No, I’m not having a mental breakdown. No, I’m not going through a midlife crisis or a bad breakup or a psychotic break. I’m celebrating spontaneity, a new quality that I’m slowly but surely adding into my repertoire.
Last Friday night, something came over me on my walk back to Libby Hall from Sushi Hana. Walgreens, and specifically the hair care aisle, was calling to me. Being a student at CU Boulder for around two months now, I’ve seen my fair share of colorful locks. I’ve always admired people’s abilities to dye their hair a vibrant color and not get sick of it or regret it immediately.
photo by: Caroline Haddad
As an avid over-thinker, I’ve never been able to commit to the neon hues that so many people can effortlessly pull off. But maybe it’s being in a new atmosphere, or being surrounded by a new community of people that lead me to leap out of my comfort zone this past weekend. This may seem like no big deal to many people. I always hear that “it’s hair, it’ll grow back,” but I’ve never really been able to adhere to that lifestyle due to the fear of looking “stupid” or “ugly.”
Photo by: Caroline Haddad
There’s no doubt in my mind that these fears were instilled in me as a high-schooler and a virtually homogeneous class of 350. I grew up in a town that celebrates uniformity and judges differences. But being in Boulder has changed my perspective on what normal is. In fact, being in Boulder has made me realize that “normal” is a social construct that doesn’t really exist. “Normal” was created by people who fear individuality, and I no longer fear it.
Photo by: Caroline Haddad
Pink is one of my favorite colors. Pink brings me joy and reminds me of love, so there was no doubt in my mind when perusing the Walgreens isles that pink would be my final decision. I was tempted to slap it in my hair that Friday evening, but I let myself sleep on it until I woke up on Saturday morning with a newfound motivation to change my appearance.
Photo by: Caroline Haddad
I’m sure my friends were a little surprised to receive a text on Saturday morning asking if I should dye my hair that morning. They were probably more surprised, however, to find that I started the process before they even responded. The dye I used was the L’Oreal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent hair color, which I cannot recommend enough. As a light brunette teetering on the brink of blonde, I was worried that the color wouldn’t show up vividly in my hair considering the dye is for light-blonde or bleached hair (oops). I was FORTUNATELY mistaken.
Photo by: Loreal Paris
I chose to only dye the ends of my hair with the hot pink hue and attempt to ombre the color so it faded into my natural hair. I probably shouldn’t even be describing how I dyed my hair considering I am the furthest you can get from a hairdresser. I read the directions for maybe two full minutes before diving in. Here I am, regardless, pretending to be a beauty guru because I will probably do this a million more times in my lifetime.
If that didn’t give it away, yes, the color turned out amazing. It is so vibrant and the best part is that it washes out in 5-10 washes, which means that less than two weeks from now I might be dying it a different color. I take that back. The BEST part is how amazing I feel. I haven’t drastically changed my appearance in years, and doing it truly brings a new jolt of energy into your life.
Photo by: Caroline Haddad
So here’s what I learned from spontaneously dying my hair hot pink:
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People compliment you more when you feel most confident in your skin
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Pink hair makes you more confident
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Spontaneity is essential and it really is just hair
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Change is good in any form
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L’Oreal Colorista can sponsor me for the rest of my life
Photo by: Caroline Haddad
To the girls reading this who can relate to my fear of spontaneity, my advice for you is to just go for it. Take the leap you’ve been dying to take forever, whether it’s a big change or a tiny one. I can tell you first-hand that I have no regrets (yet) and already feel like a more ~spontaneous~ person. Randomly dying your hair doesn’t have to mean you’re having a mental breakdown, sometimes you just have to change things up for a little while.
Xoxo,
Girl with pink hair for the next two weeks