I love my hair. It's been a part of my identity ever since I can remember. Even as a toddler, my mother made it a habit to perfectly place two high pigtails atop my head, effectively keeping my hair out of my face. It was our special little ritual.

Somehow, through the course of time and tangles, the once endearing waves became a source of tension for me, and the pigtails disappeared. My grandmother then proceeded to chop off my long tendrils, and left me to grow up with a bob rivaling the classic bowl cut.

After that incident, I became anti any touching of my hair. Brushing were few and far between, and the idea of anyone even coming near me with a curling iron, comb, or even conditioner was a startling proposition that i did not want to face.

Fast forward 10 or so years, to my freshman year in high school.

My hair grew long, and I was much less against people touching it, but the underlying hesitations lasted. Then I colored my hair for the first time. It honestly changed my life. My confidence was transformed.

Although it was just semi-permanent dye in a shade one darker brown than my natural color, something about the ability to change myself so easily stuck with me.

Sure I neglected the color for a while, getting caught up in the throws of underclassmen experiences. At the start of 2016, I felt like I needed a change, one more drastic than the past and one definitely more permanent.

What better way than to change my hair? I went outside of my comfort zone and went violet brown. The result? A newfound confidence.

There is nothing in the world that compares to getting my hair done. It makes me happy in a way that nothing else quite does. Something about having the ability to change my appearance so rapidly and with such empowering changes.

I encourage anyone who needs a change in their life to change their hair. There's something about having that power that is so much less daunting that making any other change. Even for someone like me, with a turmulteous hair history, it is empowering. So go ahead, change your hair. After all, it'll grow back.