Hair colouring is just basic chemistry. It is all about the reactions that take place in between the pigments in your hair, the pigments in dye, peroxide, and ammonia.
While it can be fun experimenting with colours, the damage they cause in the form of dry and brittle hair can dampen the fun. Hence, it is always a good idea to switch to safer and more natural alternatives.
In this article, we have discussed the side effects of hair dyeing that everyone should know before they colour their hair.
- Allergic Reactions
Hair dyes causing allergic reactions are not uncommon, especially because permanent hair dyes contain paraphenylenediamine, which is a common allergen.
In milder cases, permanent dyes can cause itching, skin irritation, redness, or swelling on your scalp or other sensitive areas like your face and neck.
Also, not having had an allergic reaction in the past does not mean you won’t have one in the future. The more you colour your hair, the more likely you become to having an adverse reaction.
- Over Processing
Permanent hair colours often contain ammonia (or chemicals similar to it) and peroxide (1). The ammonia breaks through your hair shaft, and the peroxide neutralizes (or bleaches out) the natural pigment in your hair, stripping away colour. This process of relaxing the hair cuticles to reach the cortex of your hair and bleach out its natural pigment is, essentially, hair damage.
Over treating your hair with these chemicals will cause it to lose lustre, break easily, and in some extreme cases, wash away with water. While processed hair can be revived to a certain extent with hair care treatments, the only way to get rid of the damage from over-processing is to chop your hair off.
- Upkeep
While this is not technically a side effect, it can be cause for some. A lot of people don’t realize just how much goes into the upkeep of coloured hair. It is a long-term commitment that will have you rushing back to the salon every month or so, which can be hard on your hair.
You will need to buy products that are specially formulated for coloured hair. A few styles need regular touch-ups, and your hair, in general, needs so much extra care.
Post-processed hair is really vulnerable to damage and demands a lot of time, patience, and care. Failing to give your hair what it needs will result in locks that lack shine, lustre, and health.