There are these sayings about a girl who dyes her hair red, or a girl who chops her hair off after a breakup.

They always are joking around about not messing with that girl because she's going through shit. Well, you're right. We're going through shit and that's okay.

I've dyed my hair a ton of colors in the past four/five years. From having so many knee surgeries and a lot of downtime, and not having to stick to a more natural color for a musical or play, I had time to explore and have fun.

I've been blonde, I've been red (well, I've been a redhead from middle school to sophomore year of college), I have been a brunette with pink ends, I've had red blonde, I've had red with blonde ends, I've had black, I've had dark brown, I've had brown with high lights – I've had it all.

Some of it is I'm trying to find myself through these monumental periods of my life. Something has happened very close before or after my decision to dye my hair a new color or add color to another color. It was a death, a breakup, changing universities to even just wanting a change with myself since it was the only thing I had control over.

I have dyed my hair so much I've surprised I even have hair on my head from so much bleach, to box dying my hair for years. People judge me for constantly judging my hair. I've dyed it dark to give my hair a break, and I can't tell you how many hair masks I have done, and my hair is finally feeling healthy again, and being close to my original hair color and not dying it for months.

Callaghan Carter

I've been dying my hair for so long I forgot what my original hair color was until I grew my roots out and said, "Wow that's gross." And then proceeded to dye my hair, again.

I don't need your judgmental comments when I'm going through a hard time. I need to sit in a salon chair and change things up. I need to sit in a salon chair and gossip and have a brain dump during the hour-plus process. I always leave a salon sometimes scared, but always excited to hear what people have to say. Of course, my friends and family are supportive always, but I see those judgmental comments about how my hair is gonna be dead yadda yadda yadda.

Save it. Don't you worry judgy-pants-you! I buy the expensive hair masks and special shampoo and conditioners that my mom rolls her eyes at because I need to keep my hair healthy. I spend those extra dollars to make sure I'm treating my hair I just spent over a hundred dollars on and making sure it lasts its money's worth.

Somehow my boyfriend has seen almost every hair color I've dyed my hair in the past three years. It's like a continuous triangle of three color, blonde, red, dark. I know he prefers lighter hair, but sometimes I'm feeling moody as heck and need my hair to match my depression.

Heck, I prefer my hair lighter because I am pale as heck and just should step away from the dark hair dye options.

All in all, stop joking around constantly about a girl changing her hair. Yeah, she could be going through shit. Yeah, she also could be going out of her comfort zone. Or, she could have been saving for months and finally has the money to treat herself and have her dream Pinterest hair.

Judgy-pants-you, it's not just hair to some people.