A resurfaced clip of JoJo Siwa can cause you to see them in a completely different shade.
Over the weekend, a social media user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a revelation he had just learned about the polarizing pop star.
“I found out today that Jojo Siwa is not a natural blonde and her mom has been bleaching her hair since she was two,” they tweeted.
When other X users asked whether this was misinformation or not, other users quickly responded: Receipts in the form of a clip from Lifetime’s “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” from 2013.
In season 2, episode 7 of the reality show – a spin-off of “Dance Moms” – a very young Siwa is seen watching her mother Jessalyn Siwa dye her hair.
“Nothing is off limits when it comes to doing what I think will benefit JoJo,” Jessalyn is heard saying in the episode, just before she begins bleaching her daughter’s roots.
“I’ve been dying my hair since I was about 2 or 1.5 years old,” says JoJo. “I’m not a natural blonde, I’m actually a natural brunette. I have brown roots, so I have to dye them to make it look like I’m a natural blonde.”
Many social media users were alarmed by the news that JoJo, now 20, was dyeing her hair at such a young age.
I feel so sorry for the little girl she once was
— Sea 💉 LOLLAPALOOZA’24 (@ryuunyasuke) 13 April 2024
her poor scalp, oh my god… I feel so sorry for her
— junie 🐇 (@xxFOUR_FACExx) 13 April 2024
That has to be some level of abuse 😭 that’s not okay. I bleach my hair often and it burns. Can you imagine that happening to a 2 year old?
— 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙄𝙎𝙀𝙀𝙆𝙀𝙍💫 (@sinaiseeker) 14 April 2024
some parents actually see their child as just a cash cow
— 𝔪𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔢 (@mooncakex3) 14 April 2024
can you imagine how damaging all the bleaching and wearing her hair in a high ponytail for years is
— Heaven 🍉 (@lucymcbooty) 13 April 2024
You all talk about hair damage, but um… I think it might be a little more serious.
– Kyle Cockrum (@cockrum_kyle) 14 April 2024
Most experts agree that dyeing a child’s hair is not a good idea.
James G. Wagner, Ph.D., associate professor of pathobiology and diagnostic testing at Michigan State University, pointed out to Self in 2017 that research into the health risks of hair dyes has produced inconclusive results or has been sponsored by the industry. However, when the products are tested for safety, they are used on animals and adult humans – not children.
“We generally assume that children are more sensitive to exposure to toxicants – smaller body volume means higher doses,” he told the magazine. “Growth and development of some body systems, particularly those responsible for endocrine, metabolic, neurocognitive and reproductive functions, may be sensitive to DNA-altering chemicals, and host defense systems may not be fully mature to detoxify foreign substances.”
Essentially, he believes that dealing with the chemicals might be more difficult for a child than for an adult.
Daniel Ganjian, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, agreed.
“I don’t recommend it because a child’s hair, scalp and brain are still developing and are sensitive to ammonia and other harsh chemicals that can be found in hair dyes,” he told Self. “I don’t think it’s completely safe.”
