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Expert Q&A:
Is it safe to color my hair during pregnancy?

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Laura Riley
Answered by Laura Riley M.D.
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"In my 15-plus years as an obstetrician and gynecologist, I have delivered over 1,000 babies," says Laura Riley. "Each experience is unique. You cannot imagine how exciting and, sometimes, how terrifying it is to participate in such a life-changing event."

Laura Riley, M.D., was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her undergraduate education at Harvard University. She received her medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh-Magee Women's Hospital. She completed subspecialty training in maternal fetal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and in infectious disease at Boston University Medical Center.

Dr. Riley has provided clinical service for approximately 14 years, working initially at Boston City Hospital seeing indigent, high-risk pregnant women with an emphasis on HIV disease in pregnancy. After four years, she joined the new obstetrical service at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she focuses on high-risk pregnancy with an emphasis on infectious disease complications of obstetrics. She also serves as the medical director of Labor and Delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Riley has participated in multiple research initiatives, including the Women and Infants Transmission Study, which is a natural history study of HIV in pregnancy. Nationally, she continues to be interested in projects related to infectious disease complications of pregnancy, serving as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control on perinatal HIV testing and the guidelines on the prevention of group B strep. For the last three years, she was the chair of the Obstetric Practice Committee at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a committee that writes guidelines for obstetric care.

In addition to her clinical and research interests, Dr. Riley dedicates time to educate the general public about women's health issues. She has written a week-by-week pregnancy guide, You &; Your Baby: Pregnancy (Meredith Books, 2006), and, with co-author Stacey Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., a pregnancy nutrition guide, You &; Your Baby: Healthy Eating During Pregnancy (Meredith Books, 2006; see our site for excerpted recipes). She has appeared on The Today Show and The Early Show several times, discussing various topics on women's health. She has been quoted in many major publications, including Newsweek, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.

Dr. Riley has been married for 17 years. Her husband is an associate general counsel at Bank of America. She has two daughters, ages 10 and 13, who are competitive synchronized skaters.
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Question


Great question. The problem is there is no perfect scientific study of hGreat question. The problem is there is no perfect scientific study of hair dye use in pregnancy and outcomes for babies.

Answer


Great question. The problem is there is no perfect scientific study of hair dye use in pregnancy and outcomes for babies. There are animal studies that show no harmful effects in rats and mice pups that are exposed in utero. Furthermore, the amount of chemical that gets absorbed through the bloodstream is very small. That is a long-winded way to say I wouldn't worry about it. There is probably 10 times more "bad chemical" exposure driving through a busy city amongst car exhaust and secondhand smoke!

Will dying your hair chemically or straightening it make you feel better? Go ahead and do it. If you are still nervous despite my arguments outlined above, wait until you are beyond 12 to 14 weeks gestation, when most organs are formed. As for vegetable dyes that contain no chemicals: Use them whenever you need the color but just can't feel comfortable with the chemicals.

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