Notes About Health

Which hair color ingredients are the cause of health risks are the center of a long standing debate. The avoidance of potentially harmful ingredients in permanently coloring hair or significantly changing the color can be hard to accomplish. A common ingredient in many permanent dyes for hair is p-phenylenediamine, also referred to as PPD, has been brought into question. Beauty consultant Mary Beth Janssen, who is also wrote Naturally Healthy Hair, has stated that cancer has been linked to PPD as well as the majority of allergic reactions.

New products with the promise to do what they are supposed to do without the risk of allergic reactions or other health related problems are available to people who find the chemicals in most highlighters and dye too harsh. Diaminobenzene, ammonia, p-Phenylenediamine and peroxide are chemicals that are still needed for the alternative permanent dyes to work but they are present in significantly smaller amounts

Superior to hair dyes that are ammonia-based and void of the displeasurable side effects, Organic Color Systems permanent hair coloring products can only be found in professional hair styling salons. The range of Organic Color Systems’ products includes colors, lighteners, concentrates and activators. There is also a hair care line of products that are salon only that can be used in addition to the range of colors for repairing damaged hair. Organic hair color has many benefits. What you don’t get are fumes, ammonia, hair damage, burning and itching, banding, brassing, hot roots, sulfates, plastics, parabens, animal products and animal testing. What you do get is just beautiful, healthy hair.

Meanwhile, temporary dyes and highlight treatments should be able to color hair without the need for harsh chemicals. Naturcolor and Vegetel are shorter-lived options that do not contain any damaging chemicals, although their effect will only last a few washes.

Henna is a true, natural dye that is temporary and has a long history that goes back at least to Cleopatra’s time. The leaves of Lawsonia, a desert shrub, have been powdered to make henna as a dye for skin and hair for thousands of years. Rainbow Henna is the maker of a wide range of hair products that are 100% organic, providing dyes for just about every color from blonde to black. For those who prefer something of a more traditional style packaging, Light Mountain has application kits of organic henna. Products such as Organic Color Systems, might only be available in salons but many others can be found in your local natural health and beauty supply shops.

Recent studies have given those worried about the traditional hair dyes they use new reasons to switch to less harsh alternatives. A 1994 National Cancer Institute report found that deep-colored dyes (like dark brown and black), when used over prolonged periods of time, seemed to increase the risk of cancers such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Meanwhile a 2001 study by the International Journal of Cancer found that people who use permanent hair dye are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who go au naturel regarding hair color.