Psoriasis and Hair Dye
Do you want to dye your hair, but are concerned about your psoriasis?
If you have psoriasis, particularly on the scalp, the chemicals in hair dye are more likely to irritate your already inflamed and broken skin and could cause an allergic reaction.
However, the National Psoriasis Foundations says that most psoriasis suffers can dye their hair without too many problems. Consider the following tips to reduce an aggravation or a flare-up lesion further.
Things to Keep in Mind About Psoriasis and Hair Dye
Wait for a Flare-Up to Go Away
It’s impossible to predict when and if psoriasis is going to show up, but it’s a good idea to book your hair appointment when you’re not experiencing a flare-up.
If this means postponing your appointment at the last minute because you’ve had a flare-up a day or two beforehand, so be it. It’s better to be safe and not be in more pain thanks to any chemicals present in the dye.
Talk to Your Hairdresser
Although your hairdresser may not be an expert on psoriasis, they’ll be very knowledgeable about what’s in the products they’re using. They will, no doubt, be able to advise what sorts of products are better for sensitive skin.
Try Some Natural Tips for Less Drastic Results
If you’re just considering a subtle change to your hair color, you could always try some alternatives that won’t make such a drastic change. Give baking soda a go.
- Mix baking soda with water and apply it to your hair (doesn’t matter if it’s wet or dry)
- Go outside and find a patch of sunlight to sit in with a book
- Chill out for at least 30 minutes
- Wash it out
- See if there are any results
Essentially, this process is thought to lighten your hair a bit. Worth a shot, right?
The other idea is to use honey, tea or lemon juice to lighten your hair up a bit. Just do the same thing:
- Apply it to your hair
- Sit in the sunshine
- Look for results
Use Henna Dye as a Hair Dye Alternative
You can order henna hair dye from many places online. I know here in New Zealand you can get a variety of shades from Lush. Henna is another natural alternative to your standard hair dye.
It’s a plant called Lawsonia inermis, and depending on the henna hair dye you use, there are no chemicals involved. Just be aware that it’s not recommended to use other synthetic products on top of henna, so if you choose henna, you may be stuck with the results for a little while.
There’s also no predicted outcome with henna as it all depends on your hair color at the time of dying — every henna experience is likely to be different.
Don't Forget to Patch Test
This is a suggestion everybody should adhere to regardless of whether they have to deal with psoriasis or not, but it’s especially important for those with psoriasis to do.
Doing a strand test, or a patch test, will, first of all, check that the color outcome is what you’re expecting, but also give you an indication of whether the dye is going to induce a flare-up or not.
If you’re trying out dying during a flare-up, it will show you how it’ll affect your current flare-up. It may seem time-consuming, but you won’t regret it if it turns out that you will experience a flare-up due to the chemicals near your skin.
