Dyeing your hair is a very modern, trendy thing to do in the fashion world. Many girls want to dye their hair to change their appearance for fun, emulate their favorite celebrity, or fit in with their friends. You might be wondering whether or not you should let your daughter dye her hair.
You will first need to consider all of the pros and cons of hair dye before you decide whether to let her go through with it or not. Additionally, you will need to consider the safety of her dyeing her hair and the potential risks associated with hair dye.
Pros of Letting Her Dye Her Hair
1. Expressing Creativity
Allowing your daughter to dye her hair will allow her to express her creativity through her appearance.
Many girls want to dye their hair to show a sense of identity or independence through their hair color. This is similar to the creativity they experience through wearing makeup or choosing their own clothes. It can help her figure out who she is and what she likes best.
2. Freedom
Your daughter may want to dye her hair so that she feels a sense of freedom. There are constantly rules and ideals we have to follow in society and one way of pushing back against those norms is to express ourselves through our sense of style which includes the color of our hair.
Dyeing her hair allows your daughter to experience a sense of freedom through a safe means of expressing herself.
3. Confidence
Sometimes we don’t feel confident in our own skin for one reason or another. Choosing to change the things we can allow us to feel more comfortable with who we are.
Again, this is similar to the confidence she might feel in wearing makeup or clothes that she wears that make her feel her best. Your daughter may not feel confident with her current hair color and it may empower her to be able to change it. This sense of empowerment can create a lasting sense of confidence which can help build her overall confidence in things later down in life.
Cons of Letting Her Dye Her Hair
1. Dress Codes
The first thing you’ll need to consider is what color of hair dye your daughter wants to use.
If she wants to dye her hair a natural color then a dress code probably won’t apply. However, if your daughter wants to dye her hair magenta, you might have a problem with the school she goes to.
You will need to check school policies or anywhere else she goes that has a strict dress code, such as dance class. If there is a policy against unnatural hair colors, then you might have to step in and encourage her not to break the rules.
Perhaps she could dye her hair a natural color to allow her to still enjoy the sense of freedom and confidence she would experience with dyeing her hair, while still following the dress codes that she has to follow.
2. Professionalism
Unfortunately in the professional world, many people see hair dyed in unnatural colors as unprofessional which can harm your daughter’s ability to get a job.
If your daughter is old enough to start looking for work, one of the considerations both you and she should discuss is how dyeing her hair will impact her ability to work somewhere that she wants to get a job at, particularly because hair dye can take a long time to grow out and may not easily be covered up.
Like with a dress code, your daughter may have to dye her hair a natural color instead of a more eclectic color to avoid problems professionally.
3. Hair Damage
Many harsh dyes, especially bleach, can cause lasting hair damage.
Unfortunately, after a few months when her hair starts to grow out, it won’t be easily dyed over. Additionally, if she continues to bleach it, her hair could become dry and brittle.
In a worst-case scenario, her hair could begin falling out and the only way to solve this problem is to let her hair grow out her hair long enough to cut the damaged hair off. This can take many months to years so be prepared if she plans to use a harsh dye that can potentially cause damage to the hair in the long run.
Other Considerations
1. Dyeing Process
Before you allow your daughter to dye her hair, you should consider whether or not she’ll be getting it done professionally vs. dyeing it herself. Getting her hair dyed professionally can cost a lot of money; however, a professional will know how to prevent her hair from being damaged and will use high-quality hair dyes that are safe.
If she plans to do it herself, you should look into the type of dye that she wants to use, then you should consider whether or not there are safer alternatives. Lastly, you should be sure to look over the instructions with her and monitor her.
If she is still young, then you may want to help her with this process because it is our jobs as parents to make sure out children are put in the best positions possible including a process like dyeing her hair.
2. Safety
Many hair dyes have strong chemicals that can cause scalp irritation, burning or even severe allergic reactions. Before you let your daughter dye her hair, you need to consider what type of dye she is planning on using.
Many dyes have warning labels on them in regards to their safety so make sure to check them carefully.
For example, a permanent dye that bleaches her hair could cause serious damage to her scalp or hair, especially if not used properly. However, a semi-permanent dye that washes out might be more gentle and less prone to adverse reactions. Additionally, there are dyes that wash out after a couple of washes which are much safer for the scalp.
3. Permanence
If you are hesitant about allowing your daughter to dye her hair because it might have long-term effects or you are afraid that her confidence will be damaged if she doesn’t like it, you could encourage her to use washable dyes or semi-permanent dyes.
This also gives her the benefit of changing the color of her hair more often which can help her find a style that she likes best.
These dyes are meant to last for a short time and usually wash out fairly quickly. A way you can speed the process of washing them out is by having her wash her hair more frequently than normal.
Final Thoughts
This topic might have mixed feelings from parents because it’s something new that they will have to experience with their daughter. It is like deciding if she should be allowed to wear a bathing suit or not.
I personally dyed my hair as a teenager and enjoyed the process immensely. I continued to dye my hair well after adulthood and experienced a boost in my self-esteem, confidence, and expression.
I wholeheartedly recommend allowing a girl to experience dyeing her hair and I intend to allow my young daughter to experiment with color, as long as the product is safe to use.
With that being said, I think it’s very important to monitor her very carefully if you are going to allow her to change her hair color. You should also consider and recommend products she should use by doing some research on the many different products out there in the market.
For some girls, a gentler semi-permanent dye is a better choice in the beginning because it washes out over time and it’s not as harsh as some of the more damaging hair dyes out there in today’s world. You can decide with your daughter what will work best for her if you do allow her to continue with this process.