College has taught me a lot about pleasing people, and by that I mean it has taught me to throw that completely out the window. The only opinion of you that matters is the one you have of yourself; no one knows exactly what you’ve been through, what goes on in your head, or the battles you deal with daily. I know I have reiterated this theme frequently in my other HerCampus articles, but that is only because I feel so passionate about this new chapter of self discovery in my life. This is the time to try new things and figure out who I am.
Other than dipping the ends of my hair in Kool-Aid as a tweenager, I have never seriously dyed my hair. I had light hair as a toddler that has gradually darkened over my lifetime into the dirtiest blonde I’ve ever seen, bordering on the edge of light brown. I was always afraid of making a serious commitment to changing my hair color. What if I damaged my locks forever? What if I hated it? Most importantly, what if other people thought I was ugly?
I think everyone hits a certain point in life where they really just don’t give a fudge anymore about other people’s opinions– at least, I hope they do. They realize they have the power in their life, rendering haters’ taunts irrelevant. That’s the stage I feel I’ve crossed into, marked by my decision to color my hair red. It turned out to be more of a deep magenta, but I am in love with the new do! I feel bold, like I’m reclaiming myself after so much time spent worrying about what people thought of me.
Another positive I’ve taken away from dyeing my hair is knowing that not everything has to be perfect. At the same time that I am taking control of life, I am letting go of the part of myself that constantly tries to be the best. When I comb through my colored hair, I notice some spots where my natural hair is still visible underneath. Instead of obsessing over that less pink spot until I have an OCD breakdown, I take a deep breath. I talk myself through the fixation, remind myself that it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes I point out the reality of dyeing your hair: it’s going to fade anyways. Sometimes I sing “Encanto” songs to myself; that whole movie is about accepting all of yourself, even the imperfections, as they are what make you unique (“What Else Can I Do?” speaks to me the most).
If dyeing your hair is something you’ve always wanted to do but you were too nervous to do it, I am here to tell you to go for it! Life is too short to not try new things.
HCXO, Cam