# Hair dying, piercings, etc--appropriate age? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938 "2017-10-27T01:25:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/1 "2017-10-27T01:25:50Z")
It used to be that mainly women in their 20s and possibly 30s dyed their hair unusual colors (purple, green, etc). It’s also historically been younger people who got piercings and tattoos. Lately, the ages of people doing such things has been widening in both directions. I’ve noticed a trend in the last 2-3 years for younger and younger children to have dyed hair. Not so much the more permanent stuff, of course–at least not yet. This one comes close to setting a record. The pictures are quite something. I’ve got mixed feelings about this sort of thing. > [@](#): > > Unicorn hair—as in, brightly coloured locks—is all the rage nowadays. From brands like Lisa Frank to My Little Pony to Trolls, bright colours have always been used as a means of self-expression and that’s why kids love it. > > So when Mary Thomaston’s daughter nagged her for months about dying her hair and shaving off one side, the Florida mom eventually caved. Being a hairstylist, Thomaston knew to use the non-toxic, temporary hair dye brand Manic Panic when creating her kid’s look: a teal dye job with a purple, pink and yellow sun design on the shaved side. But now, Thomaston is being criticized for letting her six-year-old dye her hair and letting her kid to dictate what kind of look she wants. [https://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/a-mom-gave-her-six-year-old-unicorn-hair-and-people-are-freaking-out/](https://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/a-mom-gave-her-six-year-old-unicorn-hair-and-people-are-freaking-out/) So what, in your opinion, is the youngest age that the following would be appropriate? (Note: this turned out to be a much longer list than I thought it would be. Feel free to ignore certain ones, or lump questions together.) #1–Dyed hair. #2–The “standard”/common set of ear piercings. (One per ear.) #3–Multiple pairs of ear piercings. #4–Navel/belly button piercings. #5–Nose/lip/cheek piercings. #6–Tongue piercings. #7–Nipple piercings. #8–Genital-area piercings. #9–A small tattoo in a place where regular clothing would hide it. 10–Any tattoo in a readily-visible place where it can’t or probably wouldn’t be covered. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/2 "2017-10-27T02:14:51Z")
1,2 : none of my business, don’t care 3 : preferably over 16 years old 4-10: over 18 years old My sister-in-law is a hair stylist who died my niece’s hair blonde, pretty much as soon as the kid had hair, and then never let the roots show. The kid’s cousin once mocked her by saying, “You’re so stupid you think you’re a natural blonde”. Niece is now 22 and is still a “blonde”. I’m not sure this long-time use is healthy. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/3 "2017-10-27T02:49:08Z")
6 yrs. Old!! Wow, that is young. The lil’wrekker insisted on highlights on her already blond hair in 7th grade. I thought that was young. She doesn’t want tattoos or piercings. She is afraid of needles. We have to have valium before dental appointments. Both my older kids have tattoos. But they did that after leaving home and not on my dime. So I would never give into tattoos before 18. And ear piercing is ok, maybe. Some kids just cannot be trusted to take of pierced ears, and tongue piercing is just plain stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/4 "2017-10-27T03:44:23Z")
I lightened my previously blond daughter to her previous shade of blond in maybe 3rd or 4th grade (age 9 or 10.) I did not think of it as a big deal, but boy howdy, did I engender the criticism among the teachers in her school!!! To hear the opinion of some of the staff, I was a leading contender for the AntiChrist, LOL Piercings and tattoos need to be over 18,IMHO, other than the widely accepted one hole per ear earring piercing. Personally, I think the child should be expressing desire to get their ears pierced but bow respectfully to cultural and social reasons for piercing. it’s your babies, after all.[ul] [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/5 "2017-10-27T04:07:08Z")
Isn’t it illegal for licensed tattoo artists to work on minors in most states? I do know that some allow it. Until fairly recently, you had to be 21 to get a tattoo in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/6 "2017-10-27T04:37:19Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > So what, in your opinion, is the youngest age that the following would be appropriate? (Note: this turned out to be a much longer list than I thought it would be. Feel free to ignore certain ones, or lump questions together.) > > #1–Dyed hair. With age-appropriate dye - don’t care. The younger the kid the more you have to worry about toxic ingredients. > [@](#): > > #2–The “standard”/common set of ear piercings. (One per ear.) No younger than 12, with parental approval > [@](#): > > #3–Multiple pairs of ear piercings. 16, with parental approval > [@](#): > > #4–Navel/belly button piercings. 21 > [@](#): > > #5–Nose/lip/cheek piercings. 21 > [@](#): > > #6–Tongue piercings. 21 > [@](#): > > #7–Nipple piercings. 21 > [@](#): > > #8–Genital-area piercings. 21 > [@](#): > > #9–A small tattoo in a place where regular clothing would hide it. 18 > [@](#): > > 10–Any tattoo in a readily-visible place where it can’t or probably wouldn’t be covered. 21 Actually, for #7-8 and #10 I’d like to say “25” but realistically it’s going to be 21 in our society. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/7 "2017-10-27T04:38:47Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I lightened my previously blond daughter to her previous shade of blond in maybe 3rd or 4th grade (age 9 or 10.) I did not think of it as a big deal, but boy howdy, did I engender the criticism among the teachers in her school!!! To hear the opinion of some of the staff, I was a leading contender for the AntiChrist, LOL > > Piercings and tattoos need to be over 18,IMHO, other than the widely accepted one hole per ear earring piercing. Personally, I think the child should be expressing desire to get their ears pierced but bow respectfully to cultural and social reasons for piercing. it’s your babies, after all.[ul] > [/ul] yeah, I heard the same crap about the lil’wrekker and she was in middle school, she was by far not the only kid who had highlights in her hair, but for some reason they decided to talk about her and me! Our school system doesn’t allow colorful hair dye, you will get suspended if you come to school with purple or pink hair, til it is removed. I know one lady who is home schooling her girls because of the rule. Sometimes school boards go too far. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/8 "2017-10-27T15:27:33Z")
