MENTAL HEALTH
How Pink Hair Helped Me Finally Improve My Mental Health
A year of pink hair and results that could last a lifetime.
One year into my pink-haired, unapologetically-me journey, it’s finally time to go back to brunette.
Mental illness has always been a huge part of my life. Depression, anxiety, SH — the works. It’s always held me back from being me, until last year I decided to do something I’d always wanted to: dye my hair pink.
I’d always looked at people with pink hair and envied how confident and badass they seemed, so I decided to claim that power for myself.
Here’s how my life changed:
I care somewhat less about what strangers think
I can’t walk past a group of laughing teenagers without believing they’re laughing at me.
That’s the level of self-esteem that I’m used to. My life’s goal was to be invisible. Having a stand-out feature, however, forces you to accept that people will look at you. And I’ve discovered that’s so much more fun.
With a daring or unusual outfit, you can just go home and change if you feel extremely subconscious and then probably hide it at the back of your wardrobe. With dyed hair, you have to power through — especially if you’ve spent a lot of money to have it done professionally. You have to learn to be kinder to yourself.
Last summer, I went to my fiance’s cousin’s wedding with pink hair and an orange dress. It was my first time meeting that side of the family. Was it the best I’ve ever looked? Definitely not. Did I feel brave and bold? Absolutely.
Yet the day before that, I overheard a little girl telling her mum how pretty I was.
I nearly cried.
So yes, I do care what some people think. I’ve just learned to focus on the positives.
I discovered the mood-boosting power of pink
Seeing pink almost always makes me happier and calmer.
It hasn’t always been this way. I used to have a lot of internalized misogyny that had me absolutely reject the femininity of pink. Maybe that was why I was so angry all the time.
There are, of course, psychological reasons for pink’s calming effects.
One example is Baker-Miller pink (also known as Drunk-Tank pink), a color similar in shade to the now-popular millennial pink. It was found to temporarily reduce hostile, violent, or aggressive behavior in prison inmates.
The science isn’t perfect, but there’s definitely something to be said about its uniquely calming ability. Now, somehow I doubt my hair is that specific shade of pink, but I did experience something similar.
Not to mention, pink is the color associated with love, kindness, and femininity — some of the most important things in this world.
Pink is powerful.
I became the main character of my life
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always daydreamed I was the badass protagonist (or villain) of an epic story.
Dyed hair, or any kind of non-natural change, is a way to take on a new identity, one you get to choose. The idea is to create a character you can step into, rather than being restricted to what we’re born with. It’s about taking back control and being an active main character, not a passive NPC.
Last year, I was really into the main character energy trend on TikTok, where people were romanticizing their everyday lives as if they were starring in a movie. I prefer to think of mine as a videogame or a fantasy novel where I’m some kind of warrior princess on a mission to save the people I care about.
In reality, I’m always the one that needs to be saved. Most of my mental illness comes from a feeling of powerlessness, of not being strong enough.
And yet, with the right playlist and an appearance closer to the characters I wish I could be, I feel empowered.
I learned just how important self-expression was to me
Identifying my core values transformed my outlook on life.
I’ve written previously about how discovering my core values gave me direction. TL;DR: I landed on comfort, self-expression, and achievement. I don’t think I’d have ever realized just how important my self-expression was without experiencing this last year with pink hair.
While initially, the change conflicted with “comfort” as I believed being different made me a walking target, as I got used to it, I began experimenting more and more with my own personal style.
It’s become a passion of mine. One that’s genuinely fulfilling.
A lot of the time I take it too far. I wear something too daring for my own comfort zone, and I’m uncomfortable as hell for the day. But that just makes my comfort zone expand a little bit more each time.
There are many areas of my life where I’m too scared to be bold. Self-expression is my way of proving I can actually do it.
And while I may be going back to my natural brunette, I’ll be opening up my potential for even more self-expression — pink doesn’t exactly go with every look. I’ll also be using colored extensions so I can recreate it, fuss-free.
Change is scary, but it’s good
Mentally ill millennials and Gen Zers dying their hair is a bit of a cliche on the internet at this point, but have you ever stopped to wonder why? Actively making changes like this gives back the control that mental health issues can steal away.
It’s not quite therapy (and neither are tattoos, sorry!) but it is therapeutic in its own way.
If there’s something you’ve been dreaming of trying but are scared of what people will think: give it a try. It’s your life, your body.
If you want to discover how creative professionals can live happier, mentally healthy lives, follow me for more. ❤
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