For many women dying their hair has become a part of their monthly routine. Some men have got accustomed to dying their hair using conventional hair dyes, too, but many of them are looking for less noticeable alternatives, such as progressive hair colorants. Progressive hair colorants work slowly by changing the hair color for several days after they have been applied, which makes the change less noticeable and allows the user to control how much gray hair he/she leaves untreated. One thing that both types of treatments - conventional hair dyes and progressive hair colorants - have in common is that all of them contain chemical substances that can present a potential health risk to their users.

Both, hair dyes and progressive hair colorants work by a chemical reaction involving the components of the colorant and also, when applicable, melanin and/or the oxygen in the air. The major difference between the two is that the chemical reaction in regular hair dyes lasts only for a few minutes while the substance is being applied to the hair versus working slowly for several days after washing the hair in progressive hair colorants. The substances that fuel these chemical reactions are usually poisonous and can trigger allergic reactions.

PPD, which is an acronym for p-phenylenediamine, is considered to be the leading cause of hair color allergic reactions with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, diaminobenzene and, to a lesser extent, also metallic compounds said to account for their fair share, too. Metallic compounds such as lead acetate and bismuth citrate are found mainly in progressive hair colorants whereas PPD, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and diaminobenzene are typical of regular hair dyes. One of the recently developed molecules used in progressive hair colorants is 5, 6-dihydroxyindoline that is sometimes described as the most suitable option amongst the chemical molecules contained in gray hair coloring products but it has also been found to cause allergic reactions.

Natural hair dyes might seem to many to be a healthy alternative to traditional, hair coloring products. Unfortunately, the natural hair dyes are no stranger to causing allergic reactions either and were recently found to be even more allergenic than most chemical treatments. Therefore, when choosing hair coloring products you should always consider the potential health risks as most of them contain substances that can cause poisoning if used inappropriately or can lead to severe allergic reactions. You should always conduct a patch test before applying any such product and closely follow the application guidelines in order to minimize exposure to potentially harmful substances.

The potential toxicity of gray hair colorants is one of many topics discussed at GreyHairLoss.com, a resource dedicated to educating the public on the treatment options for premature white hair and hair loss and encouraging its readers to share their experiences with hair care products they have used.