Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Style

The Struggle of Having Colored Hair in College

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

When I decided to get my hair dyed for the first time it was exciting and new. I didn’t think about the actual maintenance that came along with having colored hair so here are some of the main struggles that I’m sure other people can relate to.

Fading

Breaks are the only time I can get a touch up. Because of that, my hair will be pretty faded by the time I’m able to make my next hair appointment. For my hair color, this means my hair turns a brassy color. It’s not cute but i have to deal with it until I can get a touch up. 

The Expense

It expensive to maintain your haircolor. This is something that I knew before getting my hair dyed but I didn’t think too much about it until after the fact. We’re already broke college kids but if we want to look cute this is an added expense.

Finding a Hair Salon Near School

If you do want to get a touch up sooner you have to try to find a hair salon nearby. The problem with that is having to trust someone else to do your hair. You can’t be entirely sure that they’ll be able to match you current color. It’s also harder to know that a new hairdresser will be able to do what your current hairdresser already does.

How Fast it Grows Out

This is something that was more annoying for me when my color was closer to my roots. You don’t realize how fast your hair grows until you’ve colored your hair. Now that my hair has grown out enough it’s not as annoying but it was at the start. It’s not easy to find the time to get your roots redone.

Purple / Blue Shampoo

The dreaded purple shampoo. Purple shampoo and blue shampoo work the same, one is for blonde hair and the other is for brunette. However, both make the same mess. This shampoo is supposed to help with the fading but it adds more time in the shower and it gets everywhere. It can also be expensive if you want to buy one that works well and it can stain your hands a little.

Even though these struggles are annoying it’s worth it in the end. It’s fun to change your hair up and dye it any color to add some fun to your look.

I'm an English Major at JMU with a concentration in Creative Writing. I'm also minoring in Spanish to English Translation Interpretation and plan to work as an Editor for a publishing house after college.
School of Media Arts and Design student with a concentration in Interactive Design. Campus Correspondent for the JMU chapter of Her Campus, Campus Coordinator for Rent the Runway on Campus, and Social Media Marketing Intern for Auntie Anne's.