Contributed by Wind [2003/08/27]
As you know, hair colour damages your hair. However, people are free to dye their hair if they want to change colour of their hair even if colouring damages it.
From the view point of health or safety, chemicals of hair colour contains some kinds of stiff toxic materials, and it damage health as well as hair. I would like to present some topics for toxicity of hair colour researched from medical or chemical web sites.
Japan Poison Information Center notes that almost all hair colour contains para-phenylenediamine, lethal dose of this is 10g, it is easily absorbed from skin and lung. [hair dye, hair colour]
"Cells - A Laboratory Manual" (CSH Press) notes that para-phenylenediamine is harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed throuhg the skin. And notes that wear gloves, and glasses.
Hassim et al. (Haltum university, Sudan, 1992) report that there are three examples of murder purpose usage of hair colour in 31 examples of intoxication of para-phenylenediamine. [TSUNODA Kazuhiko, leader of pediatrics of Saka general hospital, "Influence of hair dye to health", published in "TABEMONO TSUUSIN", Nov. 2001]
Para-phenylenediamine is prohibited in Finnish law from using it to commercial goods. A Sri Lankan singer died suddenly while she dyeing her hair with black Henna. Suicide by hair colour is reported in Francce. [BESSHO Tamaki, "Dangerous colouring chemicals", published in "SEIKATSU TO KANKYOU", May, 2003]
I wonder such a toxic chemical is absorbed through skin by colouring hair.
I think Dr. TSUNODA Kazuhiko's page "Influence of hair dye to health" is intelligible, plain, general and reliable. He gives many sickness by using hair dye:
Dr. SAKABE Mitsugu, director of clinical environmental medical center of KITASATO Institute Hospital finds that hair colour is a kind of endocrine disrupters. He diluted 3 commercial hair colour into 1/million or 1/one hundred billion compared with normal concentration applying to hair. He added this liquid to cells of breast cancer, and found that all of those liquid propagated them.
Reference of this paragraph is "Warning
to hair colour" in medical information for child growing.