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The impact of hormones on your hair colour

The impact of hormones on your hair colour

It is common knowledge that hormones play an essential role in various aspects of the body, such as growth, metabolism and mood. But did you know that hormones can also affect your hair colour? In this blog, we'll explain how hormonal changes affect the production of melanin, the pigment that determines our hair colour, and how this can lead to changes in our hair colour throughout our lives.

Which hormones affect your hair colour?

Hormones have different effects on your hair colour, mainly because of their influence on the production and distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for the colour of your hair. Under the influence of hormonal changes, melanin production can vary, leading to changes in hair colour. The main hormones that affect your hair colour are melanocortins and thyroxine. Melanocortins are hormones that regulate the production of melanin in the melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing and storing the pigment in your hair follicles. There are two types of melanocortins that are relevant to your hair colour:

  1. α-melanocortin: This hormone stimulates the production of eumelanin, the pigment responsible for the colour height of your hair. The more eumelanin your hair contains, the darker it is. Do you have blonde hair? Then your hair contains very little eumelanin. Is your hair dark brown? Then it contains a lot of eumelanin.
  2. Agouti signalling protein (ASIP): This hormone slows down the production of eumelanin and instead stimulates the production of pheomelanin. Pheomelanin is responsible for the red and yellow pigments in the hair, and it is also found in the skin and eyes. The higher the content of pheomelanin, the warmer the hair colour. People with higher levels of pheomelanin in their hair tend to have red, orange or blonde hair.

Another hormone that affects your hair colour is thyroxine. Although this hormone does not have a direct influence, it can have an indirect influence. This is because thyroxine is produced by the thyroid gland. An imbalance in thyroid hormones can lead to several conditions, such as hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone), hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone) and other thyroid-related disorders. These conditions can affect body weight, heart rate, energy levels and thus even hair growth and colour.

Hormonal Changes During Key Life Phases 

There are certain periods in life that are known for hormonal fluctuations. Think of puberty, during pregnancy, menopause, or when using certain medications or hormone therapy. During these periods, you may notice a change in your hair colour, for example, during menopause when the production of melanin decreases. This results in the appearance of gray hairs. Not only can your hair colour change, but also the texture of your hair. This also alters the way your hair reflects light, causing it to appear shinier or, conversely, duller. This can also lead to an optical change in hair colour.

Hormones and Hair Dye

It's now clear that hormones can affect your hair colour, but can hair dye also yield different results under the influence of hormones? The answer is yes, it can. There are even people who claim that hair dye does not take effect during a short hormonal fluctuation, such as during menstruation. However, there is no scientific evidence for this. That hair dye can turn out differently during long hormonal fluctuations has been proven. When your hair changes colour due to hormones, the base on which you apply hair dye is also different. This can result in a different outcome than you always desired. Hormones can also cause a change in hair structure. When your hair turns gray, your hairs often become somewhat coarser. These coarse hairs sometimes have more difficulty absorbing the pigments from hair dye, resulting in the dye being less effective or not taking hold at all. Additionally, the porosity of your hair can change under the influence of hormones. Hair with higher porosity may absorb and retain hair dye differently than hair with lower porosity, causing the final colour to vary. Lastly, hormonal changes can also alter the sensitivity of the scalp. Some people may be more sensitive to certain ingredients in hair dye during certain hormonal phases, making it important to be cautious when choosing hair dye products. Therefore, it's best to choose a hair dye with as few aggressive ingredients as possible.
 

The Effect of Hormones on Your Hair Color: In Conclusion

It's important to remember that individual reactions to hormonal changes can vary, and so can the way your hair reacts to hair dye. If you're unsure or have questions about dyeing your hair and the potential impact of hormones, please contact our customer service. You can also always request a tester to dye a small strand of hair. This way, you can quickly find out if your hormones are currently affecting your hair color.

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