Does hair dye in a woman’s hair count as a chatzitzah in the mikveh?
Question
Does hair dye in a woman’s hair count as a chatzitzah for mikveh purposes? Thank you very much!!
Answer
Shalom rav,
If the hair is dyed perfectly, without any defect, it is not considered a chatzitzah for immersion in the mikveh.
Sources: This is also the ruling in Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah (siman 198, seif 17): hair dye that women apply to the hair of their heads is not a chatzitzah. The Shach (s.k. 21) wrote that even though it covers most or all of the hair, and it is like the body of the hair, which does not constitute a chatzitzah, the hair itself is like part of the person’s body. And furthermore, the appearance of the dye has no substance, etc. See there.
In any case, the Sefer Ashrei HaIsh, Yoreh Deah, part 1 (chapter 33, section 38), writes in the name of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt"l that even dye for beauty that does have substance is not a chatzitzah, since we rely on the view of the Rashba that adornment does not constitute a chatzitzah, especially since no substance is felt by hand.
There it is also written in the name of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt"l that if, through washing, some of the dye is removed, and as a result it is no longer attractive, that is a chatzitzah.
With blessing,
Hillel Meirs
