Dyed Hair - Impressions?

[jujubea]

I couldn't find a single thread about this ... And only one mention of someone who had "brick red" hair for her interviews ... and no indication as to whether she made it in anywhere.

 

I frequently dye a strip of my hair various unnatural colors. While I am not applying to any particularly socially-conservative institutions (I think..) my significant other mentioned to me yesterday that I might want to hold off on dyeing it again because I am about to go on campus visits and meet POI's and others. My hair happens to be all a uniform natural color right now.

 

Is one small strip of dyed hair really so bad? I figured with the 80's back in action on the runways these days, that dyed hair was becoming something of a norm, at least a temporary one, even for us less-young folks. 

 

Would I really hurt my chances because of some tastefully done (imho) hair color?

Edited October 7, 2014 by jujubea

[bsharpe269]

I think that it *probably* will not hurt your chances but I wouldnt risk it. This would really depend of the PI but they might be put off by you not looking as professional at interviews. I would in general present yourself like you would for any job interview including nice outfit, professional looking hair, no peircings etc. Academia is pretty relaxed so it probably would not matter but I would go in with a why risk it midset and play it safe.

[TakeruK]

I'd say it depends on important it is to you. If you feel that this form of self-expression is a fundamental part of who you are then I would say go ahead and dye it. Personally, there are some parts/aspects of me that I don't want to "tone down" or hide during interviews (I guess I am thinking about post-PhD options here) because if they don't like it at the interview stage, I'm not going to be comfortable later when I'm actually there. I'd rather get turned away! In general, I would advise people to be themselves as much as they can during interviews and visits because you are able to demonstrate your knowledge and ability best when you are comfortable.

 

For what it's worth, the newest professor hire in my program started this summer with their hair dyed a bright unnatural colour. No one cared. Most people thought it was pretty cool!

[tuckbro]

You know, my first instinct is to say " be who you are."  However, you want the interview to be about you, your intelligence, experience, drive...if it is distracting you'll be the girl with green hair rather than the girl with the research experience in xyz.

 

Maybe do it but in a very understated way.

 

Afterall you do want to make sure you are a fit and they are open minded.

[smg]

I wouldn't worry about it.  You don't want to go to a school where your hair matters more than your mind. 

[jujubea]

Thanks for all the great responses!

 

smg, awesomely put.

 

I'm really on the fence between all your answers in my own head.  

 

My initial response was also: what?! Heck no. I'm gonna be who I'm gonna be. Take me or leave me. But then I thought of how devastated I'd be to not get in to any of my schools. And if it was just the hair that was the reason, of course I'd change it! 

 

What is me is the juxtaposition of professionalism with a little wild side. That's why I like the streak.. it's just a little streak, but it holds a lot of meaning for me (I know that seems silly to others! I get it). I've always been that way, combining unexpected traits, hobbies, or styles. Think boxing and poetry. Rough camping and spa days. Purple hair and a nice plain suit.

 

Now that I say these things, I guess it kind of reflects what I want to do with my communication degree, too ... I'm having an epiphany! 8O

[smg]

Thanks for all the great responses!

 

smg, awesomely put.

 

I'm really on the fence between all your answers in my own head.  

 

My initial response was also: what?! Heck no. I'm gonna be who I'm gonna be. Take me or leave me. But then I thought of how devastated I'd be to not get in to any of my schools. And if it was just the hair that was the reason, of course I'd change it! 

 

What is me is the juxtaposition of professionalism with a little wild side. That's why I like the streak.. it's just a little streak, but it holds a lot of meaning for me (I know that seems silly to others! I get it). I've always been that way, combining unexpected traits, hobbies, or styles. Think boxing and poetry. Rough camping and spa days. Purple hair and a nice plain suit.

 

Now that I say these things, I guess it kind of reflects what I want to do with my communication degree, too ... I'm having an epiphany! 8O

 

I hear that.  I'm hoping anthro programs can look past long hair, a big bushy beard and hand tattoos. 

[TakeruK]

You know, my first instinct is to say " be who you are."  However, you want the interview to be about you, your intelligence, experience, drive...if it is distracting you'll be the girl with green hair rather than the girl with the research experience in xyz.

 

This is an interesting point. And I do agree that the strategy of "be who you are" can end up hurting you if you just so happen to be interviewing with the one person in the entire department that will judge you for your hair and so you miss out on being part of a really great department that would have totally accepted you! But in my opinion, that's a risk I would personally be willing to take (and so my post above was prefaced was "it depends on how important" this was to the OP.

