I have gotten my hair done every 4-5 months for as long as I can remember. Even when I am planning to get pregnant, I have a Hair Plan so that there will be a smooth transition to my next hair phase. For instance, when I knew we were planning for Baby #2, I decided to have dark roots and a subtle ombre since I knew I would probably not be able to dye my hair for a really long time. I have a lot of gray hairs on top of my head so I like to at least get my roots done when I’m pregnant or breastfeeding. Now that summer is coming, I thought it would be nice to discuss some healthier hair dying options for pregnant/nursing moms. There are a few safe ways to get this done!

henna

Henna Hair Dye: This is really easy to find on the internet, and even LUSH offers bars of these henna dyes that are super easy to pick up! I’ve never done it by myself, but the instructions seem pretty easy to do on their website. I’ve found that the Henna & Vegetable Dyes are pretty similar. The ingredients for these hair dyes are blends of henna (lawsonia inermis), indigo (indigofera tinctoria), cocoa butter and raw materials like coffee, irish moss and essential oils. The fact that it’s pretty natural should give you a sense that the color won’t be super vibrant or work to lighten hair. (So it won’t work on blonde hair.) However, it’s perfect for a temporary fix for pregnant/nursing moms if you’re uncomfortable with regular hair dyes. It will get the job done!

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henna 2

Vegetable Hair Dye: I must have found the one rare salon in Los Angeles that offers vegetable hair dye! It has virtually no scent at all and according to the owner, it has as little as 3% chemicals. It is supposed to be considered a permanent hair color, but it is obviously not as potent as the regular stuff. I chose a natural dark brown color that would lighten naturally over time. It did a great job covering my gray hairs! It’s been about 2-3 months since I’ve gotten it done and the color has faded a little, but is definitely still there. I’m sure everyone responds differently to this depending on their hair type. There seems to be a lot of cost efficient brands available for purchase online. Even Sephora currently has opened its doors to some safe hair dyes to cover grays!

herbatint

Ammonia-Free Hair Dye: This is probably the easiest type of service to find at any local salon. Also, there are a lot more colors easily available in stores and online! Ammonia-free hair dying is the most effective of the three I’ve mentioned and will definitely last the longest. However, it is not as “safe” as the other two since there are still chemicals in the dye. Ammonia-free dyes still contain questionable ingredients that seem to vary depending on the brands. In general, you want to stay away from these common ingredients in hair dyes:

  • Ammonia
  • Peroxide
  • PPDs (para-phenylenediamines)
  • Coal tar
  • Lead
  • Toluene
  • Resorcinol

ammonia free

My Tips for Hair Coloring during Pregnancy/Breastfeeding days:

  • Wait until you’re comfortably in the middle of your 2nd trimester. Most salons won’t even touch your hair if they know you are still in your first trimester! Make sure your stylist is well aware of whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Make your appointment the very first one of the day. This way, you are not stuck in a room filled with chemicals. I hate the idea of inhaling a bunch of other peoples’ hair solutions for a couple hours. If possible, ask for a chair that’s the furthest away from everyone and make sure you take a breather outside while you’re waiting!
  • Consider getting highlights done instead of hair coloring. Why? Because highlights don’t touch the scalp and is safer in that aspect. However, you will be around bleach, so the smell is something to consider. But if you’re just looking for a pick-me-up type of service, maybe some high or low lights would be a better choice during this time.
  • If you’ve never done a hair coloring by yourself… prepare yourself! It’s a lot harder than it looks. (One reason why I choose to just get it done by a professional! That way if I’m not satisfied, I can get it re-done.)
  • If you’re coloring your hair yourself and have never used the brand, do a test strip first. I know many people breeze over this in the instructions, but it really will give you a better idea of how your hair will come out. It can also help you gauge how much time you should keep the dye on for.
  • Have realistic expectations. Henna and Vegetable hair dyes are not going to be as glossy, vibrant or long lasting as regular hair dyes. Prices at the salon will probably even be the same cost even though it’s a less effective dye. Since you’ll probably only being doing this once or twice, just expect that the color is meant to be more of a temporary cover-up for the time being.
  • Do your own thing. It all depends on how comfortable you are with dying your hair. If you totally don’t care about this stuff, why not just wait a few months of gray hair or dark roots until you feel 100% comfortable?