Blonde hair dye that doesn't damage hair - for 12 year old)

[XelaM]

My 12-year-old daughter has very long (waist-length) wavy light-brown hair and is obsessed with wanting to dye it blonde. I'm really worried she is going to damage her hair, as I did when I was younger (not with dye though). Are there any products out there that could lighten her hair but won't damage/burn it? It's ok if it's just temporary for the summer. I know that it's difficult to get blonde hair without bleaching it, especially if you start off with darker hair, but hers isn't really dark - it's on the lighter side of brown.

There is a new product from Clairol called Blonde it Up. It contains no bleach or peroxide so is gentle to the hair but can deliver 5 levels of lift. I have heard it delivers really good results - could be worth a try.

It does contain hydrogen peroxide. Loads of these products try to sound like they won’t damage hair but they all do.

I guess if she can’t get it done at a salon until she’s 16 she will have to wait, or you could try to find a mobile hairdresser who will risk it?

I looked this up, because it’s impossible to lighten hair without some bleaching agent. And you’re correct that their advertising says no bleach. But when you look at the ingredients, yeah there’s bleaching agents including peroxide in it. I have bolded all the bleaching agents:

Developer - Aqua/Water/Eau, Hydrogen Peroxide, Paraffinum Liquidum/ Mineral Oil/ Huile Minerale, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Disodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Stannate, Etidronic Acid.

I'd avoid using Sun In too unless they've changed the formula, ruined my hair when I was a kid.

I've heard lemon juice can lighten hair but I don't know if it's true and how damaging it could be

She's only 12. You are the parent. Tell her she isn't old enough to dye her hair.

She's just a kid, I would seriously be discouraging this.

You can't do it safely at home. Taking 12yo to the salon sounds ridiculous though.

is gentle to the hair but can deliver 5 levels of lift.

Spot the daft marketing speak. Wtf is "delivering 5 levels of lift"

Ending up streaky or patchy AF 🤣

I used to do DD when she was 12 through to 16.

I used a reputable box peroxide lightener and just sectioned a few bits on her crown to give the look of highlights.

It lightens really quickly so you have to watch like a hawk and get it off the hair immediately.

The first two years were fine and beautiful, but after this the damage to the hair was slowly apparent. Still looked beautiful.

I drew the line when she wanted her whole head blonde. It would have resulted in tufts as it gradually broke off.

Fortunately the following year she decided to go short and dark brunette.

She's now got long hair once again but she's an adult and can choose her own colours and styles.

Another thing we explored was good quality hair chalks. You can get good effect using these.

Use chamomile shampoo, conditioner and lightening spray (Klorane do excellent blonde hair products)