Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
Hair dye or hair colour is a product that has been in use in India since a long time. But in recent years its use has become even more common. What initially started off as a product to cover greying hair and continue looking younger, has now become a beauty product for cosmetic appeal and for making a fashion statement. But the fact remains that its abundant usage can lead to long term issues that should not be ignored. In this article, we will be telling you the ill effects of hair colour on your hair and what you can do to prevent or lower the damage.
We all love having gorgeous hair in pretty shades of hair color like auburn, ochre and mahogany. Nowadays people are attracted to different hair colours or dyes for giving their personality a new look. But with all the radiance, shades and beautiful hair colour what also comes together with colouring your hair is bad hair health and degrading hair quality.
People use chemicals called hair colours or dyes to modify the colour of their hair. The substances in dyes have the potential to damage and weaken hair, giving it an unhealthy texture. However, remedies like conditioners and shampoos made especially for hair dyeing may be able to heal hair damage.
Hair can be harmed by chemical or natural hair colouring. This is due to the dye’s potential impact on the proteins and lipids that support healthy hair and are present in the hair.
Alterations to the hair shaft’s inner and exterior structure can harm hair, making it brittle and prone to breaking, which may eventually cause thinning or localised hair loss.
Hair dyes can weaken hair, but if someone still wants to colour their hair, they can take care to reduce any potential harm.
In this article, we will discuss the impact of hair colour on the health of your hair and even give you some repair and maintenance advice.
What do I need to know about hair dye and hair damage?
Approximately 95% of a dry hair strand is made up of proteins. These proteins function like the shingles on the house, shielding the strand below from
- Excess moisture
- Heat
- UV rays of the sun
These protective proteins lift when bleach or permanent or demi-permanent hair colour is applied, triggering a chemical process that enables chemicals to permeate the hair strand. The chemical composition of the hair is changed thereby the hair colour.
Temporary or demi-permanent hair dyes are produced using a different method than permanent or semi-permanent hair colours. Although temporary dyes put colour on your hair, they often do not penetrate deeper layers (though they can still damage your hair). This holds true for non-traditional hair dyes like coffee, carrot juice, and Kool-Aid.
Permanent and demi-permanent hair colour can have a number of negative side effects, including:
- Decrease in hair strength
- Your hair’s capacity to withstand heat styling has decreased
- Decreased thickness of hair
- Increased hair follicle roughness
In light of this, the hair is naturally altered throughout the hair colouring procedure. Your hair structure will determine both the immediate and long-term impacts of this.
Dyeing your hair might exacerbate weak or thin hair that is already present. Because it could take longer for the dye to lift the hair proteins and because it might need more treatments, thick hair might also experience dyeing-related adverse effects.
How can I repair the hair damage from Hair Colour?
The probability of additional hair damage might be increased by a history of previous heat styling or regular use of colouring procedures and there are multiple ways through which you can protect your hair from the damaging effects.
Here are some tips for safeguarding your hair:
- Use conditioners while dyeing your hair. Hair conditioners in hair colours assist in reducing the extent of hair damage. Hydrolyzed proteins present in conditioners provide nourishment to hair and reduce damage.
- Don’t overheat your hair. Hair can become even more brittle when heated. Don’t overuse hot styling products like hair dryers, curling wands and flat iron.
- Use thermal heat protection creams or sprays before using heat-styling products on your hair.
- Keep a significant gap between two hair-dyeing visits. Less frequent sessions for hair colouring can reduce damage.
- Use shampoos and conditioners that are hydrating. After dyeing, these items aid in retaining moisture in the hair. But make sure you use mild shampoos because shampoos with strong scents and lots of detergents (they often have a lot of lather) will do more harm than good.
- Think about dyeing your hair a shade closer to its natural colour. This could minimise harm when at all possible, as choosing a shade closer to your own natural shade requires fewer amount of hair colour coatings of hair dye.
Allergic reactions of Hair colour
If you need to colour your hair, apart from the above suggestions, you are recommended might first carry out a patch test to see whether they have an adverse reaction to hair colour. Individual instructions for a patch test may be included with each hair colour product.
Applying a tiny bit of hair dye to the inner elbow or behind the ear, covering an area of about 1 square centimetre, is the standard procedure for a patch test. After the dye has dried, people can watch the region for any irritation symptoms. After this test, waiting a few days could be helpful because a reaction might not occur right away. They can further apply the dye to the part of hair they wish to colour if there are no symptoms of irritation.
PPD, like other hair dye additives, may produce an allergic response. The following symptoms might indicate an allergic reaction:
- Swelling
- Itching
- Sores with a burning feeling
- Colour of the skin
A few days or immediately after using a product, an allergic response might happen. People should seek emergency medical attention if they have any facial or neck swelling, trouble breathing, or other symptoms that might indicate a serious allergic response.
Final thoughts
The look, texture, appearance and shade of hair are modified by all types of hair dyes.
Some hair colours, especially those that are permanent, change the composition and structure of the hair. Numerous hair colours have the potential to harm the hair shaft’s inner and outer layers. Both natural and artificial dyes have the potential to weaken hair, but because permanent colours penetrate more into the hair shaft, they may end up doing more harm.
You can pick hair dyes that contain conditioners to reduce dye damage or to repair hair. Using shampoos with lipids and proteins may also aid in the restoration of damage. To keep hair healthy, people can adhere to standard hair care advice including avoiding heat, tension, and other chemicals.
Also to improve your hair quality you can also try your hands on Herbved Hair Power with the organic substances that boost your hair quality.
Furthermore, you should also undergo preventive health checkups. These health checkups give a complete report about your health, allowing you to take necessary precautionary measures to improve your well-being and keep various ailments at bay.
