Pregnancy and hair colour: what we advise

Colouring your hair while pregnant is generally considered safe, and most midwives will tell you the same. Very little dye is absorbed through the scalp, and what does get in is nowhere near enough to reach your baby. I am a hairdresser and not a medic, so always check with your own midwife. But there are things I do differently when a pregnant client sits in my chair, and this is what they are.

The short version

• Salon hair colour in pregnancy is widely considered safe by midwives and researchers.

• Very little dye absorbs through the scalp. Nowhere near enough to reach a baby.

• Balayage sits off the scalp. The easiest yes if you are worried.

• We patch test 48 hours before. Pregnancy can trigger new reactions.

• Waiting until the second trimester is common, but it is preference not a rule.

What the research actually says

The work most often quoted on this is a review of hair product safety in pregnancy published in Canadian Family Physician. It looked at women colouring their own hair and at salon staff, who are exposed to far more product than any client ever will be. The conclusion was that only small amounts are absorbed through the skin, and that normal use is unlikely to pose a risk.

If you want more reassurance than that, ask your midwife at your next appointment. It is a very common question and nobody will think it is a silly one.

Why balayage is the easy yes

The worry people have is about dye sitting on the scalp, because that is where the skin contact happens. Balayage barely touches the root. The colour is painted through the mid lengths and ends, so there is almost no contact with your skin at all.

If you are anxious and want the lowest contact option, that is it. A full balayage is £70 to £85 with us, half is £55 to £65, and a partial is £40 to £60. Plenty of clients move from a full tint to balayage for the pregnancy and then go back afterwards.

The first trimester question

Lots of women wait until 12 weeks before booking a colour. That is caution rather than a medical rule, and there is no research saying the first trimester is different.

The better reason to wait is sickness. If smells are turning your stomach at nine weeks, sitting near an open bowl of bleach for two hours is not going to be a nice morning. I would rather move you to 14 weeks and have you actually enjoy it.

We patch test everyone, and in pregnancy it matters more

Every colour client gets a patch test 48 hours before their appointment. That is not a pregnancy thing, it is standard, and any salon skipping it is cutting corners.

It matters more in pregnancy because your immune system shifts. Women who have coloured their hair for 15 years with no issue can suddenly react. It is not common, but it happens often enough that I will not put colour near anyone without testing first. If you have been away from us for six months or more, you need a fresh one.

Your hair will probably behave differently anyway

Pregnancy hormones change how your hair grows and how it takes colour. It often feels thicker because you are shedding less, and it can become more porous, which means colour grabs faster and can go darker than you expected.

Blondes notice this most. A toner that gave you a clean beige before might pull too ashy. I tend to go a shade lighter than normal and check it earlier. A toner refresh is £35 to £40 on its own, or £20 added to another service, and it is the cheapest way to pull a colour back if it has gone somewhere odd.

Pregnancy and hair colour: what to tell us when you book

Tell us how far along you are when you book, not when you arrive. It changes how I plan the appointment.

I will put you in the seat nearest the door where the air moves, keep colour off your scalp where I can, and split a long appointment into two shorter ones if you cannot sit comfortably for three hours. If you need the loo four times, that is fine. If you need to eat halfway through, bring something with you.

Root tints are £40 to £47 and full tints are £50 to £55, so a root only appointment keeps you in the chair for less time if that is what you need. Sabrina, Sheree and I all take pregnant clients, so ask for whoever you normally see.

Have a look at our full list of services, or ring us on 01582 730381. You can book online too. We are at Shop 660, Jansel House, Hitchin Rd, Stopsley, Luton LU2 7XH, open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 to 8, Thursday 10 to 6, Friday 10 to 3, and Saturday 10 to 4:30. Closed Sunday and Monday. Klarna is there if you want to spread the cost.

Pregnancy takes enough out of you. If keeping your colour is the thing that makes you feel like yourself, come and get it done.