In this strange and unprecedented time of self-qurantines and post-apocalyptic trips to the grocery store, one can get really bored. Whether it be the many hours you spend alone or watching other people on social media glow up to be a completely new person, wanting to change something about their own appearances can become pretty appealing. Raging from cutting some cute side bangs, dying a streak of your hair green, or even shaving your head, any change that is out of the norm gives our lives the bit of excitement amidst all this uncertainty. In fact, changing up your appearance can help boost your confidence and self-esteem. Having a bad hair day leads to a decrease in performance self-esteem, and an increase in social insecurity and self-criticism. Rebecca Yim, a senior at San Mateo High School, has dyed her since middle school. “I like the way it looks, and I think it represents my personality,” she said when I asked her why she dyes her hair. So if you’ve been feeling a bit down about yourself lately, then maybe changing things up a little (with parental consent of course) can give you a little boost to get your spirits up.
But how does one go about dyeing their own hair without it ending in a disaster? The best advice I have to give is to watch as many tutorials as you can before committing to the style you want. Don’t let all the angry professional hair specialists scare you from cutting or dying your hair yourself because it’s not as hard as you think. The main concerns are usually about the health of your hair after bleaching or the fact that it won’t turn out the way you envisioned because you’re doing it at home. And while those concerns are valid, some people are hesitant to spend over $300 for the hair they want. There are many tips and tutorials online to help aid your process to do it yourself for much cheaper. As someone who has been dyeing her hair since the eighth grade, I suggest you start small and work your way up to more complex hair jobs. Do the research to ensure that cutting/dyeing your hair is something you are willing to upkeep. If you eventually want to bleach and dye your entire head, maybe start with dyeing the underside of your hair for a cool hidden look first or a streak in your hair for something more simple. That way, if you don’t like the outcome it won’t be as noticeable. If you’re cutting bangs, I suggest you go a little longer than you think you want in case you were about to cut it too short. It’s always easier to cut it shorter if it’s too long, rather than being stuck with ridiculously short bangs.