Colorful ads are splattered across the fashion magazines, TV ads, and even newspapers. Various hair dyes ranging from modest browns, cosmic blues, to rosy reds have been the center of trends around the world. Artificially colored hair is a great perk that allows students to spice up their looks with vibrant hair colors, while also showing off their unique sense of style. While I’ve personally never changed my hair color-not even once-I’ve always admired when other students did. It’s a gutsy move that really allows someone’s personality to shine through.

Why do students at DIS dye their hair?  “I wanted to look different from other students,” explained fifth grader Jenny as she showed off her newly brown hair. “Just about everyone’s original hair color is black. So I wanted to be unique.” She’s not the only one who wanted to make things more interesting–Yujoo in third grade dyed her hair with a touch of bright pink because of her love for decorating her looks.

The trend is really taking off within DIS; Nancy from grade four also commented that she had dyed her hair bright red since “dyeing hair was popular” amongst her friends. It’s a style loved by many, with everyone K-12 partaking in the colorful mania. Though the practice does add pizzazz to daily life, not everyone is a fan of these unusual colors. Since most of her friends had dyed their hair, third grader Tracy confessed that “sometimes when I’m trying to focus, the bright hair colors can get me distracted,” she admitted, frowning slightly. “If I dyed my own hair, I think it would be more [bothersome].” Personally, I find this view to be totally understandable. Having someone else’s hair in your face during class time could definitely be distracting, especially if that hair is bright bubblegum blue. 

With the exceptions of these few students who find the colors irksome, most people believe this showy look to have something of a swagger to it. I find dyed hair so eye-catching that it’s pretty: it feels like an everyday performance that enriches the monotony of uniforms and natural hair. A vibrant new hue can also help people feel more confident, leading to a whole new perspective on yourself. “I think the different hair colors look very cool. I want to [dye my hair] too,” marveled third grader Jay, looking enviously at his classmates. “I think if I dye my hair, I could… also feel something new about myself.”

“I believe that most schools don’t allow [dyed hair], and some parents–Korean parents especially–don’t let their kids dye their hair.” acknowledged 10th grader Serena. There have been countless incidents within Korea where schools have punished students for dyed hair, which can be considered a violation of school dress code policies.

This regulation doesn’t apply to DIS, but students still feel concerned for those who are affected. “[Students] should have the freedom to dye their hair if they want to,” remarked Grace from 3rd grade. “It’s… their right to choose… and [they can] do what they want,” chimed in Jay.

“I wish more people dyed their hair.  I [felt] a little lonely when I was dyeing my hair… because I was the only one with a different hair color,” urged Serena. Perhaps Serena’s wish will be fulfilled, as the popularity for hair dye continues to increase around the school. More and more students go for even wilder hairstyles, brightening our school with every shade of the rainbow. Besides occasional societal dissent, this new style is here to stay. With all the benefits of confidence and individuality that hair dye brings, I think it’s time that we create the new Colorful Daegu… with our hair!