No more judgment: can we normalize mamas wearing bold hair colors?

Purple. Pink. Blue. If it sounds more like the colors found on your floor after a colorful art project than a hair color you would try, you might need to change your thinking. Or at the very least, understand that those hair colors might be your new norm.

For decades, moms have shied away from bold hair colors for fear of judgment. “I could never do it,” “my husband would kill me,” “I can’t pull it off,” are the choice phrases that are said while secretly judging the mama who’s bold enough to do it. That needs to change. Everyone wants to be a “cool mom” but for some reason rocking bold hair colors instantly throws you into that territory.

Here’s the deal: Wearing pink hair isn’t taboo.

Chrissy Teigen wore a purple wig and even Ciara rocked pink hair just before the holidays last year. And these mamas aren’t alone. Hair care brand, Garnier commissioned a survey by OnePoll, and reported that one in five women colored their hair during quarantine for some needed change and found this inspiration from a number of people and places, including social media (30.4%) and celebrities (40.83%), while others (42.18%) wanted to try something new since they did not need to leave the house. The bottom line is clear: Women are looking for a beauty change, and it’s okay for that change to exist in your hair color.

For so long, women have held back from taking the hair dying plunge, but in reality, it’s just hair and if you don’t like it, you can always re-do it. It’s truly no big deal. Can we finally stan for moms with wild hair color in 2021?

If you’re ready to add color to your life, Schwarzkopf Color hairstylist Wendy Gutkin breaks down exactly how to dye your hair at home:

1. Prep your hair

“Don’t wash your hair for two-three days before you color your hair,” says Gutkin. “This will allow your scalp’s natural oils to act as a barrier against irritation.”

2. Only buy what you need

“Buy one box of color for short hair and two boxes for hair shoulder length or longer or for extremely coarse or thick hair to ensure full coverage,” says Gutkin.

3. Do a strand & patch test

Measure and mix a small amount of hair color separately from the kit to conduct the test. Apply color to a small section of trimmed or hidden hairs to see results before you commit. “This is a key step to help work out timing, taking your hair texture into consideration,” says Gutkin. “The finer your hair is, the faster it will lighten. If you have coarse or dry hair, you can go by the recommended time on the box.”

4: Section hair

“Create a middle part that runs to the back of your head to avoid patchiness,” says Gutkin. “Split hair further into four sections: two in front of the ears and two in the back. Begin applying dye at the roots first, since the roots need the most color and processing time. Then, apply dye from the back to front to ensure the dye is sitting on the back of your hair the longest.”

5: Let your hair down

It’s super tempting, but avoid putting hair in a bun after applying color if possible. You want to leave hair down until the timer rings to ensure the color rinses out evenly.

6: Add water

“Before rinsing out the color, sprinkle water on your head and mush around with your hands to avoid lines and streaks,” says Gutkin.

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