Dyeing your hair can kill you in multiple ways. The first is obvious: it kills your wallet and that little banker in you is shaking its head for that $400 you just dropped to go from brunette to platinum. It keeps silently scolding you when you have to pay for aftercare like conditioning masks, bond formulas, special shampoo, and fine-toothed combs and brushes.

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Second, any sense of pride you have in the texture of your hair is out the window. It comes off frizzy every morning and you have to battle with hair oils and brushes to get it as straight as possible. You start straightening your hair, but after day one, you're left with a crispy haystack on your head. And when I say day one, I mean day one out of four of not washing your hair to retain the color, but also because your toning/conditioning/masking process takes. for. ever.

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Third, no one really understands the process or struggle of dying your hair, and you're on your last explanation on how bleaching/dying works. If your hair is dark, you start off an off-blonde or brunette during the first bleaching process. In the second, you go blonde. After, a process of purple shampoo gets you that ash/platinum color. And then, you deposit a color that lasts approximately a month. If you dye over blonde, the yellowish color may not get you the perfect faded pastel you want, so it's better to start with a white canvas. You need blonde to get to platinum before you get pink/purple/blue/everything else, especially if its a pastel color!

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Finally, your hair is literally dying, and don't come with a smart remark like "Uh, our hair is already dead when it grows out of your head." But when you bleach it, it's dead, as in, there is literally no hydration in any strand of your hair and it's amazing how it still clings on to your gorgeous little head.

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As I said, however, you die on the inside because of your dyed hair is two-way street. I am specifically pointing out at the death of the old you, and the birth of a new you.

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There's something magical about being able to change your appearance in an affordable way. Makeup is rather temporary after a swipe of a wipe or a splash of water, and not everyone can just surgically change their nose, plump their lips, or heighten their cheekbones. Dyeing hair is the only noticeable part of our body that we can control, and it's incredible being able to change how you look in just a few hours.

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There's a rush of confidence when all eyes are on you. You stand out from the crowd, you're unique, and you did a little something-something just for you. There's an overflow of self-love when you put extra care into your hair routine to maintain how smooth it could possibly be. Additionally, all the little compliments from strangers are a sweet reminder that you took a risk to make you happy, and that's the best part- making the decisions on your body for your happiness. The world should be a selfless place, sure, but sometimes, you need to advocate for yourself. You need to make choices that give you pleasure and security because otherwise, how can you bring that joy to others? I'm not saying dyed hair is for everyone, but for those who had a missing piece that was only filled by the sweet, sweet smell of ammonia-scented developers, let the old you die. Shine bright, Mermaid Head.

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