From the once-popular cotton candy pink to now-trending silvery gray, unnaturally colored hair has been in the spotlight for the past several months. And celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Kylie Jenner have been leading the charge in making this trend happen.
But why are we so quick to permanently damage our locks for a temporary trend?
MTV News has the answer. After talking to a celebrity colorist and psychologist, MTV discovered the answer lies in our desire to be unique — and thus to fit in.
Basically: -Unnaturally colored hair is “normal” now. We see it everywhere — on social media and in the grocery store. -We as a society collectively determined that unnaturally colored hair was “normal” by accepting it and approving it. Plus, any time someone dyes their hair pink or blue, they’re making the trend spread further and further normalizing it. -Technology is catalyzing the spread of the trend. Not only do we have access to more pictures of fun hair colors than ever before, but the pictures of flowers and trees we’re seeing remind us of these romantic hair colors as well. -Our society has decided standing out from the crowd is a good thing, and changing your hair color is one of the easiest things you can do to make this happen. Plus, hair color is one of three features people use to make judgments about other people (along with skin color and overall attractiveness), so it has a significant effect on how others perceive us.