Coloring hair has never been odd or uncommon. Well, when it came to naturally covering up stray gray it was never out of place for most people. However, in the past few years, hair coloring has turned from a form of maintaining the image of a youth to making an image. The rise of edgy, colorful hair has shown us a new lifestyle and several truths about said life.
Those of us who delve into the hair world live average lives. We go to work or school, breathe and sometimes talk to people. We are your average human beings, just with different colored fur. With the changing of hair comes several life changes that anyone wishing to transition over to the technicolor rainbow need be prepared for.
1. Indecision
What color should I do? What will be in this season? Should I even be hip? What's on Pinterest? Will this teal contrast better with my eyes than the violet? Decisions, decisions. I mean you are only going to be stuck with this hair color for four to eight weeks. No biggie, right? Wrong.
2. Waiting for hair to process is like Christmas
The anticipation of waiting to rinse your hair, whether in a salon or at home, is electrifying. After the entire process of washing, possibly bleaching, and then finally coloring, you turn into a child trying to sleep on Christmas Eve. Your insides are too excited to be patient. There’s so much that could go wrong but there is so much that could go right.
3. Mini heart attacks in the shower
Those first few rinses are panic stricken. As you wash your hair and watch the water pour down red or green or blue you can’t help but wonder if all of the color is gone. Did you use the right shampoo? Did this conditioner stripe the color? Is anything really color safe? Your mind won’t stop racing until you step out, half covered in suds and check the mirror.
4. Selfies: It's Now or Never
With each wash, your hair changes colors ever so slightly. Because of this, selfies become more important and more stressful. Your profile picture must reflect your hair on the prefect day; right after it starts to fade but not too much. Wait a day too long and the perfect memory of those bright locks is gone.
5. You give your mother a heart attack
Whether your mother knew about the drastic change or not, she is bound to be shocked when she sees a rainbow walking toward her. Even the most supportive of mothers have a hard time hiding the shocked expressions on their faces. Even if they question you or start a fight about it, they will come around. Eventually.
6. You unintentionally change your wardrobe to match your new hair
We’ve all done it, whether with wild hair or not and whether we notice it or not. Suddenly our favorite red dress doesn’t look as good with Princess Ariel hair. An orange pantsuit isn’t quite the same when your curls are green. Something about a carrot, perhaps?
7. It becomes addicting
As soon as two weeks after coloring the first time, your mind begins to wander. What other options are there? Could I pull the new color off? Being committed to one hair color once you start is nearly impossible.
8. Hair envy
Lust for a new color is always aided by the inevitability of meeting someone new with beautiful hair. Seeing a badass human with colorful locks makes your mind wander even more and you heart begins to pitter-patter. You fall in love. You become envious. But not in a negative way. More in a sense that you look at another person and wonder, "Wow could she look anymore like a majestic forest fairy with that periwinkle hair?"
9. It gets expensive
Due to the wandering eyes and swept away hearts, coloring hair gets expensive. Aside from the actual salon trip or the at-home job, supplies get expensive. Since dying and coloring your hair can wear it down, hair treatments come in handy. Don't forget your color-safe shampoo and conditioner pair.
10. Adults look at you differently
There's something about a young person with colored hair that seems to startle older folks. We get it, it's not exactly a natural sight to see. But adults have a way of looking at your neon locks with a bit of alarm, if not complete terror. Be prepared to defend your aesthetic choices. Yes you can still get a job and, yes, the color will go away.
11. Peers look at you differently
Some of your peers will be shocked, much like the adults in your life. On the other hand, some will ask you a million questions. The reactions from this age group are hard to predict. Be prepared for multiple outcomes. Man the hatches on all sides, friends.
12. Children look at you differently
Children are the total opposite of most adults. To a child you will become a fairy princess, a mermaid or simply a goddess. Children will know that you hair is different but their pure innocence will not think about how your colored locks will affect your career prospects or what your shining tresses insinuate about your political opinions. Children will see the pure fun in coloring hair and, therefore, they are the ones you really want to see it.
13. Pep talks become second nature
A lot of people will see your hair and say something along the lines of "I wish I had the courage to do that!" As someone who has done that, it is imperative that you encourage the speaker. They can do anything they set their minds to. There was once a point in everyone's life when they thought they couldn't do something. But hair is simply hair and it will grow back so why not have some fun with it?
14. It is empowering
No matter what color you change your hair to, there is something empowering about it. This is especially true after some sort of emotional trouble. Taking control of something and making an adaptation to your body that you like is a definite game changer. There comes a sense of confidence and assurance when you can take responsibility for your projected self in such a direct way. The sense of control over your lifestyle and the compliments from people who love the change will counteract any doubts or judgements you receive. Every. Single. Time.
Whether silver, blonde or cherry red, ultimately the decision is up to you as an individual. For some it's a hard decision and for others it's a breeze. Either way, there will be changes in your life that you don't expect to experience when you change your hair color. I know that I was blown away by how it affected me. Many things can change with just a little bit of pigment.
