Colored Hair's Alleged Link to Mental Health and Self-Expression – The Famuan

Generation Z and younger generations have proven to be some of the most expressive and fashion-conscious young people in society. With decades-long imitations of yesteryear's fashions featuring “wild” hair colors that were once frowned upon and deemed unacceptable by many within society.

Various exciting colors can be seen on social media and in everyday life, from natural hair colors to vibrant shades of yellow, girly pink, royal purple and calming hues of blue. Wigs, braids and hair dyes have become a new standard for salon bills or DIY projects for young men and women exploring their personal styles.

However, despite all of this, some mental health studies have claimed that there may be a direct link between hair color and a person's overall mental and emotional health. What is considered a form of self-expression by today's youth and adults is seen in a diagnosable light in the eyes of professionals.

The trend of dying hair began in the early 1900s, when Loreal produced the first official box of synthetic dye. The ideology behind changing hair color is diverse in its responses, but cumulatively the same in its reasoning, in pursuit of a new look. Whether it's a movie star blonde look, the “red hair phase,” or trying something new like lilac purple, someone's hair color has become a marked universal trope. of several meanings.

Currently, a person's hair color can be explained by self-expression or trend. Bold, vibrant hair tones were once frowned upon and considered unprofessional, hair-damaging, and ugly. However, many people in society warmly accept the intimate decision to dye their hair or wear a new wig of an unnatural hair color. Braids And wigs have also been a staple of the beauty community for decades, both tracing their origins to the BC era; they are seasoned veterans in the hairdressing field.

In the 70s, braids were worn with beads. Then, in the 90s, box braids gained significant notoriety in films like Poetic Justice and other talented people wearing them. There is no specific timeline for the trend of wearing colored braids. Yet, it has been a great success in various communities around the world. Still, it made waves within the black community. On the other hand, although color is embraced so lovingly and is a complementary look, black women also receive much more criticism than others when sporting colored weaves and dyed hair.

Could what is considered harmless entertainment be a form of emotional expression without words? Fellow students shared why they like to dye their hair or add color to their hairstyles.

“I decided to try something new despite my fear, and I love it,” said Jaia Wright, a third-year psychology student.

Third-year psychology student Lakya Barrett explained her thoughts on the importance of coloring your hair. “I decided to try something new with my hair, because I like to experiment.”

Most people assume that just like eyes are a window into someone's soul, their hair color is an indicator of their overall mood. The psychology behind color has been studied continuously: red is associated with boldness and flashy things, orange is a seductive but cheerful color, purple represents royalty, pink symbolizes childhood, and so on. following. Various studies conducted have shown that some people may become addicted to changing their hair color in an attempt to boost their self-esteem.

Others think that there is no harm in changing things from time to time if they do not feel involved in the need to change themselves due to poor self-perception. In a positive sense, dying or changing the appearance of hair color improves self-esteem and outlook on life. In other words, by changing an essential part of themselves, people are essentially trying to reinvent themselves and enter a new phase of life.

There is also the phenomenon that people dye their hair depending on the time of year, every season.

Color is exciting and for some, being able to dye or change the color of their hair is a rewarding experience. Despite this, while there is the idea that people may be suffering from mental disorders due to such changes, does this mean that today's young adults and youth are not feeling well?

Could this also mean that today's celebrities need some time on the therapy couch, too? Or is it taken too seriously and is a misinterpreted perception? Regardless, as the years go by, hair color, dyes, skunk spots, and highlights continue to prevail, giving birth to a new hair trend every season.