What "message" does purple hair send?

[Barb D]

A certain 13yo of my acquaintance has asked permission to dye her hair with purple streaks. She lives in middle-class suburbia. Nobody else in her middle school has dyed hair. She says her motivation is to be different.

This is fine in principle with her mother, but her mother is out of the pop-culture loop, and is concerned about what message this will portray to others with whom said 13yo comes into contact.

What message, if any, do YOU get from purple hair on a 13yo? Does it imply a certain personality type? For instance, if purple hair implies a free-spirited artsy type person, the mother would have less of an issue with it than if it implies a drug-using rebel.

Does this make sense?

What do you think? Discuss.

 

[cardaway]

It says look at me.

Some people do it with clothes and others do it with hair.

 

[Maleficent13]

If I see a purple haired 13 yr old, I don't think anything except, "Hey...I wonder if I could get away with purple hair..." If her school has no prohibition against it, then I'd let her.

ps- this was a storyline in the "For Better or For Worse" comic a few years ago...this exact thing. Mom Patterson let April do it.

 

[SC Minnie]

To me is says the person whats purple hair??? No different than a brunette coloring their hair platinum blonde.

 

[CEDmom]

I think it implies a young teen who's trying to express herself in a non-destructive manner and smart parents who are letting her do that. Plenty of kids do stuff like this and turn out just fine.

 

[kejoda]

Its just being a teenager. Kids love to color their hair. I don't think "oh she's a drug user" when I see hair color. It either looks good or it doesn't.

 

[Magickndm]

My daughter had fuchsia streaks for months....it's just a teen being a teen.

 

[Princess89]

I really don't get a message from a person with purple hair or any color hair, as long as they carry themselves in a certain manner. Meaning that they have manners and common courtesy to others. As you can tell I was shall we say a 'free spirited' individual. I colored my hair and wore clothes with holes in them etc. I even had a mohawk, never shaved my head though. It was something I felt like doing, and I got stares and weird looks, but I was no other person than the one I am now. The phase lasted a short period, because I couldn't stand people staring at me. I don't enjoy being the center of attention, and looking that way I really stood out.

 

[NMAmy]

As the mom of a teenager it says--hey, that kid is trying out a new identity. It's just hair. I try to be pretty easygoing about things that are temporary. Now tattoos are a no-no for me on a teenager. I told dd I can't be the party mom about EVERYTHING. To which she replied, "As if."

 

[GoodFairies]

Bright-colored streaks is the mainstream around here anymore, on people from 10-30. It is definitely not the same as 10-15 years ago when it was associated with a goth-type person. I think it sounds ok for a 13 year old.

Signed,
GoodFairies
(who is 28 and just got rid of her awesome purple streaks last year...and misses them)

 

[mickeyboat]

I think it implies a young teen who's trying to express herself in a non-destructive manner and smart parents who are letting her do that. Plenty of kids do stuff like this and turn out just fine.

Yeah, what she said.

Denae

 

[dg39]

With so many things that can go wrong with kids today, the color of their hair shouldn't be a concern. Its no big deal to me. Its a harmless trend.

 

[JunieJay]

I think it implies a young teen who's trying to express herself in a non-destructive manner and smart parents who are letting her do that. Plenty of kids do stuff like this and turn out just fine.

 

[wendy46001]

As a former member of the teen with purple hair club...I say it means she wants to be her...and is trying to figure out who that is....I say go for it....there are far worse things out there....also the reaction I used to get was....gee what a bold color

 

[golfgal]

It depends on the attitude that accompanies the hair. There is a Goth Girl (we call her that because we don't know her name and she is into Goth) at the twins' bus stop. The first day of school the twins were walking the the bus stop and she yells "what are you looking at" in a really snotty tone. The twins hadn't said anything, hadn't even quite got to the stop yet. The message her purple hair sends to me is that I am a brat with no manners. There are a couple kids in the marching band with colored hair that are really outgoing, friendly, peppy kids that have hair to match. Their hair says to me, I am a lot of fun.

 

[CheshireVal]

It says to me that this person sees himself or herself as a rebel, or is trying to find his or her own identity away from the crowd. I wouldn't have a problem with it, really, and probably wouldn't even glance twice if I saw a purple-haired 13 year old out and about somewhere.

One thing to consider though, is whether the school would allow it. A lot don't.

 

[mamacatnv]

From the mom of a son who formerly at about that age had bright bright blue on top, I say it is about being different and good for them to have the confidence to give it a try. We look back at the pictures and have a good chuckle!
My motto: "it is only hair, it can be re-colored or cut off, it's hair."

 

[Barb D]

Thank you. Pretty much what the mom was thinking. She just wanted to make sure there wasn't something else implied. (Purple hair is not mainstream around here.)

Now it may well be that it is against school rules, which is why nobody else has it. That's another issue to be explored.

 

[Kae]

I had purple hair in HS-1984 Black Orchid to be exzact. I agree with all the above posters it is about be different, having someone take notice, & expressing yourself.

Kae

 

[Aidensmom]

I think it implies a young teen who's trying to express herself in a non-destructive manner and smart parents who are letting her do that. Plenty of kids do stuff like this and turn out just fine.

I agree.