For a long time, having hair dyed an unnatural color was not allowed in schools or offices. In fact, it was looked down upon and seen as unprofessional. Up until last year, having hair that was dyed an unnatural color was not allowed at Maclay. However, in more recent years, many places have started to realize that there is nothing wrong with expressing yourself through hair color. Despite some progress in allowing dyed hair, some places still have negative opinions about dyed hair and continue to forbid it. Working at the fast food restaurant Chick Fil A with a “crazy” hair color is strictly against the dress code. This should not be part of Chick Fil A’s, or any dress code, because having dyed hair is completely harmless, and actually carries many benefits.
Being able to have any color of hair means that people can express themselves through the color they may choose. Nowadays, when choosing hair color the possibilities are endless. Choosing a color can convey feelings and even be a coping mechanism for hard and stressful times. When schools and workplaces make having unique and unnatural hair colors against the rules, it eliminates this form of self-expression which is very important to a person’s happiness and overall confidence.
Along with self-expression, most people care about their appearance and liking the way you look can have a lot to do with confidence. Hair especially is a very large factor in how a person feels about their looks. For some, having colored hair can be a great self-esteem boost and help with feeling confident in their appearance. There is a psychology behind having good hair, that it can instantly make someone feel worse or better about how they look. Therefore, there should not be a negative stigma around something that can be so beneficial to a person’s pride in their looks.
The main reason why specifically high schools forbid having any fun-colored hair is because it is distracting to students. But if you ask any of those students there is a good chance they will say it has no effect on their learning experience. If bright colors are distracting then following this logic, students shouldn’t be able to wear colorful outfits either. It is a worthless rule to ban colored hair for the purpose of bettering the learning experience because it really does not cause any harm and does plenty of good. If something as simple as hair color is distracting, then almost anything is distracting. If someone can’t have bright pink hair, then they also shouldn’t be able to wear a bright pink shirt. With this logic, there would be many other things that fall under the label of ‘distracting’ and not just hair color.
Going along with the negative stigma that “crazy” hair colors are distracting and unprofessional, some may also argue that dying your hair is unhealthy and damaging. However, with new formulas and technologies, hair dye is no longer the harsh chemicals some may think of. Additionally, regular hair dye could actually bring some life back to extremely bleached or heat damaged hair. Because there are little to no negative effects of having dyed hair, why not experiment and promote individuality?
There should not be a negative stigma surrounding colored hair. It is something many people use to express themselves and boost confidence. It is no secret that this stigma is slowly fading over time, but some places, such as schools and workplaces, continue to enforce rules against dyed hair. If all schools and workplaces begin to allow dyed hair, it will give every individual the opportunity to have freedom with their appearance and express themselves however they wish.
