Breakup's are probably one of the most challenging things to work through if you struggle with low self-esteem. You begin to question what it was about yourself that made that relationship fail. You run through every moment,good and bad,of the relationship in your head wondering what you did wrong. But, this article is not about whether you were the reason for your breakup or not because quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of talking about that. Let's talk about hair instead.
I've never really liked my hair. I didn't like it short so I grew it out. I didn't like it long so I cut it. I didn't like it flat so I permed it in middle school (I know). It wasn't even until I got to college that I dyed it for the first time. This year alone my hair has been brown, black, red, and now blue.
Late last year my boyfriend and I decided to part ways which isn't uncommon in college, but the reason it was so painful was because he was my best friend. And I'm talkin' like Meredith and Cristina from Grey's Anatomy friendship. He was my person. Needless to say, the breakup pretty much wrecked my self-esteem and all seemed lost until a couple of close friends helped me get back on my feet again.
Two weeks ago I saw my roots starting to show and decided it was time to dye again. My friend and I headed to Walgreens to buy a box of hair dye. I reached for a natural red, but my friend grabbed my hand and said in a serious tone, "It's time". So we left Walgreens and headed to the extreme dye section of Sally's. I glanced over the multitude of vibrant colors and decided on a royal blue and an aqua.
The entire process of bleaching my hair and then dying it took a total of two full days. I must say, my friend did an excellent job for not being a professional. Three days later I left for college and that's when the good vibes started to flow my way.
Most days I forget my hair looks like a blueberry until I started getting compliments from strangers as well as welcoming smiles. Of course my close friends complimented my hair when they first saw it, but I did not expect to get compliments from people I don't know. Two days ago I was walking through the Quad and was missing being able to talk to my ex until mid-thought, a girl said, "Excuse me. I just want to tell you I love that shade of blue. It looks great on you". I could not stop smiling for a good minute or two. And that was just one of many strangers' compliments that day.
Dying my hair blue after my breakup helped me find little bits of happiness every day and it still does. For one, it's a great conversation starter. I think I've made at least three different friends just because my hair is blue. I receive compliments that help me remember I am beautiful. I am not saying you cannot be beautiful, confident, and unique without dying your hair a wild color. I'm just sayin'...sometimes it's okay to be a little blue.
