<p>Sseamom, that reminds me. I find it hilarious how many young people are actually dying their hair grey. I was looking up how to use the toner I got (no instructions on the box) and nearly every result is people using it to dye their hair grey. I mean, a lot of them got amazing results but it’s like you dye your hair grey when you’re 17 and then you’ll be dying out grey when you’re 47. And it seems so funny.</p>
<p>Something that just kinda occurred to me with the whole “natural look” thing. My hair color is my one thing I actually do. I only wear makeup when I have a spot to cover (which is very rare) or for events. On a normal day, I don’t do anything to my hair but brush it. So my hair color is the only “unnatural” thing about how I look on a normal day.</p>
<p>Given a choice, I’m going to a restaurant, shop, or even a clinic where the employees have an interesting look. For me this would include dyed hair, dreadlocks, piercings, tattoos. I understand certain looks have certain connotations. I understand this look is a cliche all its own. Understanding all this, given a choice, I choose to support such establishments rather than one deliberately projecting a corporate or family image. </p>
<p>I am late 50s, no makeup, natural gray rapidly going white hair. I wish I could see a photo of you, dmd. Your look sounds fantastic!</p>
<p>I also really really like dreadlocks on older women.</p>
<p>adding: Young people with extreme looks don’t look unsanitary or untrustworthy to me. They look sweet, sort of like a toddler in a superman cape.</p>
<p>I guess I have to clarify my post. It really is just hair. It grows back. It can be recolored.</p>
<p>I personally do not care for the unnatural hair colors. I think it looks ugly. I also think tattoos and weird piercings look ugly. But I wouldn’t judge someone with an ugly hairstyle as being anything except a person with an ugly hairstyle.</p>
<p>I don’t give it much thought. Spending the time I do in NYC, it would take a lot for me to take even a second look. But when anyone is going for a job, it can be an issue because there is no telling what the employer is going to think about these things. Now if the boss has a green mohawk and tattoos on his neck and a sleeve, that 's one thing. Maybe the sports jacket, cleanlined look needs to be ramped up. But I’ve known a lot of young people who argue that there are others looking a certain way at the job, and don’t get it that there can be a different standard when applying.</p>
<p>I don’t like it, and it’s not allowed in our house for high schoolers. It’s a regional, traditional thing - it’s just not widely accepted or thought of highly here.</p>
<p>First of all, it’s not allowed at their school - no “un-natural” hair colors, no facial piercings, extreme gauges, and no visible tattoos. I generally lump all of these together in the same gross category. Although, of course I’d rather the less permanent expression over the more permanent.</p>
<p>Secondly, my kids are required to get a job during the summers and since it is not widely accepted or thought of highly here, it’s difficult to get any job besides fast food or coffee place with strange colored hair. Even most waitressing jobs would be out. Definitely any receptionist jobs would be out.</p>
<p>Even henna tattoos are not okay.</p>
<p>My girls’ hair (except for the 24 year old) has never been dyed or had a permanent. It’s very healthy and has beautiful rich color. I would hate for them to mess that up. The oldest routinely dyes her hair and has a lot of fun with it - all colors at least CLOSE to natural, and some really cute cuts.</p>
<p>They can do that sort of thing (blue hair, pink streaks, etc) on their own dime when they’re 18. I think college is the perfect time to have fun with that sort of thing. Mine don’t work while in college, and they can reverse any non-permanent changes for summer jobs. As long as it sort of “fits” into their environment and won’t be viewed poorly by professors - I think college is a great time for that sort of fun.</p>
<p>Also, I sort of feel like another poster. Even though I call it “gross” - it’s not a huge deal when it’s their own adult decision. I am sort of amused by it all, and I like the analogy of a toddler in a super-hero cape. LOL.</p>
<p>So if parents don’t have anything wrong with non permanent body modifications…then piercings are okay, right?</p>
<p>
I know RiRi instagramed her grey hair. :rolleyes: It looks good, though.</p>
