Unnatural Hair and Employment?

Apr 30, 2014

Emily W.

Hi everyone. :) I see a ton of posts about having unnatural hair colors and it has me wondering: where do y'all work? No place where I live would hire anyone with unnatural hair (except maybe tattoo parlors). I don't have any desire to dye my hair, but indulge my curiosity: where do all you colorful ladies work?

Apr 30, 2014

Erin M.

I work on a child care center on the Department of Defense Headquarters military base. I don't have weird hair but one of my supervisors does and she's fine. And I've walked in there with a purple wig multiple times and no one says anything.

Apr 30, 2014

Noemie C.

I work in a film studio, where they make animations movies, it's the greatest animation studio in Europe and I've seen people with blue ombré, light green hair, bright purple hair and I'm about to do a pink ombré myself :) and I am the assistant of the producer :) oh and I have multiple tattoos like many other employees and it's not a problem. I live in Paris, France btw.

Apr 30, 2014

Shaye M.

Where I live it's not something people won't hire you for but depending on the job they might ask you to make it more subtle. Mos t places here don't mind as long as it's tidy. :)

Apr 30, 2014

Dee-Ann B.

I work in a pharmacy and I have scarlet red hair and a co worked has purple, turquoise and green hair. It's really not a problem around here :)

Apr 30, 2014

Lorna G.

I work part time for a mining company and there's a girl at my work with light blue hair.

Apr 30, 2014

Roz X.

I do graphic design. My hair isn't unnatural in color, but I get my share of frowns now and again...lol

Apr 30, 2014

Emily B.

I think it must depend on where you're from. My parents are doctors and the hospital has strict rules on all that..no one has colored hair and tattoos need to be covered up, no piercings besides ears, all that. And that applies to all the staff, not just nurses and doctors.

Apr 30, 2014

Natalie T.

A lot of people with unnatural hair colors or a lot of tattoos/piercings/ect work at bars, tattoo shops, makeup stores, local owned restaurants (not chains), local owned clothing stores, hair salons, art galleries, are self employed, or work as performers (musicians, belly dancers, fire eaters, ect). I live in a city known for its art college, so we have a lot of small businesses and art/fashion centered business, which is where most of these people work. This is all downtown, as well. Once you get into more suburban territory or towards the beach (where I live), you see a lot less unnatural hair colors, tattoos, and piercings.

I have ultra blonde hair that can be silver/violet hair (depending on what I treat my hair with) and I work in a funeral home. I am only an apprentice, so I just work in the "back of the house" or the prep room. I don't meet with any families and I'm not seen by any outsiders, only the staff. Once I do start to work with people, I will be dying my hair a more conservative color! Funeral homes are exceptionally conservative work environments if you don't exclusively work in the back of the house. Almost everyone on the staff young or old (except for me) is *covered* in tattoos, but since the men have to wear full formal suits, ties, &jackets and the women have to wear formal and modest work attire, no one's tattoos show. Though they have never said anything about me having to change my hair, I think my hair color is probably pushing it, I don't think I would ever seen anyone with brightly colored locks working in our funeral home.

Apr 30, 2014

Natalie T.

I know there are exceptions (working in art/fashion/hair/cosmetics/ect) but I'm assuming most of the people with unnatural hair are either in high school or college and don't have to support themselves. They may have jobs for extra cash, but I don't think many of them have conservative careers.

Apr 30, 2014

Miss M.

I believe that you can get any job without ever you look like (unless it is a job that requires a certain appearance)

I believe that if you are right for the job and they really want you to work there and they think you will suit they won't care about how you look as long as they can trust that you will apply yourself


Make yourself feel as good as you want in your own skin


I would I I was looking for a job go a natural ish colour and wait for a little while then go a crazy unnatural colour (once they really now you will pally yourself)

I went from dark black to a Browney blonde whilst I am in school I have been at the school I am at now for two years I earned all the teachers respect and no one said a word about my hair even tough I am breaking about 7 rules because they know I am responsible and I am not going rebel 😂

Apr 30, 2014

Gen S.

I work at a full service beauty salon :) they definitely support unnatural hair color there lol.

Apr 30, 2014

Emily W.

Natalie T., that's what I guessed too. I'm pretty conservative, and I would find it difficult to interact in a professional environment with someone with blue hair and piercings. Where I am from and where I live, that gets left behind as a teenaged "phase" that people grow out of.

Even in retail and food service, people are expected to follow a very conservative dress code where I live. At my university, we are expected to dress business casual. It is a sign of respect to our teachers, and at work in respect to the management and customers.

I've interviewed high school kids with colored hair, and they have all been disorganized, unprepared, and disrespectful-- I don't know if that is a correlation with the urge to have wild hair (some defiant personality trait perhaps), but none of them ever got hired.

That's interesting that other places hire doctors with colored hair, or teachers or pharmacists. I can see how it would be more acceptable in back-of-house positions, since you aren't interacting with the public.