A Look at Vibrant Hair

People increasingly are choosing to express themselves through hair color. While this trend was once viewed by many as an outlandish expression of self, dying hair unnatural colors, such as blue, pink or green, has now become widely accepted. The movement of bright hair from the outskirts of society to the mainstream speaks to the growing acceptance of expression through hair color. 

Three Northwestern students both expressed that they feel more like themselves with colorful hair and feel today’s society is more accepting of non-traditional forms of self expression.

Flannery Cusick, a Weinberg sophomore, says that she always loved the color pink.

“I had this huge mental breakdown the day before Valentine’s Day and I was just like, ‘I need to change something about my appearance,’” Cusick says. “I had been planning to do it. To me, I just really love the color pink, so whenever I’m in the mood to change something big or feel like putting a little more effort into my appearance, I go with pink.”

Cusick believes the acceptance of her hair reflects the modern shift in mindset from rejecting colorful hair as a form of expression to accepting it expression through hair to the acceptance of it.

“I tend to be really impulsive with my hair. Sometimes, I’ll have a friend cut it before we go out,” Cusick says. “I haven’t been to a salon in probably ten years. I love doing it myself. I’ve ended up with pink hands a couple of times, but I’ve learned my lesson.”

Medill sophomore Roxanne Panas said that she had been thinking about dying her hair for a while but decided to take the plunge last spring. Since then, she has changed her color a few times. She’s tried magenta, blue and lavender. 

“I was scared to go through with it,” Panas said. “I thought it might look bad, or the color might not turn out the way I wanted it to, because I wasn’t going to go to a salon to get it done. But eventually, I just decided that it was pointless to worry about all of those things.”

Panas said she feels most like herself when her hair is dyed. She doesn’t dye it bright colors for attention but rather because she loves how it makes her feel and sees it as a way to express her personality. According to Panas, Northwestern also harbors a good environment for people to feel comfortable expressing themselves however they want.

“It is solidarity when I am walking down Sheridan and see someone else with bright hair,” Panas says. “I feel comfortable on this campus not caring how other people view me.It was a comfort to see other people using their hair as a form of expression.”

Panas said that her friends and family were very supportive, as well.

“My family and friends saw how much I enjoyed it and how happy it made me, and so they chose to also let it make them happy too,” Panas said.

Overall, the colorful hair ultimately changed Panas’ mindset. It made her feel joyful and more like herself which is ultimately how any personal decision should be. Panas said that her lavender hair has been her favorite so far, but she hopes to dye her hair a bubblegum pink shade in the future.

Northwestern Sophomore Elise Forst said that she feels her hair sends an unintentional message to other people.

“I feel like it gives people an immediate impression of me, which is funny,” Forst said. “I don’t really like it, because it makes me feel more conspicuous; people’s eyes are attracted to it, and they remember you more easily.” 

Forst thinks that others might think she is seeking attention or wanting to stand out. However, that is not the case. According to Forst, she simply likes to be experimental with her hair and change it often. She says that her hair has been received with indifference from her family, love from her friends and surprise from strangers.

“I think people see short, colored hair and connect it with a queer identity,” Forst says. “It’s just strange when people get this immediate perception of you.” 

She says that she thinks vibrant hair has become more accepted over time. Forst’s mom told her that when she was a teenager she had colorful hair and only a few companies would hire her. Forst feels that today, more people want to express their identities in a very public way, and the popularity of outlandish hair colors have changed. Not for everyone, though.

“My grandma hates it,” Forst says.