Hair dye – a silent killer?

People who frequently dye their hair often complain of joint pain, mainly in small and medium-sized joints such as the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles.

Hair dyed in golden blonde, copper, or chestnut shades is fashionable and impressive for young people, while dyeing gray hair black helps older people feel more confident and youthful. However, hair beautification can also have certain drawbacks...

The effects of hair dye on the musculoskeletal system.

People who frequently dye their hair often complain of joint pain, mainly in small and medium-sized joints such as the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles. These joint pain symptoms are often accompanied by skin manifestations such as itchy scalp and hands, blisters, swelling, redness, itching, oozing of yellow fluid on the face and hands, and hair loss.

The reason is that hair dyes contain paraphenylenediamin (PPD). Two-thirds of current hair dyes contain paraphenylenediamin, and many hair straightening and dyeing products contain PPD exceeding the permitted levels.

Even worse, the joints become swollen and painful, causing patients to suffer and have difficulty walking. According to a new study by Swedish scientists, women who dye their hair regularly for 20 years or more have twice the risk of developing chronic arthritis compared to those who do not dye their hair.

In addition, hair dyes can cause systemic scleroderma, a joint disease that causes the skin on the face, hands, and even the entire body to harden and thicken, leading to a loss of facial expression and symptoms related to the cardiovascular system, kidneys, and joints. Another joint disease that can occur is systemic lupus erythematosus.

Joint pain and swelling can also be symptoms of some serious illnesses, resulting from prolonged exposure to hair dye. Firstly, certain types of cancer may develop in people who use hair dye.

Experiments have shown that paraphenylenediamine, if it comes into contact with the skin of the face or scalp during hair dyeing, can cause skin cancer and breast cancer. Hair dye chemicals also increase the risk of bladder cancer, hematopoietic system cancer, brain tumors, meningeal tumors, and auditory nerve tumors.

It is believed that the substances in hair dye can penetrate the scalp, enter the bloodstream, and cause leukemia or lymphoma. The rate of cancer in women who use hair dye is 50% higher than in those who do not. Women who use hair dye regularly have a 2-3 times higher risk of bladder cancer than those who do not dye their hair.

Advice for women who frequently straighten, dye, or curl their hair.

Hair dyeing is a necessary beauty treatment, but it shouldn't be overused because hair dyes have many harmful effects on hair and health. Only dye your hair when necessary. People with allergies such as hives, atopic dermatitis, asthma, eczema, food allergies, drug allergies, etc., need to be extremely cautious when using hair dye.

Never reuse hair dyes you know or suspect may be causing an allergic reaction to. Always test the dye before use. Only use hair dye products from reputable sources.

Before dyeing your hair, test a small area on the inside of your arm and wait an hour. If there is no reaction, then proceed with dyeing your hair. Avoid letting the dye touch your scalp. It's best to only dye your hair every 3-6 months.

According to SKĐS