Is dying your hair damaging your follicles?
Dying our hair is just as popular as it's ever been amongst men and women, with improvements in dyes giving us longer lasting colour. What many people overlook is the damage that dying your hair actually does to your hair follicles, especially the longer your hair is. Long hair is more susceptible to damage when compared to short hair.
There are a few steps a dye needs to go through to successfully change the pigment of your hair. Firstly it needs to penetrate through the cuticle of your hair. In a healthy hair the cuticles of your hair follicle will lie flat to protect the hair. The cuticle acts like the bark on a tree. The cuticle keeps moisture within the hair follicle and protects the hairs cortex. Lifting the cuticle up allows moisture to leave the hair and leaves the hair susceptible to damage.
Next the peroxide in the hair dye will work to break down the pigmentation of the hair follicle. This process is extremely drying on the hair, which can leave it brittle and stray-like. If the hair was already in an unhealthy state, it makes breakages and split-ends much more likely.
There are alternatives to peroxide based hair dyes, that are less taxing on your hair follicles. While less damaging, they are also less permanent which is why they are still not as popular.
The damage caused by the dying process is restricted to the hair that has been dyed. it won't affect any future hair growth you have. As long as you look after your hair correctly and have a healthy balanced diet, you will continue to see good hair growth coming through.