Apologia of hair dyeing or how changing your hair color can lead you to success

IThe world is split between those who already start playing with chamomile at 13 to bleach their hair, and went through all shades of blonde by the time they are 20, and those who get to 30 having done nothing but a light coloring to hide the appearance of the first sprinkles of white in their hair. Guess what category I fit in? I’m part of the second of course: I’ve always been very proud of my straight, jet black hair, and I never tried anything bold on it — other than a perm, which lasted about three hours. I probably would have carried on like this, if I hadn’t come to work at TBS… And if I didn’t have to go through a break-up, too, let’s be honest.
People say that when women want to make a change, they always start from their hair, and I totally agree with that. Shortly after breaking up with my partner, I did indeed feel like revamping my style, and I decided I would start from my hair — and I wouldn’t go step by step by just changing the shade, either: I picked turquoise for some of my locks, which created a beautiful contrast with the natural black color of my hair. My first choice had been light blue, but as I wrote here, I found out that it was basically impossible. The results were incredible, and not just for the way I looked, also for the way I felt. I felt cooler, stronger and more interesting — and the people around me noticed immediately.
That a haircut can work wonders for somebody’s self-esteem and looks is obvious to all of us, but have you ever considered how a change in hair color, and not even an extreme choice like mine, can make or break someone’s career? There are lots of celebrity examples: Marylin, America’s most sensual blonde, was actually a brunette; Christina Hendricks, Mad Men‘s atomic ginger, is actually a natural blonde; Emilia Clarke, starring in Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen, is a natural brunette. Could you ever imagine the Queen of Dragons without her white blonde mane? Of course you couldn’t. She wouldn’t have the same charm.

Making a strong first impression is essential for anyone working with their image, and this is definitely the case for anyone working in showbiz or in the fashion industry. Think about models, for instance. Do you know Chloe Norgaard? Her name probably doesn’t ring a bell, but if you see her and her rainbow hair, you will recognize her immediately. How about Fernanda Ly, and her famously pink hair, that attracted Louis Vuitton’s attention? If a peculiar hair color obviously draws the attention, it definitely is not the only way to go to change your style, and change how others perceive you. This brings to mind our friend Leila Goldkhul, who was on virtually every catwalk after dyeing her hair a darker color, or Chinese model Li Xiao Xing, who shot to fame after completely bleaching her hair and going platinum.
I am living proof that this can work for anyone, though, not just for those who are trying to attract media attention. And unlike a haircut, the advantage of just changing your hair color is that if you don’t like it, you can go back to your old hair color very quickly. I kept my colored locks for 6 months, and reverted to total black just a month ago. But the long-term effect stayed on, I feel like I did when I changed to blue: strong, and bold. I am turquoise on the inside, by now! 😉