Hair Dye in Pregnancy Gets a Calm Answer From Three Australian Sources

A colour booked for Saturday, a few weeks of grey showing at the parting, and a late-night scroll that has told you three different things: it’s a lot to carry on top of everything else you’re thinking about, and it’s completely ordinary to feel stuck. If hair dye in pregnancy has been on your mind, there’s one small step that tends to settle it. Read what the Australian health sources actually say.

Three Australian sources, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, MotherSafe at the Royal Hospital for Women and RANZCOG, all consider dyeing your hair in pregnancy safe. Two of them say plainly that the research is limited, and that’s worth knowing. None of them says you must wait. Two of them offer waiting as an option if it helps you feel easier.

This is general information as at 19 September 2026, and it can’t replace someone who knows your history. Your midwife or GP is the right person to ask about your own pregnancy. And if the scrolling is part of what’s wearing you down, a gentle step back from the screen can be a kindness to yourself, too.

What three Australian sources say about hair dye in pregnancy

So, can you dye your hair when pregnant? Going by these sources, yes. The table sets them side by side. It’s three sources but four pages, because Pregnancy, Birth and Baby has two that cover the question.

The pages differ a little in mood. The hair-care page and the RANZCOG pamphlet both call the idea that dye harms your baby a myth. The cosmetic procedures page is more careful in tone. It says hair dye “contains chemicals that can be harmful to your unborn baby”, and then, in the very next sentence, explains that “Because it is applied to your hair and scalp, your unborn baby would have very little exposure.” It adds that “Many people dye their hair in pregnancy and there is no clear evidence that this causes harm.” Read together, that’s one message in two moods: the ingredients are chemicals, and the amount that reaches your baby is very small.

The reason is simple. Dye is applied to your hair and scalp, and it isn’t swallowed. The hair-care page says the chemicals “aren’t easily absorbed through your scalp”, and MotherSafe notes that treating hair is common in pregnant women and that “no harmful outcomes have been noted”. RANZCOG adds that the chemicals in both permanent and semi-permanent hair dye aren’t readily absorbed through the scalp, and so are unlikely to cause any harm to your baby. MotherSafe notes that although information on specific ingredients is often limited, where skin absorption is known to be minimal the exposure to the unborn baby is generally insignificant.

The word “limited” matters too, and it’s better to say it out loud than skate past it. RANZCOG says research in this area is limited, however colouring your hair during pregnancy is considered safe. The cosmetic page says much the same, and its summary table adds that the advice is based on “the limited available research, but it is always best to speak to your maternity care provider”. So the honest wording is the one the sources use: considered safe, on limited research.

Can you dye your hair when pregnant, and should you wait?

The sources say three slightly different things about waiting, and it helps to see them together.

The hair-care page says: “If you are worried, you may prefer to delay colouring your hair until after your first trimester (first 12 weeks of pregnancy) or you can speak with your midwife or doctor.” The RANZCOG pamphlet says “you may consider waiting until 12 weeks to dye your hair to prevent baby being potentially exposed to chemicals whilst his/her vital organs are forming”. The cosmetic page says only that “Some people wait until the second trimester.” And MotherSafe doesn’t mention waiting at all.

So here’s the ruling, if it helps to have one. None of the sources requires a wait. Two of them offer 12 weeks as an option, and RANZCOG gives its reason plainly: that’s when the baby’s vital organs are forming. The cosmetic page says only that some people wait until the second trimester, and MotherSafe says nothing on it.

If waiting would help you feel easier, then wait, and that’s a perfectly reasonable choice. If it wouldn’t, nothing in these sources says you must. It’s okay to choose either, and it’s okay to change your mind after you’ve thought about it.

Lowering the exposure, if that helps

Some people find it easier to relax when they have a few ways to lower their exposure, and the hair-care page lists several. You could choose a semi-permanent vegetable dye, leave the dye on for no longer than the minimum time recommended, rinse thoroughly, and have it done by a hairdresser rather than at home. Think of them as options to pick from, not a checklist you have to complete.

