The feature that I get the most compliments for is my hair, however, this is not the way my hair has always been. My natural hair is a typical light brown color. When I was younger, I was never particularly happy with my hair, no matter what styles I tried, but I swore that I loved my color and would never change it. The problem I had must have been due to texture, thickness, or perhaps I just hadn’t been doing it right. Then, my sister offered to dye my hair for the first time. My sisters often dyed their hair in the summertime, to add some shine or to change the shade a bit. In my family, hair dye was more about trying something fun than a life-changing thing. I did not set out to permanently change my hair color because I liked the color I had–I just wanted to be cool like my sisters, so I agreed to do it. It would be a fun experiment to try a different color for a few months and then let it fade and grow back to my natural color, and for the most part, that is what happened.
I choose a light auburn color that gave my hair a red tint and shine. I did like that color but I didn’t fall in love with it. It was fun to have for a while, but I only dyed it that once then let it go back to my natural color over the school year. Mid-July that following summer I decided to dye my hair again because I had had a lot of fun the first time, however, this time things went differently. I choose a darker color called burgundy black that made my hair a very dark color that had a purple or red side depending on the light. This color changed my life.
It turned out that all the issue I was having with my hair was the color after all. I fell in love with this color; it felt like the color I was meant to have. Once I truly loved my color I became more invested in my hair and keeping it healthy. Since having this color I have found a care routine that really works for me, found a cut I love, and learned to properly style my hair. I have kept my hair this color for the two years now and it still feels just as amazing. I can barely remember what my natural color looked like and I don’t care–this is the color I was meant to have.
Since changing my hair I have become more confident in myself and the way I look. I believe that if people are unhappy with something about themselves they should look into options for change. I am not saying that I think people should change themselves due to pressure or because they want to be accepted by others or anything like that. What I am saying is that there is nothing wrong with changing something small you dislike, such as your hair color, the way you dress, or the way you do your makeup in order to better represent who you are and to help you grow in your self-love. I don’t dye my hair because I feel like I need to in order to be accepted by others, but because I love the way it makes me feel. This color makes me feel beautiful and that feeling encouraged me to be who I want to be.
This small change inspired me to look at other parts of my life that I was unhappy with and make changes which have to lead me to a greater happiness overall. My point is that making changes can be scary, so start with something small and exciting, such as a new hair color and let the joy and excitement you may find in that lead you toward more impactful changes that will lead you to happiness. Hair color can be life-changing.