What are the dangers of dyeing hair

I believe many people have the experience of dyeing their hair, but in fact, frequent hair dyeing can cause many adverse effects on our health, and some may even cause cancer. This is mainly because hair dyes contain various chemical substances that are harmful to the human body.

1. The most frightening harm : it may cause cancer. Researchers at Yale University in the United States once surveyed women who started dyeing their hair before 1980 and found that more than one-third of them would develop lymphoma. Another survey of 13,000 women who dyed their hair by the American Cancer Society showed that their risk of developing leukemia was 3.8 times higher than that of women who did not dye their hair. However, a 40-year study conducted by Spanish scientists found that hair dyes only slightly increase the risk of cancer. Yang Shuxia, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at Peking University First Hospital, said that there have been many studies internationally on whether hair dyeing causes cancer, but whether it does or not is still controversial. However, since the late 1970s, some ingredients in hair dyes that have been shown to cause tumors have been gradually eliminated from their formulas.

2. The most common injury: skin allergy. Yang Shuxia said that paraphenylenediamine is the main ingredient of hair dye. It can make the dyed hair color more solid, but it is also a strong allergen and can cause skin allergies in people with sensitive constitutions, among which contact dermatitis is the most common. In EU countries such as France and Germany, p-phenylenediamine has been explicitly banned from being added to hair dyes, but in my country, it is still used. Yang Shuxia said that as long as hair dye complies with national standards and is used in appropriate amounts as required, it is safe.

3. The most hidden harm: damage to the liver and kidneys. Yang Shuxia said that some products on the market add heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic to enhance the dyeing effect. The lead content in some products is even 5-10 times that of paint. Long-term use will cause chronic damage to the body. Not only may symptoms of lead poisoning such as dizziness, numbness of the limbs, and abdominal pain occur, but the functions of organs such as the liver and kidneys may also be damaged.

4. The most embarrassing harm: aggravating hair loss. Liang Yanhua said that many patients suffer from hair loss due to frequent hair dyeing. This is because the benzene compounds such as p-phenylenediamine in some hair dyes can penetrate into the cuticle, an important component of the hair, and cause a peroxidation reaction, which can lead to dry, broken and even hair loss.