Breastfeeding and hair treatments

You’ve given birth to your little peanut, congrats! You may be thinking that now you can finally return to some of the activities you enjoyed before becoming pregnant. For example, you may have stopped dying your hair during pregnancy. The fall season is around the corner and a new cut and color may be in order, but if you’re breastfeeding now, is it safe to head to the salon?

Hair treatments include hair coloring, curling (permanents), bleaching and straightening agents. Low levels of hair dye can be absorbed through the skin after application, and the dye is excreted into the urine.

But, according to the experts at Mother to Baby, “There is no information on having hair treatments during breastfeeding. It is highly unlikely that a significant amount would enter the breast milk because so little enters the mom’s bloodstream. Many women receive hair treatments while breastfeeding, and there are no known reports of negative outcomes.”

Despite this good news, if you are still hesitant, you might consider highlights or streaks, as the dye is not placed directly on the scalp.

If you have any questions about breastfeeding, speak with a lactation consultant or email us at AskUs@marchofdimes.org. We are happy to help!

Tags: breastfeeding, breastfeeding and hair treatment, hair color, hair dye, hair straightening, hair treatments