What Happened When I Dyed My Hair
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

What Happened When I Dyed My Hair

"The external color could not fix the broken internal state I was in."

13
What Happened When I Dyed My Hair
Kelsey Fiander-Carr

Among many of the strange things I have done in 2016, dyeing my hair was definitely the cherry on top of a shitty year.

In 2016, I lost my mom. I died the same day she did. No, I did not really die, but the girl I was died spiritually. The summer after her death, I felt rebellious. I wanted to do something that she would never approve of. I felt like I was not a daughter anymore, so why should I submit to the parent who left me? I went on a warm day in July to cut my hair. I chopped about six inches. In the chair and said impulsively, “Can you dye my hair as well?” That is when it all started. I sat in a chair for three hours. The hairdresser stripped the brown away from my hair and turned it into a platinum blonde. I then felt the brush stroking my hair, painting a vibrant blue to the latter half of my locks. After the new mane dried, I looked in the mirror at someone who looked like me, but with blue hair. My mom would have never approved of me dyeing my hair. She was OK with the notion of me dyeing it a natural color, but certainly not something that made me look like a Smurf.

I turned my stage of grief (I was probably in the anger part if I had to guess) into a hot blue mess. Mind you now, I did like the color. My favorite color is blue; I loved that my hair reflected my favorite shade. However, I dyed my hair for all the wrong reasons. I felt that maybe if I looked different, I would feel different. Maybe the new color would bring me closer to the person I was becoming. I could not have been more wrong.

The external color could not fix the broken internal state I was in. The color was just a constant reminder that I tried rebelling against my mom. I did not want it anymore. When my loathing of the hair reached its peak, I asked my friend to chop it all off in her bathroom on New Year’s Eve. So, in her bathroom in the last half hour of the year, my dear friend chopped of all the blue. As the strips of turquoise hit the floor, I felt empowered. I felt more like me.

If dyeing your hair makes you feel better about yourself, please do it. But, please do not think that a physical trait can change your overall mental state. The color of your hair cannot mend you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58244
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37523
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959151
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

193115
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments