- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
"Nothing helps people stay healthy more than the power of real knowledge about health." — Dr. Roger Harms
As medical director of content, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for Mayo Clinic's health information site to help educate people about their health and provide them the tools and information to live healthier lives.
The Auburn, Neb., native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1981 and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Harms is a practicing physician and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and his specialty areas include office gynecology, high-risk obstetrics and obstetrical ultrasound.
From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Harms was director for education at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Harms was the 1988 Mayo Medical School Teacher of the Year and served as associate dean for student affairs and academic affairs. He is the co-author of the "Mayo Clinic Model of Education." In 2008, Dr. Harms was presented the Distinguished Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Harms is vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical editor of the Pregnancy section on this website. In addition, Dr. Harms is editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book, a month-by-month guide to everything a woman needs to know about having a baby.
"My medical education experience has grown out of a love of teaching, and that is what this site is about," Dr. Harms says. "If any visitor to this site makes a more informed and thus more comfortable decision about his or her health because of the information we provide, we are successful."
Healthy pregnancy (19)
- Flu shot in pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Leg cramps during pregnancy: Preventable?
- Vaccines during pregnancy: Are they safe?
- see all in Healthy pregnancy
First trimester (3)
- Nausea during pregnancy: A good thing?
- Implantation bleeding: Normal in early pregnancy?
- Birth control pills: Harmful in early pregnancy?
Second trimester (1)
- Fundal height: An accurate sign of fetal growth?
Third trimester (1)
- Hypnobirthing: How does it work?
Pregnancy problems (9)
- Chickenpox and pregnancy: What are the concerns?
- Pregorexia: A legitimate problem during pregnancy?
- Cervical length: Why does it matter during pregnancy?
- see all in Pregnancy problems
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Hair dye and pregnancy: A concern?
Is it OK to use hair dye during pregnancy?
Answer
from Roger W. Harms, M.D.
When you use hair dye, a small amount of the dye can penetrate your skin. Generally, however, the dye isn't thought to pose harm to a developing baby.
A 2005 study suggested an association between hair dye and pregnancy and the childhood cancer neuroblastoma — but other studies on the use of hair dye before and during pregnancy haven't reached the same conclusion. Most researchers say it's unlikely that maternal use of hair products before or during pregnancy would increase the risk of childhood tumors.
If you choose to dye your hair during pregnancy, consider these precautions from the Food and Drug Administration:
- Follow package directions carefully.
- Wear gloves when applying hair dye.
- Leave the dye on your hair no longer than directed.
- Rinse your scalp thoroughly after using hair dye.
If you're concerned about the use of hair dye during pregnancy, consult your health care provider or consider postponing any chemical hair treatments.
Next questionExercise during pregnancy: Is heart rate a concern?
- Hair treatments and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/hairtreatments.pdf. Accessed May 20, 2011.
- Hair dye and hair relaxers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/byaudience/forwomen/ucm118527.htm. Accessed May 20, 2011.
- Ostrom QT. Current state of our knowledge on brain tumor epidemiology. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 2011;11:329.
- Rollison DA, et al. Personal hair dye use and cancer: A systematic literature review and evaluation of exposure assessment in studies published since 1992. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. 2006;9:413.
- McCall EE. Maternal hair dye use and risk of neuroblastoma in offspring. Cancer Causes and Control. 2005;16:743.
- Connelly JM, et al. Environmental risk factors for brain tumors. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 2007;7:208.
Find Mayo Clinic on