At its core, changing hair color is a powerful medium of self-expression. For many, especially within Gen Z, it's akin to wearing one's heart on their sleeve—or more aptly, their personality in their hair.
“Now, it can be a way to signal boldly and be unapologetically who you are.” While highly-saturated hair hues are a means for queer people to express themselves, exploring identity through androgynous cuts and gender-affirming styles is also very powerful.
Mood Enhancement: Bright colors can evoke positive emotions and boost self-esteem. The act of transforming one's appearance can contribute to feelings of confidence. Group Identity: Some individuals dye their hair to align with a community or group, creating a sense of belonging.
It makes you feel more confident. Some dye their hair to cover grey, others just want a change. Dyeing hair is addictive. Once you do it, it's hard not to repeat next year.
Hair is a visible aspect of our identity, and changes to hair (such as cutting, shaving, or changing its color) can reflect internal emotional shifts. This doesn't mean the hair physically contains the trauma, but that our emotional states, including trauma, can influence our perception and treatment of our hair.
Association between hair colour and mental health
For instance, there is no significant association between hair colour and anxiety or depression [3].
It can be a coping mechanism for dealing with life changes such as a breakup, a career change, or simply the desire to start anew. In this sense, a new hair color can mark a milestone, acting as a reminder of resilience and personal growth.
If your client can't seem to keep their gray hair or roots covered for long, it may be time to discontinue using hair dye. Going to the salon every two weeks for treatment is too often, and along with all the damage it can do to their hair, it can also be expensive over time.
Waardenburg syndrome is a group of genetic conditions that can cause hearing loss and changes in coloring (pigmentation) of the hair, skin, and eyes.
One reason for changing your hair is to exert a sense of authority following a relationship breakdown, which can often lead people to feel like they've lost control over their lives. 'It might be in order to make a statement, for example announcing "I'm in control of my appearance as well as my life"' says Dr Hole.
Beginning in the 2010s, and into the early 2020s, blue hair (and less commonly purple hair) has become associated with environmentalism, feminism, anarchism, communism, socialism, liberalism, abortion and the LGBTQ community, especially the young Generation Z and Millennial members of those socio-political movements.
Sometimes hair loss can be related to mental health. Researchers have found that chronic stress can cause hair loss. Another mental heath-related issue is trichotillomania, or hair-pulling disorder, in which someone has recurring urges to pull out their hair.
The main reasons for this are cosmetic: to cover gray or white hair, to alter hair to create a specific look, to change a color to suit preference or to restore the original hair color after it has been discolored by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching.
Yellow represents sunlight and the bright spirit of the LGBTQ+ community. Green represents nature, growth, and harmony. Blue represents serenity and acceptance. Purple represents spirit.
Of those surveyed, 19% got the most compliments with pink hair. People often perceive the unique color choice as a symbol of confidence, non-conformity and zeal for life.
Of men, 38% preferred women with blond hair while only 14% preferred women with black hair. These findings are similar to those of Johnston and Oliver-Rodriguez (1997), who found that faces with blond hair were rated as more attractive than those with black hair.
That said, certain conditions may temporarily restore pigmentation. For example, if greying is caused by a vitamin deficiency, stress, or an underlying medical condition, addressing these issues may slow or even partially reverse greying. However, the complete reversal of naturally aged hair remains a challenge.
Wallenberg syndrome is also called lateral medullary and posterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome. This neurological disorder is associated with various symptoms that result from damage to the lateral segment of the medulla posterior to the inferior olivary nucleus.
Hair color changes result not only from alterations of melanin production but also from changes in the hair structure itself, altering its optical properties. A variety of genetic, metabolic, nutritional, and acquired disorders result in hair color changes.
While we still do not recommend permanent hair color to anyone under age 14, balayage is a completely off the scalp application, making it less risky.
Gray blending is a hair coloring technique that involves blending gray hairs with your base color to help soften the contrast between shades. Typically, the process involves either highlighting your hair or adding lowlights.
And your hair might feel healthier
While hair dyes and techniques have come a long way since their follicle-frying beginnings, they do still leave some damage. Taking a hiatus from color will help your hair return to its previous state--especially as dyed ends get chopped off.
More importantly, changing the colour of your hair is a form of self-expression. It can give you the power to define who you are on your own terms. By taking this bold step, you can experience a significant boost in self-confidence.
Now, does this definitively answer the question, “Does hair hold trauma?” No, it doesn't. But it does indicate that the health of a person's hair can be both a symptom and an effect of psychological trauma and other mental health concerns.
Hair sample analysis is often used in psychiatric disease research to evaluate previous periods of stress encountered by patients. Glucocorticoid analysis is the most frequently tested indicator of stress.