I remember the blue-haired little old ladies who went to my church when I was a kid. Now I see 70 year-old women at the gym with brightly colored hair and I find myself thinking, “Good for them!” These days, more and more adult women of all ages are giving bold color choices a go.

“You only live once, so why not be bold.”

Ivy is in her mid 20s and is a vet tech. Recently, she dyed her naturally dark hair bright hues of magenta and pink. I asked her why and she said, “I decided to do it because my mom never let me when I was in high school. And you only live once, so why not be bold!” Why not indeed!

“I used to think that it would be the bravest thing I’d ever do… after the fact, it really wasn’t that big of a deal!”

This is Julie. She’s a “mompreneur” who has run her own hair clippie business as well as other creative ventures. She told me, “Before I put all over-color in my hair, I used to think that it would be the bravest thing I’d ever do… after the fact, it really wasn’t that big of a deal!” She’s let her 10 year-old daughter experiment with hair color as well. “When my daughter wants to express herself, my rule is no piercings or tattoos but knock yourself out with make-up and hair – make-up washes off and hair grows back.” Julie, who is a blonde, started with peekaboo highlights (underneath pops of color) before dyeing her whole head. She has tried many fun colors, all of which have looked amazing on her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I love being able to use my hair as my flag to identify myself to the world as different and special.”

Robin is a highly respected professional in the autism field as well as an inclusion specialist and teacher at a dance studio that welcomes kids of all abilities. When I first met her, she had a hot pink bob which she totally rocked. I thought she was in her 20s. Imagine my surprise when she told me she was about to turn 40 and was the mother of two! I asked Robin why she loves coloring her hair and she told me, “My baby sitter was a punk rock girl when I was in 3rd grade and she was my hero. I remember thinking she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, with her bright fuchsia hair and elaborately decorated fingernails. And clothes like I had never seen. I remember thinking she looked how I felt on the outside. And then I saw a lady name Cyndi Lauper on MTV. I began begging my mom to dye my hair. I started making paste with and Kool-Aid packets to die the hair of my dolls. My mom told me that I could dye my hair red when I turned 15 and at midnight on May 30, 1990, I dyed my hair bright red and finally felt like I could be myself. I’ve had every color in the rainbow since. I love being able to use my hair as my flag to identify myself to the world as different and special. It’s my way of saying, ‘Look out world, I’m here to change you.'”

 

Not sure you’re ready to go bold?

No problem! Try washable or semi-permanent hair coloring. Check your local beauty supply store or discount store for colors. Experiment with underneath highlights. I picked up this semi-permanent hair color for $9.83 (plus, there’s a $2 off coupon right now!).

For semi-permanent and washable hair colors, we say go ahead and DIY. But if going for your full head, for best results, spend the extra money and have it done in a salon, at least the first time. And after you’ve taken the plunge, read Bargain Babe’s article: 5 Tricks to Make Hair Color Last Longer.

What do you think of bold hair color?

This post contains affiliate links.