1-2: whatever age is appropriate for each kid. 3: depends on where the additional holes are going. Second piercing of the lobe? 14. Anywhere else? 18. 4-10: 18. When my grandson was 5, he decided he was going to be Sonic the Hedgehog for Halloween “next year”. He was committed to the idea. He grew his hair long, we lightened it a bit from dirty blond so the blue would be right, and then dyed it blue. We broke the lightening and dying into separate weekends because that’s a long time to sit when you are that young. He was adorable. He kept his blue hair for a week or two, then decided to shave it off. I wanted him to rock a mohawk for a while, which he had when he was 3, but he wasn’t interested this time. As far as I know, no one gave him any stick about his long hair, then blond hair, then blue hair, except his jerkface maternal grandfather. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/9 "2017-10-27T16:04:06Z")
My sister’s boys dyed their own hair with Kool-Aid when they 8 and 9 – Sis could only smile. I’m 69 and male – sometimes put some purple streaks in my hair just because. Tattoos should be done after age 80. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/10 "2017-10-27T16:17:57Z")
Once you’re 18 in our society, you should be able to make your own mistakes in these areas. (And also drink, but we’ve had that debate before) As far as hair dye goes, I don’t care. Anytime after birth. ---
**Author:** ![Maurie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Maurie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maurie)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/11 "2017-10-27T16:22:11Z")
My daughter wanted a blue streak in her hair in grade 3 or 4 (she is in grade 6 now). I was totally fine with it and thought it looked very pretty. Lots of her classmates had similar dye jobs and I never heard a word of criticism from anyone on it. Pierced ears I made her wait until I felt confident she would be able to take proper care of them, which for her was around 8 but for some kids I know would be more like 12 and for a handful of others as young as 5 or 6. I’m not personally a big fan of pierced ears in infants simply because to me it seems like the kind of thing a person should have at least some say in. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/12 "2017-10-27T16:33:41Z")
My mom let me have a pink streak put in my hair when I was six years old, and that was in the 80s, so… for small dye jobs like that, six. Ditto a single set of regular ear piercings for a kid who really wants them and is mature enough to put up with the healing process. Maybe a second set of ear piercings in high school, since I knew lots of perfectly solid kids who did that (our valedictorian, who is now a doctor, ferx.) The rest of it–I won’t pay and probably wouldn’t approve of until the kid is 18. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/13 "2017-10-27T16:39:25Z")
Whatever the parents decide, until they’re 18. For all. (Funny I thought this was going to be a thread about old ladies and color streaks. It’s also becoming more common! 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/14 "2017-10-27T17:44:52Z")
I personally hate the trend if colorful hair dye. But I do think it’s mainly ok for teens and young adults. I think an obese, 56 yr.old with 4 nasty kids and pink streaks on bleach blond hair, running around walmart screaming at said kids, is a disgrace. The pink streaks are obviously not improving her life in any way, do these people not look in the mirror, I just don’t get it!! But, I also have a fear of green hair, it looks diseased! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/15 "2017-10-27T17:49:33Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I personally hate the trend if colorful hair dye. But I do think it’s mainly ok for teens and young adults. I think an obese, 56 yr.old with 4 nasty kids and pink streaks on bleach blond hair, running around walmart screaming at said kids, is a disgrace. The pink streaks are obviously not improving her life in any way, do these people not look in the mirror, I just don’t get it!! The pink streaks seem to be the least of your complaints. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/16 "2017-10-27T18:14:10Z")
When my daughter was 8ish she told me she wanted pink streaks. I told her I was fine with the idea as long as her mom permitted it. She got her mom’s ok, so I talked to a friend who was a cosmetologist. I bought some ManicPanic and H2O2 and played hairdresser. Her friend was with her when I did the streaks. The friend wanted me to do _her_ hair, but I told her she’d need a permission slip. A week later I had my daughter over for the weekend, her friend tagged along, and had a _signed parental permission slip_! Yep, the girl’s mom wrote out "I give you permission. . . ", it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/17 "2017-10-27T18:15:20Z")
Personally I think none of that stuff is appropriate, ever, and it all looks awful in all situations and cases. (Even ear piercings.) However I also believe that what other people do to their bodies is emphatically none of my business. (I simplify things for myself a lot by not having any kids - there would doubtlessly be war.) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/18 "2017-10-27T18:25:22Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > (Funny I thought this was going to be a thread about old ladies and color streaks. It’s also becoming more common! 🙂 ) I was going to dye my hair some wild color when I get old, but it’s already all played out. Guess I’m going to shave my head instead. I’m not crazy about little kids having dyed hair or earrings. My daughter was probably about ten when she started wanting that stuff and I let her go ahead. As far as the rest of it, eighteen and I’m not paying and I don’t necessarily need to know about it either! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/19 "2017-10-27T18:34:24Z")
I am just gonna hope for a nice grey when I get old! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938/20 "2017-10-27T18:35:47Z")
[quote=“Procrustus, post:15, topic:799938”] The pink streaks seem to be the least of your complaints.[/QUOTE. I know, right! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hair-dying-piercings-etc-appropriate-age/799938.md?page=2)