Does Dyeing Your Hair Cause Hair Loss?

Hair colouring has become very common in today’s time –thanks to the disposable income and increased sense of fashion among people. Also, not everyone loves to flaunt their greys or their salt-and-pepper look, do they? But an increasing concern among people today is whether dyeing hair causes hair loss. The answer is – it depends! Not all hair colours cause hair loss and not all hair colours are safe either. Well, let’s simplify this for you.

What Happens When You Dye Your Hair?

Hair colouring is a very easy-to-do activity that can be done at home. Hair dyes are a combination of chemicals that impart colour to your hair. Your hair is made up of three layers– the outer cuticle, the middle medulla and the inner cortex. The inner layer or the cortex is the one that contains the natural colour/pigment of your hair i.e. melanin. Hair dyes remove the existing colour of your hair and replace them with the colour contained in them.

This involves chemicals like ammonia, PPDs, resorcinol, sulphates, parabens, peroxides, etc. Chemicals like ammonia open your hair cuticle to allow absorption of colour, whereas peroxides bleach the hair of their existing colour, PPDs make the colour long-lasting, and so on.

However, no hair colours contain hair growth inhibitors. Why then do hair dyes cause hair loss? Well, the reason is that these chemicals that make up your hair dye are actually harsh and harmful to your hair, skin and body in general.

· The rubbing and manipulating of hair shafts during the colour application procedure weakens the hair roots, thereby increasing hair fall

· Ammonia opens up the hair cuticle to allow colour absorption but does not close it back, leaving your hair to become dry and frizzy

· Peroxides bleach the colour of your hair, disrupting the protein backbone of the hair strands. This makes your hair inherently weak and results in increased hair breakage. This is particularly more strong if you are drastically changing your hair colour

What Can You Do?

While nothing should stop you from colouring your hair, there are a few precautions you must take to ensure your hair is healthy. Pick hair colours that are free from chemicals, contain natural and organic materials, and are absolutely safe for your hair, skin and body. Most safe colours contain enriching ingredients like olive oil, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, etc., all of which help you get shiny, healthy, rich coloured hair!