I think it's also worth mentioning that her natural hair color will affect her ability to get any color from dye. If she has dark hair, neither permanent nor temporary hair coloring will really show if she doesn't first bleach her hair. The color won't be very noticeable and will fade rather quickly. I really recommend not letting her bleach her hair--bleaching is very harsh on skin and hair, has to be redone often, and can do permanent damage. less

Thanks so much for all the good opinions! I knew that this community would help us make this decision. Lots of hug's and cookies.



I have talked with the wife about everybody's reason for or against, condensed them together and presented them to my daughter. We told her to think on it for awhile and let us know.
I will post back with our decision.

Please feel free to add more to the discussion, others may face the same situation. less

I didn't try dying my hair until I was 15, I tried blue streaks which ended up really really bad and with me missing a day of school to try to fix it in a salon. I'd say as long as you do it on a Friday where there won't be school the next day then do it, just make sure to wait until then just in case she decides she hates it and wants a fix up while refusing to go to school until then. less

I have an 11 year old also so I know your pain.

My punk has watched me dye my hair for years. A couple years back she asked if she could have some. I gave her a small streak under her crown. It was not very noticeable but for her it was the coolest thing ever. less

Dyes are relatively safe these days, hell you can dye your hair when you are pergnant so it shouldn't hurt her. Having wild hair is such a small ego boost for a kid especially if Mom approves and helps with it. My kids are about the same age as your daughter DWTim and I offered but they actully like their hair color as it is. There are things I won't do like body piercing (except ears if my wusses would allow it LOL) or tattoos. We've done henna tattoos and body painting but nothing permanent.
Sexualized clothing and heavy make-up are a no go in our house but hair color is negotiable. less

Someone on Twitter mentioned that she had heard that Beyond the Zone Color Bombz temporary hair color had good reviews for those with darker hair and she was asking whether or not anyone had any personal recommendations/experi ences with it. I don't know anything about it personally.

You might look into that brand. less

I am a licensed cosmetologist so I have a few bits of information to give, and if you have any questions about products or anything please feel free to message me.

The first thing I am going to say is, if you are going to do a highlight please make sure you use a cap or foil. The kits that you buy where you just brush lines of color are... less than desirable as far as how even the highlights will look.

That being said, many salons like Regis in the mall have a deal where you get 7 foils for $25. So you can get her a few professional highlights is the color you want for not much more than the price of buying the product yourself. It's a great option. If you don't have a regis, you might be able to find a local salon willing to give you a similar deal.

My daughter is only 2 1/2 but I know, with me being a stylist that she is going to ask sooner than most, but at 11 I think a few subtle highlights would be alright. When I was in cosmetology school one of my instructors had a daughter who was about 10ish and she got a few light highlights every couple of months if her grades were good. After the report card came out, if she did well then she got to come in and get highlights, a shampoo, cut and style. It was her own little treat for doing well in school.

Red always fades. Always. It also fades faster than any other color. I would be careful what red you use. Wanting red is just fine, I love it myself, I am almost always a redhead... but you want to choose a color that fades nicely. The color that I am using now fades from a nice vibrant red to warm auburn. Many of the fantasy colors don't fade as nicely.

I hope that helps... and like I said let me know if you have any questions. less

So my wife bought some hair dye that comes with a red highlight dye and my daughter asked if she could have some of the red as highlights. Both the wife and I had our "punk" day's so we really do not care, but we were 16-17 years old too.

So I thought I would get everyone in Eden-land to chime in and tell me what you think. She has medium dark strait long hair. less

Hell no. Not at that age. For a Libby Lu b-day party where they spray your hair and it washes out...I'd let my kid do that but not what you are describing. You said punk days so I am guessing the red is vibrant and that would be a for sure no if it was a wild color. No hesitation. A single stripe? or natural colors -At an older age, like 14.

It's not even allowed at my H.S. anymore. It's considered a distraction. You can get detentions or more. less

Do it! My mother was a hair dresser and I started playing with my hair color when I was around that age. I experimented a lot as a teen, got bored, and now I just have my natural hair color which is as close to black in color as natural hair gets. I did all kinds of color, although it might be fun for her to start out with henna dyes first? Henna washes out and it works even on darker colored hair. She can see if she is ready for the commitment of dying this way first?

All this nonsense about "virgin" hair...bah! It's not like a tattoo that never comes off, it's hair...and it grows back! She can always let it grow out and cut the dye out if she doesn't like it. I say have some fun. At that age kids are trying on identities and trying to figure themselves out, and I think it's really healthy for them to have (within reason) enough space to experiment and discover who they are. Hair dying is a harmless way to express yourself and it's a good chance for you to bond with her, too!

If you have a Sally's near you then you'll need a bleach kit (if her hair is dark) and Manic Panic or something like that, which they sell there. If the idea of bleaching her hair freaks you out, think of maybe just bleaching the very tips of her hair? That way if it doesn't turn out well, you can just chop off an inch and her hair will still be the same. less