This isnt directly related to the hair dyes themselves, but they do require the manual manipulation of your hair often enough. The frequent rubbing and combing of the hair that are part of the dyeing procedure will typically loosen a lot of hairs and lead to increased shedding.
• The second and probably most prominent factor is that hair dyes contain both ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. Both of these chemicals weaken and loosen telogen hairs, thus leading to hair shedding and hair loss. This isnt an unintended side-effect of these chemicals either their intended purpose is to fade the natural darker colors of hair to make it suitable for dyeing. After all, you cant really dye jet black hair it needs to be whitened first. Thats why the stronger the dye is, i.e. the more its intended for darker hairs, the more hydrogen peroxide it contains, and the more harmful it is for your hair.

Don’t Miss: What Kind Of Shampoo Should I Use For Thinning Hair

Your Hair Won’t Actually Fall Out

There’s always that worry that if you over-dye your hair, you’ll kickstart some sort of hair loss episode. But there’s actually no evidence that hair dyeing causes as much.

“Hair loss can occur for many reasons, but itâs unlikely to be caused by routine hair coloring. Hair color can, though, cause hair damage which can lead to breakage,” George says. “This is because the strength of hair is mostly due to strong disulfide bonds in the hair. Hair coloring and bleaching can break those disulfide bonds permanently, leading to weak hair.” So there you have it: As long as you condition it properly to prevent your hair from becoming brittle, enjoying a monthly dye job shouldn’t make you go bald.

Now that you’re armed with the facts, your next visit to the hair salon or drugstore box dye aisle should be a little more enlightening. You now know exactly what you’re doing to your hair, and can rest easy over the harsh smells, scary words , and threats of David Letterman hairline futures. Science doesn’t lie.

This article was originally published on Jan. 21, 2016

Taking Care Of Breaking Hair

Since hair breakage is often a big factor, its good to discern if the hair you see in the sink or in your brush is lost hair or broken hair. Lost hairs will have a bulb attached at the end growth end. Broken hairs do not. If breakage is your problem. treat your hair gently. That means not tugging or using hard plastic or metal brushes, warm vs hot water for shampooing, turning down the heat on the hair dryer or simply air drying, using gentle shampoos and making sure you arent using hair coloring products that are too strong for your hair.

Read Also: Does Saw Palmetto Help With Hair Loss

Hair Dyesand Hair Loss

Hair dyes are one of the issuesthat must be taken into account to know if allergies can cause hair loss ornot.Some dyes their hair, for a more attractive appearance, of course.

But the least they imagine isthat there’s a chemical in those dyes that cause hair loss.

This substance is called Para-Phenylenediamine,or PPD, and is present in two-thirds of all existing dyes. PPD causes anallergic reaction on the scalp called contact dermatitis.

In the area exposed to PPD, dermatitiscauses swelling, itching, and small red patches. So, the use of some dyescreates an allergy that causes the hair to fall out.

In this case, that would be allergiccontact dermatitis, which triggers Telogen Effluvium. There, yes, the hairbegins to fall out. If you want to know more about this condition, you cango to this link.

Solution: Control The Heat

“I highly recommend everyone uses heated hair tools that have a temperature gauge, so you can lower it,” says the hair stylist Neil Moodie. “This will cause less stress to the hair shaft.” Ghds Helios Hairdryer and Dyson’s Supersonic are two great examples, while avoiding going over the same section of hair with a temperature-controlled pair of straighteners or curling iron can help minimise the damage too. You should also double the protection by using a heat defence spray and towel dry your hair gently but thoroughly before picking up your tools to minimise the time spent using them.

Recommended Reading: Does Copaxone Cause Hair Loss

The Ammonia In Your Hair Dye Breaks Through Your Hair Cuticles

Hair dye doesn’t just rinse across your hair and stain it. It actually has to break through a couple of barriers to set permanently. In order to get into the hair shaft, it has to get through the hair’s natural protection: the cuticle.

And how does it get past that obstacle? The ammonia in hair dye lifts the cuticle up to let the molecules of the dye in.

“The cuticle is the first line of defense in protecting the integral structure of the hair fiber, much like the shingles on the roof of a house protect inside the home. The pigments responsible for natural hair color are below the cuticle, so to get to those natural pigments and deposit new color, the cuticle needs to swell to allow hair color to get in,” Valerie George, co-host of The Beauty Brains and a hair color chemist, tells Bustle. “Ingredients with a high alkalinity, like ammonia or monoethanolamine, are responsible for allowing the cuticle to swell for the hair color reaction to take place.”