Think Pink

When Sam's dad rang to tell her the sad news, hot pink dye was seeping out from under the plastic bag on her head, dripping down her cheeks, and splatting onto the carpet like tiny Barbie tears.

A frequent 'bottle blonde', for some unknown reason a routine roots touch-up had gone disastrously wrong – the brassy, orangey-yellow result, failing to blend in with the pale ash colour of the rest of her hair. In a panic, Sam attempted a cover up job. She mixed together the remnants of some old Flamingo Pink hair dye that had been knocking about in the back of her bathroom cupboard for years, with a dollop of Cerise.

'I hadn't really realised – didn't think it through. I wasn't mentally prepared for suddenly having pink hair again. And then I found out that my nan had just died.'

Mortified to hear that the funeral was to be in three days, Sam immediately tried washing it out, shampooing her hair seven times, without any sign of it fading. In desperation, she phoned a friend who said to use dish washing liquid, but this only made the ends of her hair snap off in her hands. Permanently 'in the pink', her mum insisted that she wear a hat to the church service, but both Sam and her dad thought Sam's cheery locks would be appreciated. Especially by her nan.

'Gerty loved a bit of pink lippy. She was a colourful old bird – not at all frumpy – and so having pink hair was almost like a homage to her memory. It felt ok.'

Back at home, Sam had to contend with the disapproving stares boring into the back of her head whilst stood waiting at the school gate. But her kids loved her new look, saying she was just like the pink-wigged children's television character in Lazytown (she even felt all bouncy like her too). Her mood instantly lifted. She also noticed a growing self-confidence in herself, that had been missing ever since her former relationship had begun spiralling into a domestic violence meltdown.

'Pink hair gave me a whole new perspective on things – it was fun. It also meant that I had to co-ordinate a whole new wardrobe so that I wouldn't clash! Coming out of my comfort zone was really healing and healthy – I'd kind of gotten lost there for a while, and needed to make some changes.'

* * *

Using hair colour as an instrument of transformation is hardly new. The Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used henna, and other natural dyes, as long ago as the 4th Century BC – blues, greens and golds being in vogue at the time. Gary Stuart, a successful salon owner in Penzance, who's been cutting and colouring hair for 35 years, says the colour options available now are limitless.

'When I first started out, I was living in a camper van down at Gwenver, and cutting people's hair on the beach. Back then it was all bleached blonde surfer-types. Later, working in salons, there were about thirty or so colour tints we could choose from, but now, we can mix and blend colour pigments together to produce just about any shade you can think of.'

Women are particularly prone to dying their hair after an emotional crisis, such as the end of a relationship, because being 'reborn' into a different version of yourself can boost your self-esteem. It's also about making a positive statement: shedding the past, and moving forward. Deciding on a hair colour change may simply be a case of being bored – wanting to try out something new and different – or it may be an expression of individuality. In our age-obsessed society, it can also be a quest for eternal youth, and the avoidance of grey.

But what about pink? The pop star Pink is well-known for her feisty attitude, outspoken views and outrageous behaviour. Not even remotely girly, her pink tresses exude confidence and assuredness.
Once the domain of punks and arty eccentrics, colourful hair is becoming more and more mainstream, and as Sam says,

'The little old ladies love it – puts a smile on their faces, and that makes me happy too'.