 

In addition, I would also say that if the other person can't see you as "the person with the green hair and the research experience in xyz" then it's really the other person's problem. When a ton of people have research experience in xyz, it can be helpful in conferences and interviews to stand out in some way. I mean, this is why some resumes/CVs have a "hobbies" section, or SOPs have personal stories and/or "hooks". 

[jujubea]

I hear that.  I'm hoping anthro programs can look past long hair, a big bushy beard and hand tattoos. 

 

Look past it? You're an embodiment of the field!

 

----

 

Well, I positioned the streak so I can downplay if I need to, and the color I'm looking at next is not very bright.

 

I love that the planetary sciences professor has other-worldly hair color.. so, so fitting.  

Edited October 7, 2014 by jujubea

[TakeruK]

I love that the planetary sciences professor has other-worldly hair color.. so, so fitting.

 

I have not even thought of it that way! Excellent!!

[jujubea]

I went with my dyed hair. And vibrant.

UNM's TA's and faculty (and students) have colored hair, uncommon piercings, and uncommon dress. When I showed up they said, "You'll fit right in!"

Not so common at Boulder though - haven't seen any of the above yet. Not even among students. But it doesn't seem to be deterring faculty in our interactions so far. Although I can tell it is a bit distracting for them, a potential negative.

On an unrelated note - holy cow Boulder's campus is GORgeous!

[FinallyAccepted]

This was definitely something that concerned me. I have a couple tattoos, and I chose to get them in places you wouldn't see them on a normal workday. After earning my masters this year in general psychology, I wanted to get a small Greek psy on my left wrist as a meaningful reminder to myself of completing that while also working. My husband was concerned for me about interviews to get into a grad program. I kind of thought about how, if it's a program that can't handle a subject area-related tattoo, then I probably don't want to be there, but there was that part of me that thought: it's still such a competitive field, one tiny thing one way or the other could make the difference. Some people are still more conservative in that way than I am (including in my job as a high school psychology teacher)...

So good for you for going with the streak. My hidden neuron tattoo will have to do for now.

[fuzzylogician]

Interviews are not everyday affairs. There are expectations of how you should dress and look. What kind of impression would dyed hair give to the people who are conducting your interview? My guess is that it will depend on the context it shows up in. That is, it will probably be less about whether or not your hair is dyed and more about whether you can still dress and act professionally. You don't want this aspect of your appearance to bias people's first impression of you; but I can imagine ways in which your dyed hair either doesn't get in the way at all or ways in which it fits with the general impression you want to give of yourself. It's a choice of how you want to present yourself and how much this matters to you. Personally, I try and play by the rules in these situations. For example, I am by far more comfortable in jeans and a sweater, but for interviews I wear slacks and a button down shirt with a jacket. I generally try and stay away from doing anything that might offend someone. The way these interviews usually go, there are lots of opportunities to shoot yourself in the foot, including by upsetting people who you might never interact with and who might have no influence on your life if you were in the program, but who have the power to vote against you when your admissions is being discussed. I am not saying you should hide who you are, but just like in other situations in life, you choose which aspects of yourself to reveal and which not according to what fits the situation. You need to decide how important it is for you for people to know and accept that you dye your hair. 

[Chianti]

In my last semester of undergrad, I did my hair from black to a bright blue ombre. I got several compliments from professors that thought it was cool/fun. As I was interviewing, the color had faded and no one minded. It faded to blonde by the time I started this semester, and I just had a dark purple/pink put in. My classmates all like it and no one has given me an odd look/bad comment.

Now I plan on re-bleaching about half of my hair and going for a brighter purple ombre again for the new year.

(As well as getting some new tattoos.  ) 

 

In short, feel out the programs in your interviews and when you first start at your new institution. Surely a streak won't be an issue!

(I'm still a little nervous to see how the department will react to a fairly bright purple though.) 

[kaswing]

Great question! 

 

I work in a lab, and there are several current grad students and post docs with fun-colored hair, so it's clearly not too big of an issue. That said, I with *hopefully* be interviewing at a variety of places that I don't yet know much about-- different coasts, cultures, who knows.

 

I've made the personal choice to wait until after interviews to do something fun with my hair, and to make it a sort of celebration of being done with that part of the process. I've decided that, although I really like it, and it reflects me, it doesn't reflect something that's so essential to me that i must have it when making a first impression. Also, none of the schools I'm applying to are in Saudi Arabia, so I don't expect they will be able to stop my attending if I dye my hair after I've been accepted  

 

It may be worth it to stand out, if it's tasteful, but I'm a 6'+ woman, and i will stand out (far too literally) no matter what I do. I don't get to do anything about being the "freakishly tall one," but I can avoid being the "freakishly tall one with the crazy hair."