Ditching the Dye is About More than Going Natural

I have been a blonde for as long as I can remember. So much of my identity is tied to being that “little blonde” that I have begun to convince myself that it’s my natural color! The truth was that I had been dyeing my hair for so many years, I wasn’t sure any longer what color was lurking under all those blonde highlights.

So much of our identity is tied up in our outward appearance, and our hair color and style is one of the most conspicuous aspects of our appearance that we can change to our liking. I used to refer to my natural hair color in negative terms like “dishwater blonde” or “dirty blonde”. I didn’t want my hair to be the color of dirty dishwater! So I took what God gave me and turned to a talented hairstylist to help me feel more beautiful with tones of platinum or gold.

While there is nothing wrong with coloring our hair and we should desire to update our look as styles change, we can easily get drawn into the world’s definition of beauty. We look around at other women with gorgeous shades of glimmering color and think that in order to look beautiful, we need to change our locks to look more like theirs.

The truth is we are all uniquely made by God down to even the smallest details like the strands of our hair. But just because people may have given a color a negative name doesn’t mean it’s a flaw in us that needs correcting.

Our identity is much deeper than any hair color, texture, or style. It may be an outward expression of who we are, but God says we are so much more than what we look like. Our identity is rooted in Him, not in the roots of our hair.

At the start of 2021, I began to wonder what it would be like to go back to my own roots and embrace the natural hair color that God gave me. I am now 9 months into my journey and I am learning to love the hair God gave me, gray highlights and all!

Turns out ditching the dye is about more than going natural. It’s about embracing my true identity and learning to love the real me.

Reflection

In what ways do you find your identity in outward features like your hair color or style?
Is there anything about your appearance that you have always wanted to change? What difference would it make if you embraced that trait instead of changing it?
Have you ever considered ditching the dye and embracing your natural color? Why or Why not?

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7 NIV)

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7 NIV)