At 10 years old, in a brightly lit bathroom, Matt Clark sections out his hair, dipping his brush into blue and purple dye before applying it to his hair. This will start the beginning of a long self-expressing hair dye journey for Matt, now a ninth grader.

Matt is one of a growing number of students who dye their hair to express their identity, present themselves, and set themselves apart. 

Growing up in Georgia, Matt said few people approved of vibrantly dyed hair, preferring simpler changes like highlights.   

“I grew up in a Republican state, so dying my hair was just a really easy way to express myself in a different way than how others presented themselves,” Matt said. 

He takes inspiration from his favorite musicians to determine what style he wants to try next.

“I listen to a lot of, like, punk. I really like their spiky hair, so I definitely take a lot of inspiration from them,” Matt said. 

Sophomore Mardi Gunning uses art as a main way to express herself. She started dying her hair after watching the Descendants movies, but now enjoys customizing her hair.  

“Whenever I go to a hairdresser to get my hair cut, I always leave disappointed,” Mardi said, “but when I do it myself, I feel more accomplished, and when I mess up, I’m not upset because I’m the one who did it.”

For Mardi, dying her hair is another way to incorporate art, one of her biggest passions, into her life. 

“I use a lot of colors in my art, and being able to incorporate art in the way I present myself is so important to me,” she said. “So when I dye my hair, I try to make it a bright color,  just to kind of show who I am as an artist.”

Unlike Mardi or Matt, sophomore Laurel Farmer first used hair dye as a way to connect with her friends. 

“It was really impulsive,” Laurel said. “I was out with friends and decided to get hair dye and just take a chance.” 

Laurel feels that dyed hair gives her a release from the anxiety she used to feel in the morning. While she was just taking a chance with dye the first time, she and her family found a love for it. 

“When I first dyed my hair, I was actually at my grandma’s house, and when she saw it, she was so pleasantly surprised,” Laurel said, “much more than she thought she would be.” 

Ten years after the first time Matt dyed his hair, he now stands in front of his mirror, using his hands to messily reapply bleach to his natural brown hair, allowing his identity to be shown in his appearance.