Hot pink, bubblegum, rose gold, magenta, lilac, icy blue, aquamarine, and silver. As crazy as it sounds, these are all of the colors I’ve ever dyed my hair. I will be the first to admit, it can come off as quite puzzling if you aren’t well acquainted with me. There are plenty of reasons I choose to dye my hair every color of the rainbow, these are just a few of them:
As it might become apparent, I am interested in the overarching realm of art. In my opinion, all things beauty and fashion related fall into the artistry category. It’s a tough thing for a multitude of people to understand because it is often misunderstood as something that requires little skill or intelligence. Being heavily involved in the industry myself, I can attest to the true talent and diligence it takes to become successful in the field. There are endless opportunities that can take you down very different avenues. From fashion marketing to hairdressing to becoming a makeup artist, you can find and pursue a career out of a diverse pool. For these reasons, this field has always sparked heavy interest with me, allowing me to become who I want to be.
With that little bit of contextual stuff out of the way, coloring my hair has truly molded into apart of my identity. It allows me total freedom of expression and I am able to continually change my hair to fit my evolving personality. I feel the ability to show others that, while my hair might not dictate all of who I am, it exhibits my expressive, creative, fun personality. I enjoy experimenting not only with my hair, but who I am, what I like, and what best displays ME! It creates a sense of self, much like the way I identify with clothing.
Along with the idea of expression, I have always been an individual before anything else. Of course I went through my stage of conformity when I was young and impressionable, but as I have grown older, I have come to the realization that I like to stand out. Not for any vein, selfish reasons, but it just feels right for who I am. I am unapologetically me and will always be, no matter what anyone thinks about me or my hair.
I have noticed immense changes in the professional industry in regards to colored hair as well. Especially with the field I am hoping to one day be involved with, the preconceived notions of dyed hair are radically changing. As the times, and with that society, continue to shape and form around new ideas, people are beginning to realize that colored hair doesn’t deem you as an unprofessional employee. I get compliments from people of various age groups, often receiving the most positive feedback from older people. Thankfully, the fashion industry is so accepting of free expression that I will (hopefully) be able to keep my hair for as long as I want.
As much as I don’t like to admit it, there will be a day when I have a normal hair color. This day is not anytime soon as I plan to keep experimenting with my hair. To some people it might seem absurd, understandably too. But to me, it makes me happy and it helps create a sliver of who I am. I can thank colored hair because, even one day when I am without it, it helped shape apart of me that I will carry on forever.
-Sydney Scarola