Jezebel: hair dye

Still Working On The Flying Car

Dodai — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST

In the future, stylists will cut hair with robotic metal attachments on their fingers. And hair dye won't smell. Oh wait: The future is now! [Telegraph, Scientific American]

Recession Inspires Heads To Go Red

Anna N. — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:40:00 EDT

Red hair is apparently all the rage this year in Britain, and Sarah Vine of the Times of London says hair dye in general is enjoying a recession resurgence.

Apparently L'Oreal hair dye sales are up 7%, and Vine likens the phenomenon to the "lipstick effect." She writes:

It's a simple psychology: the world may be collapsing around your ears, you may feel overwhelmed and out of control, but one thing you do have a bit of say over is the hair on your head. It's a small but effective act of self-assertion: focus on what you can change rather than on what you cannot. Crucially, at a time of economic constraint, it's quite a cheap way of updating your look.

But for those of you considering going red, be careful. You might, for instance, ask your mom to buy you a nice salon dye job for your birthday, so you can look like your favorite celebrity — April O'Neil. When you wash your awesome new locks for the first time, you might think your head is bleeding — then realize that in fact all that precious dye is sluicing down the drain. When you call the salon to complain, you might find out that red dye washes out the fastest of any color, and then you will just look like plain old you again, and your dreams of Aprilness will be dashed forever. Such as.

Women are dyeing to go red [Times Online]

Manic Panic

Maria — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Amelia Robbins is a 12-year-old girl who just got suspended from her school in Missouri because she dyed her hair pink. Amelia says that she colored her as a tribute to her father, who died of cancer, and that the decision was fully supported by her mother. Administrators at the school argue that the pink hair is a "distraction" but Amelia says that the school is always teaching students to "be different" and to not follow the crowd. Kind of a mixed message, don't you think? [Salon]

Bjork Feels Bad For China; Hair Dye Equals Death

maria — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:20:00 EDT

• Bjork feels sorry for China. You know, over all that Tibet stuff. • Italian porn star runs for office, promises to create "cute" red light district. • H.S. teacher resigns after being outed as madam. • Macho, alcoholic men have trouble dealing with serious injuries. • Gabrielle Union sues Craigslist pranksters over faux ad. • India bans sale of cheap hair dye after farmers use it to commit suicide. • Uterine fibroids can now be treated with a non-invasive ultrasound. • Australians engage in wife-carrying competitions. • Hayden says: Sexual harassment is wrong, even if it makes you "feel good."

Bikini Waxes, Highlights & 'Tramp Stamps': That's What Little Girls Are Made Of

Jennifer — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:40:00 EDT

First we hear about little girls getting pedicures, then bikini waxes, and now, at the tender age of 6, it's chemically treated hair. The New York Times reports that today's moms are paying for their daughters to get highlights. (Full disclosure: I was a hair model in high school, and for a good four years my hair got dyed every color of the rainbow. But I made money doing it and I was 15. The girls in the Times are much, much younger.) Says Tammy Curris of Toadly Kool Me salon in Fayetteville, NC, "We've had girls as young as 6 in for highlights, but 9 and 10 is more the norm." Echoes Mark Goodman of Hair Designers of Hilton Head, SC, "Five years ago, the rule of thumb was 15- to 16-year-olds would come in for their first color. Now, that girl is 10."

Is Mr. Goodman horrified by this emerging trend? Hell to the no! "I tell stylists to get more involved in school and community events to reach out to these younger girls. They may not want to think in those terms, but these girls are our future business." Barf.

Ouidad, who owns a Manhattan salon where she is also a stylist, says:

"These girls want flexibility to imitate the styles of their idols, and they need it to look right. Girls as young as 10 come in with little support groups of friends who wait with them hours. And when I turn them into Hannah Montana or whoever they want, they literally jump and cry and scream... I wonder what message we are sending the girls."

No shit! Adds former Miss Virginia Nancy Amanda Redd, "Pregnant women can't get highlights, what makes it safe for little girls? These girls are going from baby to mini-adult. They feel naked without their highlights. I think we need a giant dose of realism here."

As for the mothers? They're basically enablers. Says Jane Ordway of New York, "Originally, we went to the salon because [12-year-old daughter] Olivia wanted me to have my hair colored to cover the gray, which I did. But then it turned out she wanted a highlight herself. She does have a really good fashion sense and some of her friends have done it, and I felt we were in the right place to have it done well so I let her." Wait, what? They were at the salon to begin with because the daughter told the mother to get rid of her grays? Fuck. It's not about the parents any more. This nation's youth cannot be saved. When you can buy a tramp stamp for your toddler, you know the end is nigh.

A Girl's Life, With Highlights [NY Times]
Lower Back Tattoos for Your Toddler [Babble]
Earlier: Why Let A Girl Play When She Can Be Made Over Like JonBenet?
How Many 8-Year-Olds Have To Get Bikini Waxes Before We All Agree The Terrorists Have Won?

Warning: if you're a hairdresser (particularly...

Jennifer — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:45:00 EDT

Warning: if you're a hairdresser (particularly a male hair dresser), working with hair dyes will increase your risk of developing bladder cancer. And those who use hair dye may be at risk for bladder cancer, too, as well as lymphoma and leukemia. (Also, the darker the dye, the riskier it is.) Which means that the Naomi Watts of the world might be safer than, well, Cameron Diaz that time Cameron Diaz went brunette. [Independent]