Just how bad for you is hair dye?

I would worry more about a cell phone than hair dye, and many people even question worrying about cell phones. I Seem to remember more men get brain cancer than women, and women dye their hair more often and for many many more years than most men.

“Previous studies have suggested an association of personal hair dye use with bladder and hematopoietic cancers. Risks for brain tumors are not well understood. The authors investigated associations between use of synthetic hair dyes and risk of brain tumors in a hospital-based case-control study. The study included adults newly diagnosed with glioma (n = 489), meningioma (n = 197), or acoustic neuroma (n = 96) between 1994 and 1998 at three urban US hospitals and 799 controls. Odds ratios were estimated and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Detailed exposure histories were obtained by interview. There was no consistent pattern of elevated odds ratios for glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma with use or prolonged use of permanent, semipermanent, temporary, or gradual hair dyes. Although use of permanent brown hair dye for 20 or more years was associated with glioma among women, the estimate was imprecise (odds ratio = 3.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.2, 12.5) and was based on just 13 exposed cases; thus, this could be a chance finding. Overall, there was little consistent evidence for an association of synthetic hair dye use with glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma. However, prolonged use of dark-colored permanent dyes warrants further investigation given the high prevalence of hair dyeing.”

American Journal of Epidemiology

It depends on what colour you dye it. No kidding. The really dark black has been under question for some time now. I wouldn’t use the really permanent dark stuff personally, even though there isn’t a proof positive study yet. And just because you put the stuff on your head, doesn’t mean that the kind of cancer is going to be in your brain. Toxins are more likely to enter your blood stream and cause systemic problems, say, to the liver, and not cross over the blood/brain barrier upon application to the scalp.

I’ve done some study on pigment use in cosmetics and you’d be surprised at just what is and has been used. I’d be more worried about the lipstick you use. A lipstick wearer consumes kilos of the stuff and the pigments are not tested for safety regarding digestion. Ah…. perhaps some are now.. but most have been approved without that type of testing.

Probably depends on the brand. I know Manic Panic tends to include more natural, plant based pigments with at least some of their colors.

Don’t color your hair from a box. That stuff is terrible, go to a salon where they use better products. Also, @incendiary_dan is right there are natural and plant-based pigment colors that are much less damaging to your hair.

Right there is your answer though. The most thats going to happen to you is damage to your hair. You most definitely will not die of brain cancer.