Popular opinion is that colored hair -- that is, unnaturally colored hair;
space black,
hot pink,
lemon yellow, etc. -- is just an attention getting ploy on the part of the colorer. While this is probably true for some people, many of us have reasons other than making
random strangers' eyes bug out on the street. A lot of us even find the pointing and stares to be somewhat irritating. I've had
sapphire blue hair for about the past year, and love it. Hopefully my reasoning for changing to and keeping this color will be
enlightening to anyone who gets annoyed at all of us kids who are "trying too hard" to be individuals.
First, my hair color makes it easier to remember who I am, and recall the context in which you met me. I'm short and only averagely attractive; an essentially nondescript white male. With my natural medium brown hair I tend to blend in really well -- I'm easily forgettable. Note that this isn't a personality flaw; if people were remembered or forgotten based entirely upon the way they acted I wouldn't have a problem at all. Sadly, personality often doesn't play as much of a role in first impressions as looks, so I'm just taking advantage of what works.
Also, shocking hair makes for a terrifically effective idiot filter. If somebody is unwilling to talk to me or take me seriously because of how I look, they're probably a waste of my time to begin with. That is, people who judge others to the point of exclusion based solely on what they look like are more than likely also racists, sexists, or otherwise uninteresting. This may sound a bit pretentious, but think about it: if you were black, and somebody refused to listen to what you had to say because of it, wouldn't you be glad that you knew to ignore them in the future?
From what I hear, the color looks really good on me, too. People mention this without any solicitation on my part, so there must be some truth involved. My girlfriend says the dark blue makes my eyes (hazel/green) stand out better :-) A friend of mine has shoulder-length blond hair that he dyes bright fucking orange -- it's total anime hair and looks incredible on him, like it's the color his hair was meant to be.
Finally, it makes a good ice breaker to help start conversations with strangers. I can't count the number of times people have asked me how I did it, or how long it takes to fade out, or told me a story about their adventures in technicolor coiffage. Sometimes these questions lead to long conversations. Rarely, they lead to new friends or acquaintances, people to remember and chill with at a later date. This effect is most important to me, as I tend to be somewhat shy and need any help I can get with meeting others.
The title and theme of this node is based on Superunknown_GP's node the philosophy of long hair.