As a professional hairstylist, one of the best things you could do for your health and the health of the environment is to switch to natural hair dye. That's because the chemicals in most hair coloring products are toxic, toxic to you and to the environment. And their long-term effects could reach far beyond itchy eyes and skin rashes.

Many salon workers complain of allergies, watery eyes, coughing and lung irritation that can be directly related to ammonia and other coloring chemicals. But that's not even the half of it.

Ammonia has been found to have negative effects on the lungs and brain cells. This is especially important for salon workers, who are exposed to dangerous levels of ammonia on a regular basis. According to the Environmental Working Group, studies link long-term use of dyes with cancer. In 2008 a study at the Yale School of Public Health found an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in women who had been using hair color since 1980 or earlier.

All of which has prompted many salons to switch to a safer product. Rachael Epstein and Alan Kolb opened Sprout Organic Salon two years ago because of all the dangers of chemical exposure in the work environment.

"The standard salon is an incredibly toxic environment, especially for the worker," says Alan. The need for safer products was intensified when a good friend of Rachael's died of a rare form of cancer that is found more commonly in hairstylists.

Their salon now uses Organic Color Systems, an ammonia-free hair color that smells great and gets great results. Many hairstylists say it colors even better than the traditional product and leaves hair with more shine.

So if there's such a good product out there, why would anyone want to use the old one? Many hairstylists are trained in traditional methods of hair coloring. A different product means getting out of their comfort zone and learning new methods.

According to Hilton Bell, owner of International Hair and Beauty Systems, which distributes Organic Color Systems in the U.S., "There is a lot of false information floating around about coloring hair. Having spoken to hundreds of hairstylists in recent times, I realized there is a substantial amount of confusion regarding color theory.... [But] there is no result that you cannot create, if you know the laws within which you are working." Bell is currently working on a system that will give hairdressers better understanding in the field of color work.

Another reason people still use traditional products is that a lot of young stylists have no idea how hazardous hair coloring chemicals can be to their health.

Increased risks of death from Alzheimer's disease, presenile dementia and motor neuron disease were found among hairdressers in a study at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. But these are things that take a lifetime to develop; most hairdressers feel fine now and don't realize the risk to their future.

Over time as awareness increases, new standards for salon ventilation will develop and hair products will probably be more closely monitored by the FDA. But in the meantime, salon owners and workers can (and should) take matters into their own hands by switching to safer, less toxic products in their salons. Doing so could actually save people's lives.

Below are links to other articles that provide some general information of interest brought to you by Organic Color Systems. For additional articles and information visit us at one of our other Internet sites:

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