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Lead is one of mankind’s oldest used metals. Lead and its compounds have been employed for thousands of yeas in all walks of life, from construction to gastronomy. It was not so long ago that sewage pipes were made from lead. Anyone who has renovated an old house might have seen old leaded pipes as they were replaced. They are easy to recognise by their unusual weight. However, lead and most of its compounds are today known to be highly toxic. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that over time accumulates in soft tissues and bone. Nonetheless, because of its low reactivity and water solubility, lead poisoning usually only occurs in cases when the lead is dispersed and after long term exposure.

Lead acetate is used as a precursor to lead sulphate which acts as a synthetic pigment in progressive hair colorants such as Grecian formula, Youthair and GreyBan. It is valued due to its ability to change the colour of your white hair gradually and discretely. Like lead, it is toxic, although it has been used for centuries as a wine sweetener. Since the beginning of the 1980s, lead has been withdrawn from many products, such as gasoline, paints, pipes, etc., and in the last decade lead compounds such as lead acetate have become the target of increased attention of health authorities. Lead acetate has been banned from hair dyes in some counties of the European Union and in Canada but there is no universal ban within the EU, let alone on a larger scale. However, lead-based hair dyes continue to be available in shops in most countries in the world.

In one study, conducted in the US, people using lead acetate-containing hair colorant were monitored but no absorption of lead into their blood stream was registered. Therefore, it was determined that lead acetate-based hair dyes can remain in use but the concentration of lead acetate may not exceed 0.6%. Most of the currently available hair colorants contain a maximum of 0.4% of lead acetate. In spite of that, these lotions may not be applied on facial hair or cut scalp and if redness or inflammation appear their use must be discontinued. It is obvious that you should wash your hands with soap after applying them.

As the toxicity of lead has become more apparent in recent years and it is even suspected of being carcinogenic, bismuth has become its increasingly popular supplement. Following a ban on sales of lead-containing hair dyes in some countries, the affected products have been reformulated to include bismuth citrate. Bismuth, like lead, is also a heavy metal but it is thought to be less toxic and is not suspected to be carcinogenic. Nonetheless, the same careful handling is required when applying bismuth-based hair colorants as with lead-based products.