Hair care during pregnancy

When you are pregnant, changes in your hormone levels (such as oestrogen) can cause your hair to grow more and get thicker.

Your hair has a natural life cycle. Each hair follicle goes through phases of growth and rest. During your pregnancy, this cycle changes. Your hair becomes thicker, you shed less and your hair stays in the growing phase of its life cycle for longer.

You may also develop hair in places you have not had before, including your abdomen, lower back and thighs.

Read more about changes to your body during pregnancy.

You can safely colour or 'dye' your hair during pregnancy. There is a myth that dyeing your hair can harm your baby. This is not true. When you dye or treat your hair, the chemicals in hair dying products aren't easily absorbed through your scalp. This is why it is unlikely that they will cause any harm to your baby, and why colouring your hair when you are pregnant is considered safe.

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.

You can try to minimise absorption and any exposure of your scalp to chemicals by:

• using semi-permanent vegetable dye
• leaving the dye in your hair for the minimal amount of time recommended
• thoroughly rinsing your hair at the end of your treatment
• going to a hairdresser rather than colouring your hair at home

Be careful if you are using other chemical treatments on your hair. If you're unsure, speak to your doctor about whether your hair treatment is safe for use during pregnancy.

If you are a hairdresser and pregnant, you do not need to worry. 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.

There are some medicines you should avoid during pregnancy because they can harm your baby.

For example, you should not take minoxidil or spironolactone, medicines used to treat hair loss.

Some hair straightening treatments contain the chemical formaldehyde. While there's no evidence that it can harm unborn babies, it is a known carcinogen and should be avoided.

Always ask your midwife, doctor or pharmacist before starting any new medicine or product to check if it is safe for you and your baby.

Read more about medicines and pregnancy.

Read more about medicines and breastfeeding.

You can safely use hair removal creams, lotions, powders, gel, roll-ons, sprays and wax whilst you are pregnant. It is also safe for you to do laser hair removal treatments when you are pregnant.

You may find your skin becomes more sensitive than it was before you were pregnant. You may even develop an allergy. If you develop an allergy, avoid the product that triggered your allergy during your pregnancy. After your pregnancy, you can try the product again by testing it out on a small patch of your skin.

Hair removal creams

Hair removal creams usually have a product called thioglycolic acid. There is not enough research investigating its absorption into your body. The concentration of the chemical in hair removal creams is low, and it is only on your skin for a short amount of time. It is not considered to be harmful to use during pregnancy. Other chemicals in hair removal creams are sodium and calcium hydroxide are naturally part of your diet and not harmful.

Laser hair treatment

You can safely have laser hair removal during pregnancy. Laser hair removal uses a light that only heats the surface of your skin. It does not go deeper. There is no known risk to your baby.

If you are pregnant and get head lice, you can safely use most treatments, such as:

• combing your hair with conditioner
• using various oils
• using electronic combs to electrocute lice
• using over-the-counter chemical insecticides — pyrethrin, piperonyl butoxide, benzyl benzoate and dimeticone

Do not use creams or medicines to treat resistant head lice that are available by prescription only. Remember to tell your doctor that you are pregnant, so they recommend suitable lice treatments.

All over-the-counter head lice treatments that you apply to your scalp are safe to use while you are breastfeeding. Before your doctor prescribes a medicine, let them know that you are breastfeeding. Your pharmacist can also check if a medicine or other treatment is safe for you and your baby.

By the time your baby is about 12 months old your hair should go back to normal. Around 2 to 4 months after you give birth, you may start to shed (lose) hair. This can be worrying, but you will not go bald. You can continue losing extra hair for up to 6 months.

If you feel your hair loss is excessive, or your hair growth has not returned to normal after a year, speak to your doctor.

• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have a helpful resource answering common questions people have in pregnancy.
• Read about self-care for expecting and new parents at PANDA.

Do you prefer to read in languages other than English?

Visit the Healthy Horizons website in a range of community languages to learn about general health conditions. These include reproductive health and mental health.

Looking for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people?

You can find out more about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander pregnancy health on Stronger Bubba Born or watch the How to Have a Safer Pregnancy video.