The Pros and Cons of Blue Hair
By Elizabeth Dubos
Disclaimer: I am not a professional hair stylist; this is my personal experience and opinions.
Before I jump into the pros and cons of having blue hair, here’s a little backstory on my journey to having blue hair. I am a natural dirty blonde and always had long hair that touched my butt. When I was 14, my hair started becoming darker and darker. My Mom noticed how unhappy I was and took me to her stylist to start putting a few highlights in. Over the years, the number of highlights increased, and I started to express unhappiness again because I thought it wasn’t enough; I wanted my natural color when I was younger (sandy blonde.) I was 18 years old when my stylist offered to put bleach the top half of my hair, so whenever I put my hair up in a ponytail the bottom was dark, and the top was blonde. I had loved it so much that I went back and asked for more. I was so incredibly happy because I looked like a snow queen; little did I know of how bad I was damaging my hair. I didn’t notice that my hair tangled easier, it was falling out more when I showered, and my cats were eating it because it was so dry. I ended up seeing another stylist because my original one moved away. He immediately suggested switching to a semi- permanent hair dye and cutting my hair. I was 20 years old when I cut 12 inches off my hair because it was essentially dead. Over the course the next few months, I had to invest in hair treatments and keep my hair to a shoulder length to reobtain my hair health. I am thankful because it worked! About two years later, my hair started to turn yellow due to an excess amount of sunlight. My hair was healthy enough to have some bleach put in it to lighten it up. Before putting the harmful bleach back into my hair again, my stylist offered to put blue into my hair. It was a less harmful process because the blue hair dye was Aveda. Aveda hair dyes are not filled synthetic and harmful materials; They contain plant-based ingredients to nourish and support hair growth. It took three hours and two stylists to turn my hair blue because it’s thick and requires a lot of moisture. When they were done, I absolutely stunned at how much I loved it. My mom and boyfriend weren’t even fazed when they saw my new blue hair because they expected it from me since I’m an artist.
Fast forward to now: I’ve had blue hair for roughly eight months. It’s boosted my confidence and I don’t miss my blonde hair like I thought I would. I wash my hair about once a week with cold water. I NEVER use heat, so no hair styling tools like curling iron, flat iron, or hair dryer. I work out five days a week, so I ensure my hair never touches the sweat on my neck or back, because sweat distorts colored hair too. I get retouches every six weeks and the color has not faded too much. The cost of maintaining my blue hair costs the same as my maintaining my blonde hair. I wear more hats to keep my hair from fading in the sun; In turn this keeps the sun from burning my fair skin. I’ve kept my hair a shoulder length because it’s nice not having to worry about long hair. I don’t have any immediate plans to change my blue hair because it makes me incredibly happy and confident.
Pros:
1. If you want to maintain a vibrant color, then wash your hair less. I wash my hair about once a week, and this has saved me money on buying more shampoo and conditioner.
2. It’s a huge self-esteem and confidence booster. For instance, when you go out in public, people will stop and compliment your new hair color. I’ll admit, it makes me smile whenever I go into Target and a cashier compliments me.
3. Colorful hair is like an accessory. You can accessorize to go with your shirts, pants, bags, shoes, etc. Personally, I’m a Ravenclaw, so my blue hair goes excellent with my Ravenclaw attire.
4. It can highlight your natural beauty. I have blue eyes and people have said that my blue hair makes my eyes a darker blue.
5. You can have fun expressing yourself. I love my blue hair because blue is one of my favorite colors.
6. There are numerous possibilities. Go have fun on Pinterest and scroll through some hair color options. I just want to offer a fair warning that those pictures are most likely Photoshopped with more saturation. Therefore, they’re more vibrant than reality.
7. It’s a safe change because hair color is not permanent. You can always dye it another color or let your natural color grow back out. Don’t worry you’re not stuck with one color for the rest of your life.
Cons:
1. The stigma of unprofessionalism in the workplace. Please check before you apply to jobs about their rules and regulations for having colored hair. Often, these companies will deny you a position or make you an ultimatum to change your hair color to a natural color.
2. You have to invest in high quality color treated shampoo and conditioner. Otherwise your new color will fade faster, or you could further damage your hair.
3. People will notice you more. This can be considered a con if you have high anxiety and don’t want people approaching you in public. One time, I had a complete stranger come up to me and stick her hands through my blue hair and told me how much she liked it.
4. It can severely damage your hair if not done correctly. If enough damage occurs your hair will become straw-like, fall out, and it will be hard to grow back.
5. Your towels, pillows, sheets, and blankets will stain. Your staining your hair, so why wouldn’t it stain the items you wash or sleep with? Whenever, I get a touch up I will wrap my hair in a bandana to combat the staining issue.
6. It can be expensive. I would highly recommend going to a professional if you want your hair blue, purple, pink, green etc. because they are highly experienced to ensure your hair won’t be severely damaged.
Last Thoughts: If you want to have fun and vibrant hair, but aren’t ready for the financial commitment or unsure about professionalism, then go buy a wig! I have bought high quality wigs on Amazon for Halloween, Cosplay, birthdays, or whenever I wanted to experiment and have fun. The important thing to remember is to have fun because it’s solely your decision.