The Australian sources also mention gloves and a well-ventilated salon, but they give that advice to the people who work with dye, not to the people having their hair coloured.

If you’re a hairdresser yourself, this might be the question underneath the question. The hair-care page says: “There is no research that suggests working with hair dyes can harm your baby. If you are worried, wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated salon.” RANZCOG’s pamphlet makes the same point in its own words. MotherSafe’s leaflet adds a few everyday habits: washing your hands before eating, storing products safely and avoiding long periods of standing.

Bleach, straightening and other treatments

Colour isn’t the only thing that gets booked in at the salon, so here’s what the sources say about the others.

Bleach. MotherSafe says hydrogen peroxide bleaching is generally applied for short periods and in low concentrations, so it “would not be considered a significant exposure”.

Straightening. The hair-care page says some straightening treatments contain formaldehyde and puts it this way: “While there’s no evidence that it can harm unborn babies, it is a known carcinogen and should be avoided.” That’s one to leave for later if you can, and your hairdresser or midwife can talk it through with you.

Hair-loss medicines. The hair-care page says not to take minoxidil or spironolactone, which are medicines used to treat hair loss. That’s about medicines rather than dye. If you use anything for your hair, ask your midwife, doctor or pharmacist about it, and ask the same about anything new you’re thinking of trying.

The hair-care page also says that if you’re unsure about any other chemical treatment on your hair, you can speak to your doctor about whether it is safe to use in pregnancy.

None of these needs a decision today. You can colour your hair and still leave the straightening alone, or the other way around.

A skin reaction is a separate question

Most of what’s above is about the pregnancy question. A skin reaction to a dye is a different matter, and none of the four sources is about it, so this post doesn’t try to cover it. If anything on your scalp or skin worries you after colouring, your GP or midwife is the person to ask.

The hair-care page does say, in its hair removal section, that “You may find your skin becomes more sensitive than it was before you were pregnant.” That’s written about hair removal and not about dye. It’s still a useful reminder that skin can feel different in pregnancy, and one more reason a GP or midwife is a fair person to ask.

When to ask your midwife or doctor

The sources are general, and your midwife or doctor knows your pregnancy. It’s worth asking if you’ve had a reaction to a dye before, if a clinician has told you not to colour your hair, or if you’re unsure about a particular treatment. If your own clinician has told you something different, it’s okay to ask why, so you understand their thinking for you.

The cosmetic procedures page puts the whole habit in a line: it is “always best to speak to your maternity care provider”. The cosmetic procedures page also asks you to let your health and beauty professionals know you are pregnant before booking in for any procedure. Asking before you book is a good habit for any cosmetic treatment, and a list of questions to take to a cosmetic dentist on this site shows that habit at work.

Book It When You Feel Ready

Hair dye in pregnancy is considered safe by the Australian sources, research on it is limited, the 12-week wait is an option and not a rule, and a skin reaction is its own question. Someone who prefers to wait, or who chooses a lower-exposure way to colour, is making a reasonable choice, and so is someone who simply books the appointment. There’s one step left. Decide whether waiting would help you feel easier, and then book the colour for when you feel ready.

Sources: Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, Hair care during pregnancy, reviewed October 2024 (https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/hair-care-during-pregnancy); Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, Cosmetic procedures and beauty treatments during pregnancy and breastfeeding, reviewed October 2025 (https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/pregnancy/nutrition-and-lifestyle/cosmetic-procedures-during-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding); MotherSafe, Royal Hospital for Women, Skin Care, Hair Care and Cosmetic Treatments in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, April 2021 (https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/groups/Royal_Hospital_for_Women/Mothersafe/documents/skinhaircareandcosmetictreatmentsapril2021.pdf); RANZCOG, Common Questions in Pregnancy, January 2020 (https://ranzcog.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/Common-Questions-In-Pregnancy.pdf)