Dying your hair is a quick process that is one of the easiest ways to change your appearance. While the practice is common, people often ask, "Can dying my hair cause my hair to thin?" Answering this question requires understanding how hair dyes work and how they can affect the hair.
Types of Hair Dye
There are four basic types of hair dye. Each type has its own unique chemical properties that impact their use, the results they produce, and how the product affects your hair.
Temporary and Semi-Permanent Hair Dye
Temporary hair dyes are available in a wide range of colors, from bright, eye-catching hues to more natural tints ideal for masking regrowth or brightening up the tone of your hair. Semi-permanent hair dye is available in many natural colors and can deposit color over blonde or lightened hair, blend your gray, or refresh faded hair color.
These dyes do not penetrate into the shaft but rather surround and attach to the outside of the hair. Temporary and semi-permanent hair dyes don't contain harsh chemicals, but, as with any hair products, excessive use may lead to a buildup that can interfere with the hair follicle's ability to produce strong, healthy hair.
Temporary dyes are available in powder, chalk, or spray form, as well as shampoos, mousses, and gels and usually, begin to fade after a few washings. Semi-permanent hair dye, also referred to as a direct dye, is applied through aerosols, shampoos, and creams and typically starts to fade in about four or five weeks.
Permanent Hair Dyes
Permanent hair dyes use a chemical process to change the color of your hair permanently. Since the color lasts indefinitely and does not fade, there is always a difference between the new hair growth and the colored hair. Permanent hair dyes can produce drastic changes because they first lighten the hair before saturating it with color.
The chemicals used in permanent dyes alter the hair shaft's structure and enable the dye to penetrate. In addition to the dyes used to change your hair color, permanent dyes usually contain harsh chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.
Ammonia swells and lifts the cuticle, the outer layer that protects your hair, enabling the dyes and hydrogen peroxide to enter. The hydrogen peroxide then slightly lightens your hair, which allows the dyes to penetrate the hair shaft with color that does not wash away.
Demi-Permanent Hair Dye
Demi-permanent hair dye is a type of hair coloring that is in between temporary and permanent. These dyes have a lower percentage of peroxide and typically use an ammonia substitute to penetrate the cuticle. Demi-permanent dyes don't penetrate deeply into the hair shaft and cause only mild lightening, so they can only add color. Demi-permanent hair color will fade gradually with color fade depending on the health and porosity of your hair.
Can Dying My Hair Cause My Hair to Thin?
The excessive use of any hair product can damage the hair and hair follicles. The greatest risk with temporary and semi-permanent hair dyes is a buildup of the product, which can clog the hair follicles and inhibit their ability to produce healthy strands of hair, leading to thinning hair. If the condition is not corrected, hair follicles may become permanently damaged and no longer grow new hair.
The dyes and chemicals used in permanent and demi-permanent hair dyes chemically alter your strands of hair, often causing them to become dry and brittle, and easily damaged. People who color their hair frequently sometimes experience thinning hair due to breakage and increased shedding caused by this weakening of the hair shaft.
Contact New Image Hair Clinic
Thinning hair is an issue that affects many people and has a variety of causes. Excessive use of hair products and frequent dying of your hair are both situations that can lead to thinning hair. If you are experiencing thinning hair for any reason, the experts here at New Image are here to help. Our team of specialists can help you determine if frequent dying is the cause of your condition and develop a custom plan to ensure that your head of hair remains full, thick, and luscious. To learn more about what causes thinning hair and what you can do about it, contact us today and schedule your FREE initial consultation.
