Men's Hair

Although most people think of women when the topic of hair treatments comes up, a full 5 percent of American men (and 10 percent of men over 40) also choose to dye their hair, and many use growth promoters. Recent studies, however, have called the safety of these popular products into question.

Short-term reactions to hair dye can include allergic responses, eczema, asthma and sun sensitivity. A number of studies have linked the products to cancer, including reports published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1994) and the International Journal of Cancer (2001). A May 2005 review in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) analyzing several dozen studies on hair dyes did not find a significant link to cancer. "Nonetheless, the intriguing risk increase for male users of hair dyes deserves further consideration," the authors noted, referring to a borderline increase in risk of hematopoietic (blood-related) cancers in 17 studies of men. Although the authors did find a borderline increase in risk of those who dyed their hair, the EWG argues that several dye ingredients pose significant health risks and awarded poor safety scores to several products, including Maxim Permanent Haircolor For Men and Just For Men. Five of the EWG's 10 most high-risk dyes were men's products. The EWG's top ingredients to avoid include phenylenediamine, aminophenol, naphthol, lead acetate, toluene, coal tar and hydrogen peroxide, all of which the group links to cancer and allergies as well as other concerns. The ingredient ammonia is also a common allergen. For men who want to get out the gray, less toxic and all-natural, plant-based alternatives are readily available (see below).

Men who want to battle the loss of their hair may want to consider that conventional treatments carry risks. Minoxidil (the primary ingredient in Rogaine), when used in excessive amounts, has been reported to have side effects including blurred vision, irregular heartbeat, chest pains, headache and rapid weight gain. Rogaine must be applied daily and restores hair growth in only about half of cases, according to Rogaine's website. The EWG lists it as a medium-level safety risk for including untested ingredients. Scoring considerably worse than Rogaine in the EWG report (for a range of harmful impurities and carcinogens) were a number of regrowth scalp treatments and serums, including offerings from Nioxin, NuHair, More Hair and Osmotics.

All things considered, gray, thinning and bald look a lot better.

Resources

EcoColors $13.50 per box (www.ecocolors.net)

Naturcolor $14.95 per kit (www.naturcolor.com, 800-462-0666)

Herbatint $9.79 per box (www.amazon.com)

www.fda.gov, 888-INFO-FDA

www.ewg.org, 202-667-6982