With summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to try a new fun hairstyle! With cool trends like ombré tips to dramatic color changes, there are plenty of ways to give yourself a whole new look. Here experts and collegiettes give us their thoughts on deciding to make a drastic change, how to prevent hair damage, and what the current “in” hair styles and colors are!
Deciding to Make A Change
Changing your hairstyle is an easy and fun way to freshen up your entire look and really stand out in a crowd! Some collegiettes like to change up their hair just for the heck of it.
“I always decide on changing my hair when I feel bored with what it’s doing,” says Mary Love, a senior at FSU. “I look at pictures of myself and try to figure out if I can look better or more edgy. If the answer is yes, then I change my hair.”
HC High School Editor and NYU ’15 student Hannah Orenstein decided to change her style after seeing herself in photos.
“I’ve had long hair pretty much my entire life,” says Hannah. “I noticed in photos that long hair always dragged down my face and I wanted to try something new, so I recently chopped it into a bob.”
Other girls choose to make a change for more personal reasons, like coping with a breakup or to go along with other life changes.
Claudia Martinez, a collegiette at UIC, said that she is changing her hair, “to remind myself that it is time for change in my life. I am currently in the process of losing weight and also just changing internally (spiritual, etc).”
“I moved around a lot with my family before coming to college and every time we were moving to a new country I changed my hair style,” says Samantha Isman, a sophomore at Brown. “Also, a couple years ago my mom got breast cancer and lost all her hair and I cut my hair into a bob cut (I had it down to my waist) when that happened.”
Changing hair after a breakup is also a common thing, and many collegiettes say they have done it. Briana Morgan, a junior and GCSU HC Campus Correspondent did it to get back at an ex.
“He said he didn’t like girls with short hair,” says Briana. “Once we broke up, I cut if off right away.”
Donating Your Hair
Some collegiettes also choose to chop off their hair to support causes like Locks of Love, which uses real human hair to create wigs for people who lose their hair during chemotherapy.
“I decided to completely change my hairstyle by cutting off 15 inches and donating to Locks of Love!” says HC Hofstra campus correspondent Rachel Crocetti, ‘15. “I had done it before (twice) and looked online for hairstyle ideas. I decided on an above-the-shoulder choppy cut for my curly/wavy hair. I made the big change because I think Locks of Love is a great organization. I take advantage of my hair every day and wanted someone else to be able to appreciate it!”
Donating to Locks of Love or a similar organization is a great way to make a change for you AND make a difference in the life of someone else. To donate, you need at least 10 inches of hair, and the hair must be in a ponytail or braid before it is cut. You can send clean, dry hair in a padded envelope to: 234 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33405-2701. More information can be found on the “Donate Hair” page on Locks of Love’s website.
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Preventing Damage
Many collegiettes shy away from changing their hair because they’re worried about damaging it. Coloring, perming, and permanent straightening treatments can come with risks if not done correctly. However, there are plenty of salons and hair stylists out there who can offer high-quality results.
“Don’t over process or overlap color to prevent damage,” says celebrity stylist Danny Jelaca. “Also be careful when using a thermal iron. Just passing it through evenly and consistently is best. If you clamp a flatiron on the hair with no movement or slip, it will burn it.”
FSU collegiette Mary Love decided to change her hair color earlier this year and made sure to do her research before going through with it.
“When I colored my hair, I opted for a single process color, which means they won’t bleach your hair before adding dye. As far as I could find, this is the safest way to change your hair color.”
If you are thinking about changing your hair color, you have three options—highlights, single-process color and double-process color. Highlights add color in certain parts of your hair as an accent, and are a fun way to change your color in a subtle way.
Single-process means that you apply one color all over your hair, either lightening or darkening your hair. It is safer than double-process, which involves bleaching your hair first in order to bring about a more dramatic hair color change. If you are looking to go from dark hair to blonde, for example, this is a more lengthy process and you should definitely consult a professional first.
Make sure to check out these dos and don’ts for coloring your hair before trying it yourself!
What’s “In” Right Now!
Want to make a change but not sure what to do? The trends in beauty seem to change so quickly it can be hard to keep up! We asked professional hair stylists and collegiettes both what they see as some of the current trends in hair.
Celebrity stylist Danny Jelaca says the “lob”, or long bob is in right now. Many celebrities have been spotted out and about sporting shorter locks, which has contributed to the growing trend.
“I think bobs are becoming trendy right now, especially since Karlie Kloss cut her hair short,” says Hannah.
Jelaca also feels that ombré is still in, but not as strong as it was before. He recommends “Weaving out more natural or dark hair and only ombré half or partially ombré”.
In terms of hair color, Danny says that “Neutrals and golds are really hot and a gorgeous brunette like Kate Middleton is hot”.
In Mary’s opinion, “Girls our age (college age) seem to be keeping their hair longer than usual. I’m seeing a lot of beach waves and light curls.”
You don’t have to chop your hair short or dye it a new color to make a fun change. There are plenty of fun hairstyles to try that can totally change your look. Something as simple as pulling your hair half back when you always wear it all the way down, trying a fishtail braid instead of your usual ponytail, or switching your part from one side to the other can make all the difference. Pay attention to what hairstyles you see that jump out at you and try them. Turning to the Internet for inspiration is also great resource for hair revamp ideas. Her Campus’s Pinterest page has some great ideas, so be sure to check it out!