‘People who have that kind of hair? They’re inspirational’

Alexander Brown never felt that a natural hair colour was a true reflection of who he is. He started dying his hair as a teenager and now rocks a full rainbow.

“It’s something you can change easily and something that’s not permanent,” Brown said, adding it’s a safe way to figure yourself out.

“You make a sudden and visible change to yourself,” he said, “and suddenly you can look in the mirror and say, ‘Oh, there I am.’ … It feels like a part of myself that I get to have on the outside.”

Em Raby, better known by their drag king alter ego Thunder Normz, also feels vivid hair colour is a way to express who they are to the world. They began to dye their hair as a way to start socially transitioning.

“Getting it super bright and taking over my whole hair was something that I found I really enjoyed when I started performing in drag,” Raby said.

Their long teal hair is put up for Thunder Normz’ signature look, but Raby is starting to learn how to make a custom wig so they have more freedom for their hair when not in drag.

Raby feels getting their hair dyed is just as important as going to the dentist or doctor.

“Taking care of your hair can be a really important piece of how you show up in the world,” Raby said.

“I learned that as an adult, if I gave myself a little bit of time in a salon or with a barber, then I was giving myself a little bit of self care, too.”

Brown sees a correlation between being queer and the yearning to colour your hair, especially for younger people before they’ve fully realized their identities.

“It’s baby’s first attempt at self-expression,” he said.

‘It’s just hair. It grows out.’

Jennifer Fischlin, co-owner and stylist at Vixen Hair Den, sees vivid hair colour as a way to embrace an adventurous side. “It’s just freedom of expression, which we still have, so we might as well enjoy it,” she said.

She started dying her hair in vivid colours in the 1980s, a decade when punk haircuts and bright colours emerged.

Fischlin went on to train as a stylist at Vidal Sassoon in England, saying hairstyles at the time were wild. “You would see these blue Mohawks with spikes, they were 10 inches high and just completely down the head,” she said.

While she still experiments with her hair when testing out new products, she loves getting the chance to be more creative as a stylist.

“Being a hairdresser, you tend to want to do stuff like that, because it just takes you out of your normal day,” she said.

“And people who have that kind of hair? They’re inspirational.”

Fischlin says she has a range of clients from young to elderly who have vivid hair. She has been told by some of her older clients that as soon as they retire, they want to do something bold.

Vicki Tompkins, owner of clothing store For Women Only, made just such a change last spring when she started to go grey.

The blue streak she had added into her hair by Fischlin was the first time she tried a vivid hair colour, but she’s always been inspired by a creative look. Her sense of style is reflected in the garments and accessories carried in her store.

She advises anyone who’s thinking of changing their look to just go for it.

“If you want to do it, do it,” said Tompkins. “It’s just hair. It grows out.”

‘Another accessory to have fun with’

Jennifer Dallman-Sanders, who has sections of pink hair, has helped their own children use fun colours to experiment with their appearance.

The only restriction was no developer or bleach. Any other colours would be fine. “We would do dip dyes, or a few streaks here and there, and that was enough to keep them happy,” Dallman-Sanders said.

“They loved being their own self. They loved the attention. They loved the accessorizing around it. It’s a harmless way to experiment.”

Dallman-Sanders was inspired by their parents’ attitude to having bright pink hair as a teenager. They emulated 90s parenting authority Barbara Coloroso, who popularized the saying that if something isn’t morally threatening or physically threatening, to let it go. Dallman-Sanders took that to heart.

She said she would never be able to look at their children and say, “I can have fun colours, but you can’t.”

“It’s just hair and it’s about exploring who you are,” Dallman-Sanders said.

“Not just as an individual, but how you fit into society. It’s the same thing as choosing your clothes.”

Reasons for a drastic change can vary from wanting to feel like a fun person through to a traumatic break-up, or simply not being ready for grey hair. Others are inspired by the world around them.

Tori Sloan, a stylist at Blunt Salon, finds inspiration not just on social media, but also in artwork.

“I’ve always liked looking at different landscapes and paintings,” said Sloan. “What could I do with hair to make it look like that?”

Sloan started beauty school in 2023 and began working at Blunt after graduating. She loves collaborating with clients on achieving their dream hair colour.

“I just want my clients to be happy with their hair, and hope to leave with a good result that lasts as long as they can,” she said.

Raby, who has had their teal hair done by Sloan, says they’ve appreciated receiving a conditioner with some dye in it. “I’d never been offered that in my life. And throughout the whole summer, I think I was able to keep the teal more vibrant with that support,” they said.

Multiple salons in Yellowknife offer similar services. Brown advises finding someone you can trust.

Raby also stresses the importance of collaborating with your stylist, saying it can take time to lighten your hair before the vivid hair dye can be applied.

They also recommend booking the appointment at the start of the day, adding you can expect to be in the salon for more than two hours.

Fischlin says hair colour has come a long way over the years, and there are numerous lines that offer their own vivids. These new dyes aren’t damaging to the hair and some are even vegan.

She said lightening the hair is what causes damage.

“The actual blue or orange, or whatever colour you’re going for, is the easy, gentle stuff. That’s why it fades, because you’ve made the hair porous and then put on this vegetable dye, which fades,” Fischlin says.

And if anyone reading this is considering making a bold change?

“Our hair is our identity,” Fischlin says. “Enjoy your hair. Have fun with your hair.”

Brown agrees.

“The world needs a little bit more whimsy,” he concluded.