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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Do you let your teens dye their hair?

55 replies

Piscesmumma1978 · 20/07/2023 16:28

Just wondering if I'm being too strict on this one

15yo wants to dye her brown hair red. I'm not keen.

Aibu?? Thanks x

OP posts:
Forestdweller11 · 20/07/2023 17:18

14 yo - dip dyed pink ends, chopped out for return to school
15 yo - auburn highlights to match in with existing hair colour
16 yo - more of a balyage look but DC is going back to school into 6th form where they aren't as strict on hair styles/colours

I was attempting to dye my hair from about age 13 with random stuff like tea bags, the insides of felt tip pens etc until I discovered henna at 16 ...

justasking111 · 20/07/2023 17:20

My eldest son and many in his class bleached their hair year 11 it didn't end well lots of green heads. 😂😂

FuppingEll · 20/07/2023 17:20

Yes. I don't believe in dictating what they can and can't do with their appearance. Their school has no hair/piercings rules so they can do what they like.

JaninaDuszejko · 20/07/2023 17:24

orangeclubsarebest · 20/07/2023 16:39

Dd wanted to dye her beautiful blonde hair brown. I wouldn't let her. Her hair and all but she would always regret that.

My 15yo has a friend whose parents won't let her cut her hair until she's older (she's been asking for years, wants a pixie cut). All that's happening is she is getting more determined to do it and is becoming more resentful while the rest of her friendsare allowed to experiment with their hair. It's hair, it grows back, let her do what she wants with it.

VeridicalVagabond · 20/07/2023 17:33

orangeclubsarebest · 20/07/2023 16:39

Dd wanted to dye her beautiful blonde hair brown. I wouldn't let her. Her hair and all but she would always regret that.

I dyed my waist length curly golden blonde Goldilocks hair brown when I was a teen and never regretted it once. It suited me.

You get that hair grows back right? It's not like she's asking to tattoo her face purple. It'd hardly be a life changing regret even if she DID regret it.

WhoWants2Know · 20/07/2023 18:27

I allow some experimenting during summer holidays but it has to go back to "natural" colours in time for school.

This summer DD13 wanted the front of her hair bleached and then dyed bright red, and it looks smashing. Since it's only the fringe, it will be grown out fairly quickly.

jadey1991 · 20/07/2023 18:44

No to dying hair. Daughter is 15. Reason I don't allow her to is because she is of mixed heritage and has afro hair

Lamelie · 20/07/2023 18:47

Absolutely, it’s low hanging fruit as far as I’m concerned in the parenting game 😂

Squiblet · 20/07/2023 18:49

Mike's been bleaching streaks and dyeing them crazy colours since she was 9! It's been great for her - attracted lots of admiring comments, including from other kids. No ill effects other than slightly drier hair, which is a price she's happy to pay.

Echobelly · 20/07/2023 18:53

15yo is getting their fringe bleached tomorrow and dyeing it pink, two other friends are doing the same and they're doing the dyeing at our house (top tip from a friend, put the dye on in the garden!) 🙀I have done similar myself so know how to help them apply it properly, but hairdresser is doing the bleach.

They will dye it out back to natural colour before start of Y11 - I have no probs with it during the holidays, but they're very rule abiding and wouldn't do it when against the educational setting rules.

I think they will be bleaching and dyeing the whole thing, as well as probably getting lots of piercings, as soon as allowed, but lates teens is the perfect age to do all that IMO!

CurlewKate · 20/07/2023 19:25

11 I might say no. 15? Entirely up to her.

SpiritedSneeze · 20/07/2023 19:51

Yeah as long as the school don't mind, she can do what she wants with her hair. She currently has pink streaks which look pretty cool on her.
Olia box dye has some really good reds that go well over brown hair.

OrangeBananaFish · 20/07/2023 20:24

DD1 first dyed her hair in the summer after leaving year 6. She just went a lighter blonde than her dark blonde. She has dyed it ever since. She wants to go pink, but due to school rules is waiting another year (she finishes year 10 tomorrow) although after reading this thread I'm thinking of seeing if she wants to get a wash-out one. Any recommendations?

DD2 has got light brown hair and has often said that she wants to be lighter (like me and her sister), but she doesn't want to dye it. She's only 11 (finishes year 6 tomorrow) so she might change her mind, but I think she just can't be bothered with the faff.

Spybot · 20/07/2023 21:44

I have let my daughter have highlights a couple of times but I've warned her off the un natural colors as I think they generally look pretty awful. She's luckily got beautiful hair and I don't want her to spoil it. I won't let her dye her hair at home as it gets everywhere and all over the towels. She goes to a hairdresser.

steppemum · 22/07/2023 09:45

I should say that last summer, dd went blue.
Then we went on holiday.
We took a photo of her hair every day.
It went from blue to turquoise to green and then paler every day until pretty much blonde again.
She conditioned it before swimming every day and after.
Came home, and went for pre school hair cut and they were impressed that it was in pretty good condition.

So it doesn't have to be a disaster mixing hair dye/swimming /sun etc.

It is hair. It grows back

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 22/07/2023 13:36

Yeah. They can do what they like. It’s just hair.

EmmatheStageRat · 22/07/2023 19:08

Can anyone here recommend good semi-permanent products for turning mid-blonde hair pink? DD1 (15) doesn’t want to bleach her hair but she does want to go candy pink for the summer holidays. We’ve tried Bleach London shampoo and conditioner so far (didn’t work) and Provoke Go Pink hair mask (she left it on for 20 minutes as opposed to the recommended five and you can only just see a slight rose gold tinge if you squint).

FadeAwayAndRadiate · 22/07/2023 19:12

Yes. They started having highlights/blonding their dark blonde hair (hairdresser did it,) at 14-15.

EmmatheStageRat · 22/07/2023 19:26

How are people here getting their hairdressers to bleach/dye their teens hair as ours says it’s against the law on under-16s?

Ambi · 22/07/2023 20:02

Our high school is shit hot on hair and uniform rules but I have no problem with DD (15) dying her hair during the summer. We have dark hair so bright colours won't take that well. I was always dying mine red or purple.

Blowyourowntrumpet · 22/07/2023 20:09

Yes. You need to pick your battles

jonahjones · 22/07/2023 20:14

my dds school also has a no hair dye rule unless natural colours. but during the holidays I do let her put a wash out colour in her hair. she usually goes for purple, red, blue or pink and only it usually only very subtle. they've usually washed out by the return to school she's 15.

memoriesofamiga · 24/07/2023 18:55

My 12 year old wants to dip dye her hair pink, but our usual hairdresser is booked up until the schools go back. I would do it at home for her but I've never dyed my hair so I've no idea where to start! Can anyone help?

@EmmatheStageRat I thought that was the case too.

Bunnyannesummers · 25/07/2023 12:50

EmmatheStageRat · 22/07/2023 19:26

How are people here getting their hairdressers to bleach/dye their teens hair as ours says it’s against the law on under-16s?

There’s definitely no law about this

Bunnyannesummers · 25/07/2023 12:51

can highly recommend shrine drops for anyone considering coloured hair for summer - great colours, easy to apply, good price and washed straight out of my hair in under ten washes.