WEB EXCLUSIVE

Hair dye has been a part of self expression since ancient times. And as it progresses through society, we see how it has adapted. From all shades of colors from natural to colorful; with new techniques of highlights and baby highlights add to the overall look.

During school, many students can be seen dying their hair, like junior Avery Kovats. Whether for self expression, for a trend, or just to try it. 

“Dyed hair is a very beautiful and unique way to express yourself.” said Kovats. 

Coloring your hair is a very fun and unique way to express yourself. Seeing as there are so many ways to express oneself through hair dye. It’s just a question of what to do. Whether it’s to go crazy with unnatural colors, like bright red in Avery’s case, or another color like blue. Or go with a natural color, like blond or brown. And there are many reasons why anyone of any age would or wouldn’t dye their hair. 

“I enjoy having bright, red hair because it makes me stand out more,” Kovats Said. 

Some people do dye their hair for the confidence boost it gives them. It can help start up a conversation with someone about their hair. Kovats does say that she is a little shy and that her hair has helped her be more social.

There are also people who always wanted to dye their hair but never did,  such as English teacher Kate Kammeraad. There are many reasons why someone doesn’t want to dye their hair or sometimes can’t.

 “I was never allowed to dye my hair in high school so it never really became something that I really wanted to do.” Kammeraad said. 

While always wanting to experience dying her hair, she was never able to during high school. Which is something that differs from her time in school and now. Now people, not everyone, but a good handful of people have dyed hair, natural or not. 

Though some don’t dye their hair because they weren’t allowed to, like Kammeraad, some also don’t want to dye their hair. Some just have trouble figuring out how they want to do it or can’t because of the cost.

“The upkeep for colored hair is costly and time-consuming,” said Kovats. 

Hair dye can be pretty expensive, if you get a good brand. A good hair dye brand will cost anywhere from 20-30 dollars. There are cheaper hair dye but most aren’t good for your hair or don’t really work. Not to mention, hair dye takes time to process. Depending on the brand, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. And since unnatural colors aren’t permanent, it would have to be redone every couple of weeks. With both natural and unnatural, the roots will always need to be touched up. Plus, going to a professional will up costs even more.

“I have really dark brown hair and I tried adding blonde highlights once. I just ended up looking gray – it was pretty horrible.” Kammeraad said. 

While it’s cheaper to dye hair at home, it won’t always go well. Most people don’t understand certain things that help with dying hair. Some hair can have bad results with certain formulas and can turn out pretty bad. Most of the time, professionals will do a strand test to make sure the dye won’t damage the hair.

Not to mention, those with colored hair are often stereotyped, by others and employers. Employers assume a person with bright colorful hair won’t have good work ethic compared to someone who doesn’t have dyed hair. Others assume they won’t be able to get many jobs at all.

“I’ve been told that I’ll have a hard time finding a place that permits colorful hair.” said Kovats. 

While it has gotten better, unfortunately, some places do have restraints on brightly colored hair. Some places expect that if a person with colorful hair will work at their establishment, the person somehow has to get their natural hair back. Or dye it to a natural color.

“Nowadays workplaces are a bit more understanding, but it’s still often not accepted. I find this strange since the color of my hair in no way, shape or form affects my quality of work.” Kovats said. 

It’s true, though it’s more accepted to have dyed hair, lots of workplaces expect more natural colors. Even “blue-collar” jobs, which shouldn’t need standards on hair.

In some jobs, certain hair colors don’t make sense, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be unnatural colors compared to natural ones. Though jobs considered “white collar”, bright and vibrant hair probably won’t fit their standards.

“If a person has rainbow-colored hair and works in a local coffee shop, then they are probably seen as super cool and may draw in more customers. But, if you have the same hair and you are arguing a murder trial at court, you will not be taken seriously by the jurors.” said Kammeraad. 

Though not everyone would care or agree certain hair colors are more appropriate than others. That doesn’t mean over the top hair colors have to be in those settings either.

Hair is just a part of expressing one’s self through its shape, color, and style. It brings out a new side of people, helps them be confident. The right brands can actually help bring volume and shine to people’s hair. At the end of the day, it’s just hair, it’s not hurting anyone to dye it or style it.