The changing of our hair shade, whether to enhance our natural shade, to change it completely or simply to remove the aging process(namely gray hair), is done worldwide. Yet how often do we consider what these dyes are doing to our health. Sure we think of how they damage the actual hair or how long the coloring treatment will last and the manufacturers are aware of this so they add wonderful conditions in the box to appease the consumers.
Many women today color their hair, yet few realize the risks involved in doing so. Studies have proven hair dyes are connected to such cancers as ***Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia***. There have been reports of the dangers of using permanent and temporary dyes which contain such chemicals as Acid Orange 87, Solvent Brown 44, Avid Blue 168 and Acid Violet 73(all containing carcinogenic activity). It has even been said, the old style bleaching treatments are safer than products containing these chemicals.
***So what is a girl to do?*** Why not consider a safer alternative. The longest form of natural dye enhancer has been the use of henna. ***Henna ***is a rinse which has natural ingredients to enhance hair shades, using such things as rosemary, cinchona, chamomile and walnut husk. These are all considered safe to use and ***FDA*** approved. The problem with henna is, it doesn’t last long and the process must be repeated often.
There are now ***herbal hair treatments*** that can be used, such as ***Herbatint(Revital)*** a herbal hair color gel(both temporary and permanent). ***Vegetal Colors*** are another option as they do not contain ammonia or peroxide, making them completely gentle to your hair. The later is easy to apply, and rinses out after a few washings(so these must be used more often like henna products). The Herbatint permanent will stay until the hair is cut and has a very small percentage of chemical in it.
Once these products are used, proper conditioning is a must, as is with any color treatment. These are what will prevent damage either caused by natural elements, the colors them self or the aging process which will made the hair lose it’s natural shine and texture.
***I’m vain to a certain extent***, in that I love to color my hair and I hate the gray, but I do feel it’s important to do so in the healthiest manner possible. So I would recommend reading the product boxes before purchasing them and consider using the herbal hair color gels instead of the popular brands on the market.*** Look great and do so, in as healthy a fashion as possible.***