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5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Dyed My Hair Pink

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter.

Recently I’ve received lots of comments about my hair. Why? Well, I’ve taken to dying it pink. Such unnatural hair color often is met with questions, compliments and a few interesting comments along the lines of, “I’d never do that, but good for you I guess.” Besides a warning to people’s responses, I wish I had done a bit more research before I took the plunge. Here’s five things I wish I knew before I dyed my hair pink.

The dye will get on everything.

Your hands, the shirt you were wearing, the bathtub, etc will all fall victim to your hair dye. I personally used L’oreal Paris Colorista Semi Permanent Hair Color. Since it is only semi-permanent, almost everything the dye touched was able to get cleaned with some Clorox wipes. Any clothing that was touched definitely was irrevocably pink. That being said, go ahead and forget about ever using a white towel while having pink hair.

The hair will draw attention.

As someone who genuinely has mini heart attacks when someone looks at them for too long, this was something I was a bit unprepared for. Having an unnatural hair color causes a bit of staring from general curiosity. Walking around campus wasn’t too bad since college kids are very accepting and rarely phased. But when I’d go to a store or gas station off campus, I’d actually see people do a double take.

Your normal beauty regimen might change.

Since I opted for a semi-permanent box dye rather than an expensive trip to the salon, I wanted to try to keep the color in as long as possible. That meant not washing my hair nearly as often as I usually do. Typically, I wash my hair every other day, but with this dye, I try to only wash my hair two to three times a week. I also attempt not even to get it wet, as prolonged periods in water makes the color come out.

The color will fade.

While I attempt to take important steps to make sure my pink hair stays as lively as possible, no matter what, it will begin to fade. Within the second week of having pink hair, my bright pink began to dim into a pastel pink. It was still fun to rock, but it obviously wasn’t the intended color. If you dye your hair, the color is most definitely going to fade out. I fully suggest embracing it with the same confidence found when originally dying your hair.

It’s worth it.

Despite any negatives I have listed, having pink hair overall has been very rewarding. I was in the market for a big change, and luckily, I found a hair color that gave me a leap in my confidence. Going pink isn’t for everyone, but if you decide to do it, it might just be one of the best things you ever did.

Hi I'm Paige. Currently a third year English major at the University of South Florida. Passionate about animals, Birkenstocks and french fries.
Hey! My name is Leticia and I am the Campus Correspondents here at USF. I am graduating in MAY (omg) with a degree in Advertising and PR. I am originally from Brazil, needless to say, I LOVE the beach and being outside! I enjoy everything from make-up to fitness and sports. In my free time you can find me thrifting, playing photographer, or at home with my hubby binging Netflix.