Researchers Prove that Chemicals in Hair Products May Lower Pregnancy Hormones

chemicals in hair products lowered hormones pregnancy hormones Rutgers School of Public Health Dr. Zorimar Rivera-Nunez Johns Hopkins Medicines human chorionic gonadotropin hormone human placental lactogen estrogen progesterone

By Lilian Scott , Parent Herald Dec 21, 08:37 pm

Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Pregnant moms who use a lot of chemicals in hair products should be aware that they could be putting their fetus at great risk. A new study has shown that hair dyes, bleaches, mousse and even hair relaxers could lead to lowered hormones that should support the development of the fetus inside the womb.

Rutgers School of Public Health researcher Dr. Zorimar Rivera-Nunez and her team tracked 1,070 pregnant in Puerto Rico who are fond of using chemicals in hair products. Their findings, released in the Environmental Research journal, showed that the levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in these women were a lot lower than the pregnant moms who did not habitually have a hair tint or dye but used other products like shampoo or conditioner. However, Rivera-Nunez said that they were not able to determine if the women with lower pregnancy hormones had other problematic conditions that could compound on their exposure to endocrine disruptors.

According to reports, past studies have found links between fetal growth impairment, low birth weight and preterm birth vis-a-vis the mother's hair products use. Many of these products have chemicals that can impact pregnancy hormones in the most damaging ways.

Why Pregnancy Hormones Must Be Ideal

Ideally, a pregnant mom's hormones increase because it is preparing the body for the baby's development and birth. Thus, a lot of pregnant moms may say that they can feel their hormones completely going out of control or they have those mood swings, especially during the first stages of pregnancy when it's most crucial for the fetus' development.

Per Johns Hopkins Medicines, the four most common hormones that rise when a woman is pregnant are the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) for the placenta's health, the human placental lactogen (hPL) for the fetus' nutrition, the estrogen for the overall health of the pregnant mom, and the progesterone for the thickening of the uterine lining so that the fetus holds in the womb.

If these hormones are disrupted and changed because of the chemicals in hair products, then it could result in an unhealthy pregnancy or birth. Similarly, if these hormones are too high or beyond the levels expected of a pregnant woman, it could also lead to the offspring becoming overweight or entering puberty earlier than other kids.

Moms, Read the Product Labels

Rivera-Nunez said that women exposed to hair products with endocrine disruptors should learn to read labels and understand how some ingredients could impact the changes in their bodies. Unfortunately, the expert also said that many beauty products in the market lack proper labeling and are not consumer-friendly, especially with moms who do not probe further and do their due diligence to find out more about the products.

Some ingredients to avoid include sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens (butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben or propylparaben), phthalates (DEP, DBP and DEHP), a preservative known as methylisothiazolinone (MIT), rosemary essential oil. The expert also advised mothers to stay away from products with strong fragrances because these are absolutely filled with endocrine disrupters.