Hair coloring and dyes are one of the biggest trends right now, and have been for a while. We realize that all the kids are doing it, but it might not be safe for your child.
A child is very vulnerable before they hit puberty. Many studies prove that prepubescent hair is not at all ready for harmful chemicals that are in dyes. “Hormones play a key role in the development of a child’s hair and skin,” says Kendall Ong, owner of Mane Attraction Salon in Phoenix.“It isn’t until reaching puberty that your hair begins to mature and become the hair you will generally have into adulthood.”
Chemically altering a child’s hair prior to the age of puberty, therefore, is not ideal. “Before puberty, a kid’s hair is typically thinner and more fragile and can be easily damaged by even the most gentle hair color formulas,” says Harmon, another stylist/activist.
Many doctors and physicians advise parents to make their children wait until at least sixteen years of age. Frank Friscioni of Oscar Blandi Salon in Manhattan and Frank Cassi Beauty in Palm Beach agrees. “I would not want to apply dye to a child’s scalp who is under 16 years of age,” says Friscioni. “On the scalp, hair color can easily penetrate through the scalp and into the blood. There is no science to say that this is dangerous, but I would still be wary.”