<p>I don’t see the problem with Henna tattoos. They last about…what? Three weeks the most. I’ve had henna tattoos. I guess you could view them as a “gateway” to getting permanent tattoos.</p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with it at all. There was a lot of it in my kids hs academic EC during competitions as the majority of the team (inc coaches) would put streaks or tip our school color. I’ve done it for so many years (two kids staggered) that I now can’t stand anything in that color, lol! When one of my kids played football for 7 years I was on the board of directors and had a streak behind one ear I kept in each season (Aug-Nov) of the team color. You really only saw it if I tucked my long hair behind my ear or pulled it up (which was a lot during hot days). When I was much younger my hair has been many, many different ‘natural colors’ from nordic blonde, super red, ash brown and lots of mixtures of the three, highlights, lolights, etc. I have nightmares about bad cuts but color is temporary and can always be changed.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Niquii’s point was that a piece of jewelry can always be taken out and leave no evidence it was ever there so it isn’t exactly a permanent modification.</p>
<p>It’s only hair and it grows out. I say do it while you still can, before jobs get in the way. Our oldest D, now 29 went thru every color in the book, and also had eyebrow, lip, etc. piercings. It was still not as common then (how the times change) and I know my older neighbor thought she was some kind of wild child. In reality, she was very well behaved, good grades, etc. Her twin brother, who looked very conservative-no dye or piercings- was actually the “wild” one. The neighbor had it mixed up! My 23 yo bleaches her hair really blond occasionally but it is pretty high-maintenance. Has used other colors too but doesn’t really go for the bright ones. It’s fun and easy, so why not?</p>
<p>ON “do it while you can”, my S was a teen when boys were wearing frosted tipped hair that you gelled up in a swoop in the front. I absolutely let him-none of the males in my family had much hair after they hit 21 or so and I knew his efforts were going to be short-lived. He is 28 now and almost completely bald-shaves it all off, what’s left of it. </p>
<p>An old childhood friend of mine asked with some hesitancy why my S had a shaved head (she was thinking skinhead). I asked if she remembered my dad, and she said, “Ohhhhh. I get it.” He had a pierced ear too. Joined the military and took it out. You can’t even tell he ever had it.</p>
<p>The day my D moved into her dorm freshman year she dyed purple streaks into her hair (they had a dying station in the dorm). I nearly flipped out when I saw her with her friends at convocation until a dean marched in the procession with bright pink tips all over her spiky hair. Fast-forward three years, she has kept the purple going and it has not affected her getting research work from profs, or summer employment in good engineering jobs. I don’t think it is a big deal. She keeps encouraging me to do some nice purple streaks in my graying hair, but I am not there yet.</p>
<p>Not all piercings are the same, even the ones that leave small holes are not created equal. This woman might have agreed with you about piercings not being permanent… however, she is permanently no longer “with us”:</p>
<p>It was the strep bacteria from her throat that got into the bloodstream and caused sepsis. And as we know, about 20% of us carry staph, and 5% carry drug resistant staph (MRSA) in our nostrils and on the skin. As long as it does not get into the bloodstream, our immune systems mostly keep it in check, but all bets are off if it gets into a wound.</p>
<p>Sseamom- my 29 YO son is the same. He also shaves his head as his hairline is so far back now. </p>
<p>A note on piercings- his twin sister who did have a lot of piercings has let them all grow over except her ears. She teaches high school at a continuation school now and a number of her students have commented because when she smiles, there is a little dimple on her lower lip from an old piercing. It seems to have worked in her favor- one student recently told she is even cooler than he first thought she was! </p>
<p>Funny but none of my 4 are into tattoos-they don’t like pain and none of them have found any image they want permanently imbedded in their skin. I don’t have a problem w/ tatts but do wonder what they will look like when skin starts sagging with age!</p>
<p>BunsenBurner, that is the fault of the person unfortunately. She either picked a bad piercer or she didn’t take care of her piercing properly. Piercings, like any body modification (including makeup and hair color) can harm your health.</p>
<p>I agree - College is the perfect environment to do those things…especially if it’s accepted, as it obviously was in the case of your D, on said campus.</p>
<p>I can tell you that jobs in engineering with purple hair - well, that wouldn’t fly everywhere. In large international companies that deal with clients from all over the world, purple hair would not typically be acceptable.</p>