Blonde. Brown. Red. Purple. Pink. Blue. Highlights, strands, and streaks. These are just some of the styles and colors you can choose from when you dye your hair. Dyeing yoru hair signifies change, growth, and moving forward in life. It could also just mean rocking a new look. The question is, should you? If you are like me and stuck in the middle on deciding whether or not to dye your hair, take advice from two college girls who’ve dyed their hair in the past.
With their permission, they go under the fake names Lemon and Strawberry. For four years, Lemon dyed her hair with many blonde highlights, making it almost completely blonde on top. Strawberry dyed her whole head ruby red and bleached the tips to make it pink for about a year in college.
When did you first dye your hair?
L: “I started dyeing my hair either at the end of middle school or beginning of high school when I was 14 or 15.”
S: “I dyed my hair my freshman year in my first semester three weeks into school.”
How did you dye your hair?
L: “I had a hair stylist do it… they did it with tinfoil.”
S: “With a box dye (from Walmart). I tried to go for a little more expensive dye, it’s a German dye… Just used box dye in the girls bathroom.”
What inspired you to dye your hair?
L: “It was nothing in particular. I was bored with my dark hair and I wanted to change it.”
S: “I was feeling the independence… Living at home, my parents didn’t really let me dye my hair. But since I was on my own… I decided to dye my hair.”
What was the hair treatment and upkeep like after the original dye?
L: “I had to go every six weeks to get it updated because the roots would show.”
S: She redyed it. “When I redyed it, usually the kit comes with like conditioner you wash your hair with throughout the process… Just used that conditioner until it ran out.”
Your thoughts while having dyed hair:
L: “I really like the way it looked when it initially got done. But then once the roots would start showing which would be after two or three weeks, then it didn’t look as good.”
S: “I really liked it a lot, it was different from my normal hair color… to have my short hair and have it dyed red was a very liberating and independent feeling.”
After?:
L: “I liked it while I had it. But I don’t plan to do it again anytime soon.”
S: “I guess I never really got rid of it. It’s still dyed to this day… it’s grown out and I haven’t redone it or anything. The last time I redid it was the beginning of second semester (last year).”
Will you dye your hair again?:
L: She said no.
S: “no.”
Should others dye their hair?:
L: “Yeah. If they’re willing to upkeep it and take care of it then yeah.”
S: “Just do it… think about it for a week or two. But do it. Because hair can always grow back. I know some people say lighter hair colors won’t come back, they will. I have some pretty light hair and I still have all my highlights and my light color.”
“I think you should dye your hair at least once in your life to change it up a little bit, you know?… This (change) you get to control.”
Overall, hair is hair. It will grow back the original color you had if you let it, like Strawberry said. Change is good, and this change can be reversed as well. If you’re considering dyeing your hair, I would recommend doing it. Especially after hearing these interviews. Experiment with your look and have fun!