Hydrogen peroxide is commonly found in permanent hair dyes and is also used as a bleaching agent.
There are some patients who are adamant and state that after having their hair dyed at the hairdressers, they feel that their hair growth is affected. In a previous article on hair dyes, it was discussed how permanent hair dyes work and how the cuticle can be affected in a negative manner leading to weak points on the shaft that can result in hair breakage.
There was a study was done by Korean researchers to investigate the effect of hydrogen peroxide on hair growth and it was published in 2018 in the Journal of Dermatological Science. Researchers isolated hair follicles from a patient and grew them in the lab and investigated the affect of different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on the hair follicle. Their results showed that hydrogen peroxide inhibited growth of hair follicles in a concentration dependant manner inside the cells.
One needs to bear in mind that there aren’t many studies of this kind done. Also, this was a lab based study. More studies are needed to investigate how hydrogen peroxide can affect the hair follicle at the dermal papillae in the scalp instead of a petrie dish in the lab.
For patients who feel that using a hair dye affects their hair, then the sensible thing would be to avoid permanent hair dyes. Temporary hair dyes are better tolerated than semi-permanent and permanent hair dyes.