Is It Safe to Highlight My Hair???

My OB gave me the green light to highlight my hair at 9 weeks. I did foils and the dye never touched my scalp. I'm so glad I did it. My hair is just about the only part of my body I still have control over. :P Go get glammed up. You deserve it! :)

Hi there,

I am also preganant, 12 weeks along. I desperately need hair color, but after weighing the risks (albeit, largely unknown) and the benefits, I decided to wait until after the first trimester and then only do foils so very little to no chemicals will come in contact with my scalp. It is simply no worth the risk. What's more is that if, God forbid, there was something wrong with the baby, I would never know if it was something as vain and petty as hair color did it and I would never forgive myself. Again, it is just not worth it.

This might be a heplful webpage:

http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-color-my-hair...

http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,23484,00.html

For me it was more of the smell, I could not handle the smell and had to have the salon wash it out early because it was making me feel nauseous. The salon also mentioned that since a pregnant women's hair can change the color may not take as well or if getting the same color in it might look different from what previously had.

I'm a hairstylist (15+ years) and 37 weeks pregnant myself with the second child.It is perfectly safe to color your hair(foil or all over color)I've been doing this every day and had it done myself and for hundreds of clients.It does not penetrate the skin or crosses the placenta.
And for GOD SAKE-NEVER do what the other responder told you to-spray with diluted peroxide!Then you'll end up paying $$$ to get rid of brassy color.
And ,by the way,we don't use henna in the professional beauty shops because it's very hard to get rid of it or color over it or highlight it once you bored with you color.
Birth defects come from genetics and many other things we have no control of.Think even about whitening tooth paste you put in your mouth every day that has peroxide in it-you use it every day and doctors don't think nothing of it.Or smell pollution on a high ways,etc.So,have fun and look good!

i've been a professional hairdresser for 6 years and have had this question a million times. its every womans choice. but now i just had my first baby in feb. i was up to my elbows in it everyday during my pregnancy and i have the happiest healthiest baby u could find! i work in an aveda salon where the color is anywhere from 97-99% naturally derived. especially foiling when its not on your scalp, will be fine. mostly its the smell for most women. whatever you decide.........DO NOT PUT THE PEROXIDE ON YOUR HAIR LIKE ONE RESPONSE TOLD U TO DO! so bad for your hair and i can PROMISE if you've been coloring professionally you WILL NOT be happy with the results...then u have a real mess to deal with! good luck with whatever u decide. good job being concerned with the environment u have for your babies health!

I wanted to dye my hair while I was pregnant, so I asked my doctor. He said it was ok to do, just check the box and make sure there is no warnings on it. I would ask your doctor just for a little reassurance if you are worried.

When I was pregnant with my youngest (born 8 mos. ago), I asked my doctor the same question. Here is what she told me: Some studies say it's safe and some indicate that it's not, but there hasn't been extensive study in that area. Why take the risk?

I'll be honest, it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was hoping I would get the all clear, but I didn't. Although it is probably safe, I made the choice not to modify my hair color during pregnancy because of the unknown risk, but it is something you'll have to decide for yourself. You'll have many years of non-pregnancy to color/highlight your hair, but only 9 mos. of pregnancy. It is one of the most challenging times in your life in terms of sacrifices (limit caffeine, alcohol, no cigarettes, watch what you eat, take vitamins...), but also one of, if not the most, rewarding times in your life. Whatever decision you make, be confident that 5-10-20 years from now you'll still know it was the right decision for you. Good luck!

For a natural look to your hair, with no harmful chemicals, spray 50/50 solution (half water/half peroxide) to your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will have more natural highlights if your hair is light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. Lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change.

Hi J.,
I was also concerned about highlighting my hair when I was pregnant. I did do some research and asked my obgyn and was told it's perfectly safe to get highlights.
Hope all goes well for you!

I asked my doctor @ 8 weeks (now 25 weeks) and they said it was fine. And according to the ultra sound everything is looking good!

Hi Jesse,

I had my hair foiled during pregnancy. I waited until after the first 12 weeks because that's when the majority of organs and systems are formed. If you really can't stand to wait 9 months, use a foil or a cap, so the chemicals don't absorb through your skin.

My doctor and my hairdresser both told me it was fine. The chemicals used today are totally different than what they used to use and are not considered harmful. You could always check with your doctor for reassurance as well.

Hi J.--Most of the things i have read say it is ok to have hair highlighted while pregnant. To be on the safe side when I was pregnant, I used a cap highlight so that none of the product touched the scalp. My stylist thought it was unnecessary, but it made me feel like I was taking precautions AND still getting my hair done. Ask your doctor if you want to know for sure!