Seoyeon Lee

Junior Seoyeon Lee was first introduced to hair dye back in seventh grade, when she noticed many of her friends had colored hair. As a result, she says she felt peer-pressured into getting her hair dyed. Lee, who first dyed her hair orange, has since changed it to pink, her favorite color. Initially, Lee loved her pink hair, which she dyed in Korea over the summer. However, over time, the pink faded to an orange that she wasn’t fond of. Through this experience, Lee realized how high-maintenance dyed hair can be.

Her pink hair, which needs to be re-dyed every two months, can be a hassle for her at times. Because Lee can’t travel to Korea every two months for the salons there, she dyes her hair at home with the assistance of her mother. The experience at home is one Lee says she would choose any day.

“Unpopular opinion, but I kind of like dyeing my hair at home,” Lee said. “I hate the awkward conversation that you have to have with the person dyeing your hair if you do it at a salon. I’d much rather it be my mom. Plus, doing it at home gives you more control; you can stop it when you don’t want it.”

When Lee first dyed her hair, she loved the orange color. Over time, she realized that it didn’t suit her and grew to hate it because of its vibrant color. To help beginners avoid such experiences, Lee emphasizes the importance of color matching and styles to ensure the best results. 

“Look into your personal color first,” Lee said. “Please don’t dye your hair orange just because your mom said so. Technology is advanced, so go on to TikTok and use those hair filters and see which one looks good on you before making the decision.”

Darin Cruz

As someone who dyes his hair at home, junior Darin Cruz has become skilled at bleaching and coloring his own hair since his first time in 7th grade. Cruz, who dyes his hair every few weeks due to the fading dye, finds the process to be easy and efficient in renewing his confidence. Cruz says it can also be a conversation starter, as many people have pointed out his new look and complimented him on the change.

“I just felt that my normal hair color was too plain, too natural, and I kind of wanted to stand out in a way, and also to have some character to myself, ” Cruz said. “I thought dyeing my hair was a noticeable but good change.”

Originally, Cruz spent a long time debating whether to dye his hair after hearing about the skepticism some kids faced from their parents. Cruz ended up talking to his parents about his ideas and his parents wholeheartedly supported him. Hence, he believes dyeing his hair was the right choice. 

“I’ve heard sometimes parents have a different reaction when their kid dyes their hair,” Cruz said. “They’re just not used to it. But my parents, luckily, were able to get used to it. They thought my hair was really cool and that I should have considered dyeing my hair way earlier.”

Jubilee Hardwick

Inspired by her older sister, color guard coach Jubilee Hardwick dyed her hair red for the first time in 2019. Since then, she has maintained her red hair and believes that it holds many memories and experiences, becoming a part of her identity.

During the lockdown, Hardwick and her sister started buying products from salon beauty supply stores to bleach their hair themselves. Hardwick notes that the application was not as precise or professional compared to a salon; however, she enjoyed the opportunity to make connections and memories with her sister. 

Currently, Hardwick’s hair is dyed to more of a natural brown color, which she notes can feel strange at times as she has gotten used to her red hair. Because the people around Hardwick have known her for her iconic red hair for so long, she acknowledges that she often feels different without it. 

“There was a time where it was definitely a more natural reddish brown, and I did like it, but then at some point, I kind of felt like it wasn’t me anymore,” Hardwick said. “So in a way, I feel like the red hair has kind of become a part of my identity.”

As a result of her various hair-dyeing experiences, from dyeing her hair at home to going to salons, Hardwick advises those interested to start small and try out different colors. Doing research on bleach for their hair type beforehand can help people avoid getting hot roots, an effect from over bleaching where the hair roots are visibly lighter and warmer than the rest of the hair. 

“You know, not all colors will work for all skin tones,” Hardwick said. “There’s going to be certain reds that even I can’t pull off, and that’s just because of my skin tone, but there are going to be shades that work best for everybody. So you just have to play around with it and try it out.”