LIM College

Colored hair has risen from the streets to the runways of the hottest fashion designers. Three years ago, Juicy Couture featured old ladies donning pink, purple, blue, and yellow hair for their spring ad for their signature fragrance, alongside a heavily tattooed (and SUPER hot, might I add) male model. Last spring, TeenVogue showcased girls with hot pink and teal streaks in their hair. Teenage “role models” and “scene superstars” Raquel Reed and Audrey Kitching are well known for their teal and pink hair respectively and even have helped girls land modeling jobs with more alternative couture companies. Even Lady Gaga was seen with bright yellow hair in her “Telephone” video.

Perhaps bold locks are on more high fashion runways than ever before, and I can tell this trend isn’t slowing down soon. It’s even become a hot topic for discussion here at LIM College.

I dyed my hair four different crazy colors within the past year and received tons of advice about how to get that perfect color permanently or to wash out. If you want to go for permanent, my trusted hair guru friend Celsa suggests a specialist. They will know where to get that perfect dye and how long to leave it on for as well as how to guide you into the proper care for your newly colored tresses. Celsa also says that Pravana Chroma Silk is the best and most trusted among professionals and comes in a large array of favorable shades and colors. Sadly, this lust-worthy dye is only sold to pros.

Semi-permanent is more my forte. If you have dark hair, be sure to bleach it first. Trust me on this one, bleach is your friend. It’s best to have a professional do it, but it’s not too difficult to do on your own. You’ll need developer, the bleach powder, and a non metal bowl and mixing spoon if you plan to do it yourself. Supposedly you’re not supposed to apply it to your scalp, but I’ve never suffered ill effects. After you’ve bleached your hair to a pale blonde, or white if you’re lucky, if your hair is healthy you are ready to add color. I prefer to use Manic Panic or Raw, found at Hot Topic or Sally’s Beauty supply. Teal is really pretty, as is purple. Be careful with red, as it fades quickly to pink so you should stock up if you want to keep it radiantly red.

If you’re not into bleaching and ruining your hair, there are still alternatives. Sally’s Beauty supply has hair mascara wands of color to apply to your hair for a streak affect. Much better looking than gross spray in hair color we all used to use for Halloween and Spirit Day. For those of you who fear ruining and adding products to your hair, Sally’s and Hot Topic both carry colored clip in extensions. I’ve used them, but you have to make sure they are hidden and are clipped in securely.

Now, why should you try out this trend? 1), you’re young. You’re allowed to experiment and have fun. 2) It’s just about summer. If you’re not working in an office or high-end place where you need to be 100% presentable, try it out! You don’t have to go and bleach and dye, but there are semi-permanent and wash out alternatives as well!

--Sarah Schukraft

Sally’s beauty stores

The pros and cons of hair color according to people on the web claiming to be scientists