Tuesday, December 18, 2018

What I've Learned From Having Rainbow Hair

I'm 39 years old, and I currently have green and purple hair.
Before that, I had aqua hair, purple and pink hair, and every shade of blue you can imagine.
Since I've been coloring my hair, I've been every color on the spectrum at least once. (Except platinum blonde.)
And I can tell you without question, that bold, bright colors are THE most fun.
Here are a few things that I've learned from having rainbow colored hair:

1. People love it.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of people I encounter are big fans. And they will stop me everywhere to tell me how much they love it. And I mean literally EVERYWHERE.
I have been stopped in traffic, parking lots, grocery stores, restaurants, and bathrooms. I have even been complimented during a funeral. It's become a running joke between my husband and friends that it's nearly impossible to go anywhere without someone telling me how beautiful they think it is.
Which leads me to...
2. It's a fantastic ego boost.
Who doesn't like hearing a nice compliment? Especially on a difficult day. Something as simple as "Wow! Your hair is gorgeous!" can turn a shitty day around relatively quickly.
3. It's a conversation starter.
I have met tons of people because of my hair. Whether they're stopping me to compliment it, or ask questions about it, it almost always leads to a lovely conversation. This is a great way to kill time whilst waiting in line, by the way.
4. It's art.
It's eye catching, beautiful, and unique. Like a work of art that I get to walk around with. And I get to refer more people to the wonderful artists too, which is such a joy.
5. It feels good.
Do you have an item of clothing, or piece of jewelry that just makes you smile when you wear it?
It makes you feel good, and gives you an extra little boost of confidence and comfort. That's what my hair does for me. There's no such thing as a bad hair day with brightly colored hair. Even in a hat or messy bun, it still looks fantastic.
6. You have to own it.
The biggest thing I hear from people is "It's so natural on you." which sounds absurd when you're talking about blue, green, or purple hair. But it's true. If you're too self conscious, and constantly worried what other people might think, it shows. Bold hair color isn't for everyone, and if you're doing it for the wrong reasons... it's obvious to everyone.
7. It's a job for professionals.
Listen... I say this with your best interests in mind, because I have done the rainbow colors myself and I have had it done by professionals... DON'T DO IT YOURSELF.
Unless you are a trained stylist, with professional products. Because unlike with regular boxed colors, you will not get good results. For the majority of people, achieving bold colors requires lightening your natural hair color. This is best left to the people trained not to destroy your hair. I have been having mine done bold colors about once a month, for almost 5 years. My hair is silky, soft, and completely healthy. You will not get those results from a box kit at CVS. Find a reliable salon, and build up a relationship with your stylist. I promise you, it's worth it.
8. Maintenance is key.
Much like with any hair color, you will have to do a few things to maintain it, if you want it to last.
I average 6-8 weeks between salon visits.
I use a color safe shampoo and conditioner, and I only wash my hair 1-2 times a week. (It took me some time to work up to that. I used to wash daily, because I have very oily hair. Now, I can go 7 days, with a little dry shampoo every couple days, and my hair is WAY less oily than it used to be.)
I also wash and rinse in cold water. Not only does this help keep the color from washing out, it also makes my hair incredibly shiny. BONUS!

These are just a few of the things I've learned from having rainbow hair. I could probably go on and on, because I love it that much. But I will finish with this...

If you think bold colors are something you might want to try, just do it. If you're not ready for a full head of blues and pinks, start with a little color mixed in with you regular look. See how it makes you feel. If you don't like it, it's easy to change. But you won't know until you try.

(Just a few of the more recent colors I've been.)
Shoutout to Jody and Stacy at Fringe Salon in Lennon, MI for always making me look fabulous.