Edited by: Emily Chance
By Elizabeth Dubos
Disclaimer: I am not a professional hair stylist; this is my personal experience and opinions.
Before I jump into the pros and cons of having blue hair, here’s a little backstory on my journey to having blue hair. I am a natural dirty blonde and always had long hair that touched my butt. When I was 14, my hair started becoming darker and darker. My Mom noticed how unhappy I was and took me to her stylist to start putting a few highlights in. Over the years, the number of highlights increased, and I started to express unhappiness again because I thought it wasn’t enough; I wanted my natural color when I was younger (sandy blonde.) I was 18 years old when my stylist offered to put bleach the top half of my hair, so whenever I put my hair up in a ponytail the bottom was dark, and the top was blonde. I had loved it so much that I went back and asked for more. I was so incredibly happy because I looked like a snow queen; little did I know of how bad I was damaging my hair. I didn’t notice that my hair tangled easier, it was falling out more when I showered, and my cats were eating it because it was so dry. I ended up seeing another stylist because my original one moved away. He immediately suggested switching to a semi- permanent hair dye and cutting my hair. I was 20 years old when I cut 12 inches off my hair because it was essentially dead. Over the course the next few months, I had to invest in hair treatments and keep my hair to a shoulder length to reobtain my hair health. I am thankful because it worked! About two years later, my hair started to turn yellow due to an excess amount of sunlight. My hair was healthy enough to have some bleach put in it to lighten it up. Before putting the harmful bleach back into my hair again, my stylist offered to put blue into my hair. It was a less harmful process because the blue hair dye was Aveda. Aveda hair dyes are not filled synthetic and harmful materials; They contain plant-based ingredients to nourish and support hair growth. It took three hours and two stylists to turn my hair blue because it’s thick and requires a lot of moisture. When they were done, I absolutely stunned at how much I loved it. My mom and boyfriend weren’t even fazed when they saw my new blue hair because they expected it from me since I’m an artist.
Fast forward to now: I’ve had blue hair for roughly eight months. It’s boosted my confidence and I don’t miss my blonde hair like I thought I would. I wash my hair about once a week with cold water. I NEVER use heat, so no hair styling tools like curling iron, flat iron, or hair dryer. I work out five days a week, so I ensure my hair never touches the sweat on my neck or back, because sweat distorts colored hair too. I get retouches every six weeks and the color has not faded too much. The cost of maintaining my blue hair costs the same as my maintaining my blonde hair. I wear more hats to keep my hair from fading in the sun; In turn this keeps the sun from burning my fair skin. I’ve kept my hair a shoulder length because it’s nice not having to worry about long hair. I don’t have any immediate plans to change my blue hair because it makes me incredibly happy and confident.
Pros:
1. If you want to maintain a vibrant color, then wash your hair less. I wash my hair about once a week, and this has saved me money on buying more shampoo and conditioner.
2. It’s a huge self-esteem and confidence booster. For instance, when you go out in public, people will stop and compliment your new hair color. I’ll admit, it makes me smile whenever I go into Target and a cashier compliments me.
3. Colorful hair is like an accessory. You can accessorize to go with your shirts, pants, bags, shoes, etc. Personally, I’m a Ravenclaw, so my blue hair goes excellent with my Ravenclaw attire.
4. It can highlight your natural beauty. I have blue eyes and people have said that my blue hair makes my eyes a darker blue.
5. You can have fun expressing yourself. I love my blue hair because blue is one of my favorite colors.
6. There are numerous possibilities. Go have fun on Pinterest and scroll through some hair color options. I just want to offer a fair warning that those pictures are most likely Photoshopped with more saturation. Therefore, they’re more vibrant than reality.
7. It’s a safe change because hair color is not permanent. You can always dye it another color or let your natural color grow back out. Don’t worry you’re not stuck with one color for the rest of your life.
Cons:
1. The stigma of unprofessionalism in the workplace. Please check before you apply to jobs about their rules and regulations for having colored hair. Often, these companies will deny you a position or make you an ultimatum to change your hair color to a natural color.
2. You have to invest in high quality color treated shampoo and conditioner. Otherwise your new color will fade faster, or you could further damage your hair.
3. People will notice you more. This can be considered a con if you have high anxiety and don’t want people approaching you in public. One time, I had a complete stranger come up to me and stick her hands through my blue hair and told me how much she liked it.
4. It can severely damage your hair if not done correctly. If enough damage occurs your hair will become straw-like, fall out, and it will be hard to grow back.
5. Your towels, pillows, sheets, and blankets will stain. Your staining your hair, so why wouldn’t it stain the items you wash or sleep with? Whenever, I get a touch up I will wrap my hair in a bandana to combat the staining issue.
6. It can be expensive. I would highly recommend going to a professional if you want your hair blue, purple, pink, green etc. because they are highly experienced to ensure your hair won’t be severely damaged.
Last Thoughts: If you want to have fun and vibrant hair, but aren’t ready for the financial commitment or unsure about professionalism, then go buy a wig! I have bought high quality wigs on Amazon for Halloween, Cosplay, birthdays, or whenever I wanted to experiment and have fun. The important thing to remember is to have fun because it’s solely your decision.
Edited by: Emily Chance
RSS Feed
