The future of colour

The years of social conditioning have led us to a space where hair colour has been defined for and by the male gaze – from Hollywood casting directors to business leaders, categorising women’s existence into tick-boxes of shades and matching personality types that just don’t exist in this simple dichotomous way. It’s an example of the patriarchy insidiously seeping into our everyday lives. As with Carey’s example, we know the male-dominated tech industry is rife with well-publicised sexism. But for someone of her stature to follow these man-made ‘rules’ by dying her hair to get ahead opens a new set of quandaries – namely – are women being complicit in perpetuating the stereotypes of hair colour and trying to manipulate them to our advantage? Berdalh thinks so: “At an individual level what we can do is to stop perpetrating these ideas that just don’t lift up the sisterhood.” However, the tide is actively turning on these attitudes, and rather than a mass feminist outrage, it’s partly the result of the advancements in hair colouring techniques which allow you to change your hair so many times you defy definition. ‘Bond’ treatments like Olaplex work from inside the hair strand to repair damaged locks where the structure has broken down. It’s essentially allowed us to change hair colour more easily and frequently than ever before – especially if that colour changeis dramatic. It’s what’s enabled celebrities to dramatically change hues one week to the next – notably Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Rihanna (who all also wear wigs, and extensions – nobody’s hair can take six colour changes in a week)

Using hair colour as a style accessory (like a new handbag or this season’s red boot) has filtered down to the high street. Now we’ve got the technology, the inspiration and the freedom to be whatever colour we choose, with societal diktats ignored entirely. And it’s made things easier and more accessible for all hair types, including afro, mixed and Asian hair, which traditional colouring methods haven’t been kind to.

Hair colour stereotypes are real but this is how we're finally ditching them