How One Women’s Trips to the Salon Damaged her Liver

Grey hairs can get really annoying. As people age, they pop up more and more and the obvious solution is to start coloring your hair in order to get that youthful look back into your locks. But the reality is you should think before you start dying.

How Frequent Hair Dyeing Affected Chen’s Health

Chen is a middle-aged woman from Harbin China that dealt with her grey hairs with monthly trips to the salon to get her hair colored. She thought nothing of it until she felt a shortness of breath from walking up the stairs and noticed her eyes had a yellowish tint to them. After some testing doctors found that she had over 10 times the normal level of bilirubin in her body.

Bilirubin is an orange-yellow pigmentation that is caused when your red blood cells break down from liver disease. The doctors found the cause of her liver disease to be her frequent hair dying and after undergoing treatment she was able to improve her condition. Like Chen, a lot of people are unaware of how the harsh chemicals in dyes can damage our liver. It is important to be aware of what you’re using on your scalp to keep your liver healthy and working at its best.(1)

Hair Dye and Its Toxic Impact on Your Liver

A study done by the British Medical Journal in found that there is a link between dying your hair and progressive liver disease. The study was done on people who were living with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a long-term progressive autoimmune disease that is believed to be caused partly by environmental factors.

Half of the women surveyed use hair dye, and when investigated, researchers found that women in the PBC support group were 37% more likely to develop PBC then those in the comparison group. Respondents were not asked how often they dyed their hair but previous research has shown that there is a link between PBC and chemicals such as oc tynotic acid, aniline dyes, and phenylenediamine which are used in hair dye. (2)

How Toxins can Enter Your Bloodstream

Hair color works by opening the hair cuticle to lighten it and deposit new color. During this process, toxins can enter our bodies by being absorbed through the scalp. It’s recommended that you wait six months between your hair coloring appointments, the fewer contact chemicals have with the scalp the healthier your liver will be! So it’s best to stay away from chemical dyes all together and find more natural ways to style your hair.(3)

Natural Ways you Can Dye Your Hair at Home

Here are some easy and natural ways to dye your hair, giving you a fresh new look without sacrificing your liver health.

#1. Coffee

For a dark brown color make a strong cup of organic coffee. Let it cool then mix it with 2 cups of an all-natural leave in conditioner and 2 tablespoons of organic coffee grounds. Apply it to your hair, wait an hour then rinse with apple cider vinegar to help the color last longer

#2. Lemon Juice

For highlights spray and brush lemon juice through your hair, leaving it to sit for a few hours. Sun drying your hair and mixing the lemon juice with chamomile will help enhance the effect. This process works slowly and will need to be repeated several times.

#3. Beet and Carrot Juice

For a red hue, you can apply one cup of beet or carrot juice (or a mix of the two) to your hair, you can also add coconut oil to help condition at the same time. Work it through then rap your hair leaving it for an hour. Rinse with water and seal in the color by spraying your hair with apple cider vinegar.

For more information visit our article on other ways to dye your hair naturally. If this method doesn’t appeal to you, remember: there is nothing more beautiful than embracing your natural beauty.