<p>So I figure this is the best place to start this thread if I actually want replies.</p>
<p>Hair is a great form of expression for teenagers. Styles are the simplest form of expression for hair but coloring is becoming increasingly popular. Many (if not most) teen girls color their hair nowadays. And an increasing number of them choose ROY G. BIV colors as opposed to the typical browns, reds, and blondes.</p>
<p>But the social perception of these colors is mixed. And because I’m always curious as to what people think, I wanted to know the opinions of people here.</p>
<p>So do you like the “punky” colors? Do you hate them? Do you find that streaks or dip dyes are fine but full color is a bit too much? Do you think certain colors are okay while others really shouldn’t be on the human head? Should teens be dying their hair at all? And how old should a person be before they start to dye their hair?</p>
<p>I work with SO many young females. I so much encourage some strawberry or green accents to hair than the other, more serious or permanent forms of self expression Even my 59 y g/f added some chunks of strawberry to her hair. total fan.</p>
<p>My D2 came home from a summer camp before her senior year of HS with a huge blue streak in her auburn hair. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, except that I had booked her senior picture shoot for two weeks later. She was able to get most of it out and comb her hair to hide it. Normally I would not care at all, but I was not happy about the idea of dropping that kind of money on her photos – she isn’t a kid who had ever before (or likely will ever again) die her hair a funky color, so it isn’t really “her”. And she has the most beautiful, shiny auburn hair you can imagine. But if she did it now or while at college I would not care. But… when she gets to job or grad school interview time, I guess it could make me twitch a little then, too.</p>
<p>Truth–by the time I found out my kid had dyed her hair (streaks) purple, it was already washed out and back to normal. Actually looked pretty nice after my initial shock. So much for mom’s POV.
Watched HGTV Star–one of the contestants had reddish hair with different colors (blue, purple, orange) dyed into the ends in streaks. It was different but she was a designer and probably added to the artsy personality. She was a mother of three and pretty conventional other than her hair color.<br>
Should teens be dying their hair at all? Better to do it young than before you apply for that accounting job…</p>
<p>Intparent–my D dyed her hair red (she was blond) right before senior pictures in HS (with the help of my “friend”). It did turn out really pretty but I could’ve killed both of them at the time. (both long since forgiven…)</p>
<p>My 10yo had had both pink and purple, thanks to Manic Panic. She’s planning on blue for back-to-school. She has fairly dark hair normally, and just colors over it (no bleach), so it’s a fairly subtle effect. </p>
<p>i had blue streaks last year and my mom encouraged it my dad was a bit alarmed but my mom convinced him that I wasn’t going to become a hardcore punk or anything</p>
<p>I don’t particularly like the bright coloring, but I don’t hate it. At least it’s an obvious “this is not my real color” statement. I agree it’s nice for teens to dabble non-permanent style choices.</p>
<p>The best thing about the punky colors is that to get the pigments bright, they have to be semi-permanent dyes. So you have to redye a bit more but they harm your hair less. Which is good when you have to bleach it beforehand.</p>
<p>I just started the lightening process so I can dye my hair a reddish purple. Hence this thread. It started out as a plan to dye streaks but with the encouraging of my roommate I ended up just going for it.</p>
<p>But the thing is, you have to know what you’re doing when you go for these colors. You can’t just pick up a bleach kit and a dye and expect it to be perfect. A lot of people end up doing that and destroy their hair. With Youtube, there’s no real excuse not to look up a tutorial. There are a million of them. I watched about 15 before I started my bleaching. After shampoo and conditioner, my hair looked and felt fine because I had prepped it beforehand.</p>
<p>My kids did brightly colored stripes or tips when they were in college. They let it grow out or fade away well before time to start their job searches in pretty conservative fields. Dd1 thought I’d be shocked. I told her I’d first colored my own hair at 13; she just hadn’t seen any photos. </p>
<p>I noticed the vibrant hair colors on the “HGTV Star” contestant mentioned by Gouf78 and wondered if I’d dare try something like that. I stopped coloring my hair when we were hoping for our first baby and didn’t do it again for many years. My next attempt was a horrible failure and I didn’t try again until our kids were out of school. I was thinking of just letting it go “silver” but the interim stage looks so mousey and drab on me. It’s tempting to try a bit of bright aqua peeking out from beneath the brown shades. I don’t work outside the home and while dh would be surprised he would never object.</p>
<p>I don’t like it. At a time in life when nature has blessed teens and young adults with the best looks they’ll ever have in life, they go and ruin it with ridiculous blue or pink hair.</p>
<p>I find it ironic that so many who want to go ‘all natural’, wearing only natural fabrics or eating only organic ‘natural’ foods, then go and do something so unnatural as putting chemicals on their hair. </p>
<p>The day comes soon enough when a woman has to put chemicals on her hair in order to keep looking her best.</p>
<p>You can get natural dyes. Most people who want natural go with henna which can give you red and sometimes purple if you do it well. You can also use everyday conditioner and KoolAid to dye your hair. Or berry juice and conditioner. Or even food coloring and conditioner. The bleach is the part that’s harmful. And you don’t necessarily need bleach…</p>
<p>I’m very glad D is not into that sort of thing. I wonder how it affects opportunities in college to work with professors on research, and get references or letters of recommendation. Maybe, I’m old-fashioned, actually, likely I am old-fashioned, but a person who dyes his or her hair purple, green, etc. would have more convincing to do to show that he/she is a serious student. </p>
<p>Of course, it’s far, far better than getting a permanent tattoo. My niece who was blessed by genetics with the most perfect, creamy, peachy, Botticelli like skin got a horribly ugly black tattoo on her back. It almost makes one cry.</p>
<p>I love the bright hair colors. I have very long hair and have never dyed it, but if I kept it shorter I’d definitely play around with color. Oddly enough, I’m more hesitant about dyeing my hair than getting piercings. I can take the piercing out and have a barely noticeable scar instantly, but it would take years for my hair to come back from the dyeing to its natural state. </p>
<p>My best friend used to bleach and Manic Panic the undersides of her hair. Once her observations started for teaching, though, she had to tone down the look and went for a natural brown/black. Amusingly enough, the most vehement protests to her loss of the brightly colored hair were from her professors. </p>
<p>My mom for a while was experimenting with growing out her hair in her natural silver color. I tried SO hard to get her to Manic Panic it - blue or green on top of that silver would’ve been killer. I always promised myself that when I invariably inherited my family’s early grays I would start dyeing my hair, but I still don’t have a gray hair in sight. </p>
<p>The only thing I DON’T like is when people don’t do it properly. I’ve seen people with hair like brightly colored straw because they just bleach, bleach, bleach without taking care of their hair the rest of the month. Treated hair needs lots of TLC.</p>
<p>ETA: In college I was picked up as a research assistant to one of the most old-fashioned, curmudgeonly types in my department, even with my piercings and goofy (lack of) fashion sense. Maybe he had a different sort of initial impression, but it doesn’t take too long to prove otherwise in a classroom environment.</p>
my dad was a bit alarmed but my mom convinced him that I wasn’t going to become a hardcore punk or anything</p>