Hair “Die” Brightening the Halls of Penn Manor

Dying one’s hair is becoming a popular activity for students in Penn Manor High School. Using shades such as red, blue, purple and even rainbow, there’s no room for boredom.

Teenagers love to change their image from time to time and sometimes that begins with their elaborate hair colors.

But what can seem like harmless fun can actually be dangerous, at least to the hair itself, according to some experts.

Hair dye comes in different types such as temporary, semi-permanent and permanent. Permanent hair dye affects the hair shafts through chemical reactions causing a lasting dye job until the hair grows out or is dyed over.

Semi-permanent hair dye lasts for about five to ten washes and is a popular type of dye used by many students at Penn Manor.

There are many different reasons teens chose to change their natural hair color. The most common one is boredom.

“I get sick of it being the color it is,” said sophomore Sadira Royer whose hair is now black, but has previously been colors such as purple, pink, blue, and even red.

Junior Chelsea Daily, who currently has auburn hair, said she began dying her hair “just to get different colors.”

Alanna Margoline, a senior with her hair dyed purple, said that natural hair is just boring to her.

Katie O’Connor, a senior, is no stranger to changing her hair colors. She has had her hair every color under the sun. Even the rainbow. Currently her new look is Blue Envy.

O’Connor started out with blue highlights in her natural brown roots and progressed to more daring colors because she was “honestly just bored.”

Some students, like senior Becca Eckman, feel that dying their hair is more of a way to show off their individuality.

Eckman said, “doing different things to my hair is a good confidence boost because I don’t really care what people think anymore.”

“It’s a great way to show creativity and to express yourself,” said Margoline.

Physical damage to hair is evident if proper care is not taken after dying, however there has also been rumors of cancer causing substances in the dye.

The American Cancer Society led studies on the health concerns hair dye can produce for a routine user. They concluded that there is not an increased risk of cancer, not even for the hairdressers that are constantly exposed to the chemicals.

However, even though there is no direct link between hair dye and serious diseases, that does not mean that changing the natural hair on your head is a risk-free action.

Sophomore Mandee Trout has been dying her hair since she was in fifth grade and has had many different shades, noting that she began her freshman year with hot pink hair.

However, Trout began noticing significant damage to her hair from the constant use of hair dye.

“I had to slow down because my hair started to feel like straw,” Trout said.

O’Connor is aware of the damage hair dye can cause. For that reason, she uses special shampoo that restores her hair.

Margoline also knows about the damage that could occur from the dye. She realizes that she must take good care of her hair in order to continue her individualistic nature.

“It’s called dying for a reason…your hair dies.”

By Cassie Funk