In terms of long life and resplendent col-ors, modern chemical hair dyes have it all. But the dyes which lead to a new look can also lead to hair loss, allergic reactions, dizziness, buzzing in the ears and, in the opinion of some, cancer. In the end, it's hard to know what problems you'll be giving yourself by giving your hair a new color.

While dyeing gray hair black has been common for many years, the newest trend is for light and silky hair, created by bleaching black hair white and then adding color.

The danger of damaged hair

The hair dyes presently on the market generally fall into two categories: permanent and semi-permanent. With permanent hair dyes, hydrogen peroxide is used to bleach the hair and then color is added. Semi-permanent dyes, on the other hand, are applied directly to the hair.

Semi-permanent dyes last three to four months. Permanent dyes, on the other hand, don't fade, but after a month or two, the roots, with your natural color, will become obvious. Unless you don't mind this two-tone effect, you'll have to dye your hair repeatedly.

The dyes on the market are numerous. Some profess to contain only natural ingredients, but the large majority are synthetic organic dyes. The main ingredient in these is p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), which is toxic and can cause allergic reactions.

It is well known that hair dye can damage one's hair. "Hair dyes have developed considerably; in terms of color, shine and texture, they're ideal. But there is still no way to completely avoid damaging your hair," senior hair stylist Wu Tsai-yun frankly states.

She points out that to avoid badly damaging hair, hair styling textbooks contain warnings: For perming and dyeing hair an interval of at least a week is required. But those who've worked in hair salons know that these warnings are ignored for the sake of business, leading to serious hair loss for some customers.

Hong Kong pop singer Sammi Cheng is an example of how dyeing can lead to hair loss. Her uninterrupted use of hair dye has led to serious damage. "She was even worried that it might completely fall out," says UFO Record Company publicity manager Kao Su-yun. The continual dyeing was to preserve her title as the "Queen with One Hundred Faces." Now Cheng is trying to strengthen and take care of her hair, and wears a wig instead of dying her hair.

Unafraid of a little sweat

Besides damaging hair, permanent hair dyes (hydrogen peroxide included) can irritate skin and cause inflammation if the amount and dyeing time are not carefully controlled or if used on an injured head.

Dermatologists often see cases of patients with skin irritation, rashes, itchiness, blisters and even extreme perspiration, caused by hair dyes. Cathay General Hospital dermatologist Wu Min-chi states that every month he comes across two or three of these sort of cases. In the past they were mostly people who had been dying their gray hair black, but recently he's begun to see young patients.

Although hair design books warn that customers should get an allergy test 24 hours before dyeing, almost no hair salons do so. Many just give lip service to the problem by inquiring, "Have you dyed your hair before?" and "Do you have any skin allergies?"

Dermatologists have an allergy test which, when applied to the wrist, can give results in between 24 to 48 hours. But actually the results of the test don't necessarily mean that one is immune to allergies. Wu Min-chi points out that the source of the irritation of one's allergies, more often than not, can be accommodated by the body. It is accepted to a certain level, after which an allergic reaction is provoked. For this reason, some people have reactions only after having their hair dyed several times.

Hair dye, besides causing acute allergic reactions of the skin, also has more latent, chronic dangers. Wu Min-chi points out that the accumulated irritation of the scalp can easily cause a pathological change, which in the long term might lead to skin cancer.

Believe it or not

Although there is a lack of clear evidence, the possibility of a causal relationship between dyeing hair and cancer should make people cautious.

Four to five years ago, Providence University chemistry professor Kuan Cheng-ching ran a series of experiments on rabbits. Putting them in contact with chemical dye caused slight skin irritations. But the rabbits' blood and urine appeared to be unaffected.

However, the results of animal cell research by the Chung Shan Medical and Dental College Toxicology Research Center, conducted by the center's chief, Li Hui, proved that the hair dye ingredient PPD can cause cell damage which can lead to cancer.

The view that hair dye is a risk factor for cancer is supported by Chiang Han-kuang, a urologist at Taipei Medical College. He points out that the College Hospital has seen two or three cases of bladder cancer which, according to deductions made from medical records, show the impact of chemicals in hair dyes on the human metabolism.

Something's wrong

In addition to increasing the risk of contracting cancer, last year ear, nose and throat doctor Yang Yi-he discovered a potential relationship between hair dye and two ailments: dizziness and tinnitus (buzzing in the ears).

"With many diseases when there is difficulty explaining their origin, the doctor will ask the patient his profession," says Yang states. From August last year he had several patients with whom he was at first unable to name the cause of their ailments. It turned out that they all had some relationship to hair dye. If they hadn't been working with hair dye for more than 10 years, they were people who dyed their hair regularly.

One 35-year-old beauty salon worker who had dyed customers' hair for 10 years started getting her own hair dyed five years ago. She gets it dyed an average of once every two to three months. Recently she started getting dizzy spells. Another 53-year-old salon worker who has been in contact with hair dye for 20 years didn't realize the cause of her deafness until she went to see a doctor. A 50-year-old woman, after having had her hair dyed for four years, developed serious tinnitus.

Yang Yi-he points out that over time, contact with sulphide carbohydrate and bromic acid salts can lead to irreversible nerve damage. In other words, while the dizziness and tinnitus can be reduced, they can't be eliminated.

"While one could argue that dizziness and tinnitus are not serious ailments, they are precursors to more serious ailments," Yang Yi-he points out. "They should alert you that something's not right!"

In Kuan Chang-ching's words, "dyeing one's hair is like opening a chemical factory on the top of your head." Modern people are willing to risk all types of unpredictable chemical changes on their head. "Their courage is startling!"

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Hair dyes contain p-Phenylenediamine, which can adversely affect a person's health. (photo by Vincent Chang)

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(left) The love of beauty is a natural characteristic of human beings, but people should be careful that this love of beauty doesn't lead to illness. The picture shows the skin inflammation caused by an allergic reaction to hair dye. (courtesy of Wu Ming-chi.)