Black Women Share Why They Love Being Blonde

Black women always serve looks as blondes. Growing up, I admired Black women whenever they dyed their hair because I wasn’t allowed to, and whenever I got my hair braided, I’d grab the ombre blonde pack in #27 almost every time. This helped me imagine what my hair would look like in different colors. 

Last year, I spontaneously got my hair cut into a curly fro-hawk and dyed it midnight blue. In order to achieve that vibrant color my natural brown hair had to be lifted to blonde first. That was the first time my hair was processed but I didn’t have a chance to be seen with blonde hair other than looking at my reflection in the mirror. I made a promise to myself that the next thing I would do with my hair is shave it down and go blonde. 

During fashion week, I had the opportunity to connect with Kadeisha Placide, co-owner of Classic Beauty Studio in Brooklyn, NY, where she offered me a full service experience to dye my hair rose gold. I wanted to look good for the big event, so this was the perfect time to switch up my style. While I’ve been skeptical about booking a stylist in the past, I felt comfortable with Kadeisha due to how attentive and detailed she was during our exchanges. Before my appointment, she asked about my previous hair journey. At the appointment, she made sure to walk me through the dyeing process, explained each step, and shared how to maintain the integrity of my hair after. But nothing prepared me for the tingly feeling of the chemical process. (Pro-tip: cut your hair at least three days before processing, that way your scalp has a chance to recuperate and you don’t feel it as much). It’s been about a month since my appointment, and even though the rose gold color I had faded away, the blonde and my curls have continued to shine in all my selfies. 

Rocking my short, blonde hair cut has boosted my confidence and my ego, if I’m being honest. It’s also really convenient. I enjoy having a low maintenance hair regime: wash every three to four days with Olaplex shampoo and conditioner, Mielle Organic scalp relief gel bi-weekly, and styling with Design Essentials defining creme gel. I’m appreciative of how my skin and facial features stand out and look more vibrant. This inspired me to reach out to some of Unbothered’s Facebook group members about what inspired them to go blonde, what their first experience was like, and how the change made them feel.

“I decided to go blonde the first semester of law school because, truthfully, I was suffering with a loss of identity. Before, I felt confident and thought I had a strong sense of who I was as a person but, during my first semester I became crippled by a wave of unprecedented self-doubt and self-criticism; I was sinking. I remember feeling the aura of the beautiful blonde Black baddies on my instagram discovery page and just being drawn to that. I was attracted to the way the blonde beautifully contrasted with their dark skin tones and infectious smiles; the range of identities (women who were fashionistas, models, teachers, business owners, etc.), the fun feeling of it all, and they looked so liberated. Cutting off all my hair felt like freedom. Dyeing it blonde helped me regain part of my creative spirit. I just love how the color juxtaposes my skin, my Nigerian cheekbones, eyebrows, everything! I feel like it's a better reflection of my personality: Leo Sun; Scorpio rising; lighthearted and striving to be a light.”

“I never thought about blonde not working on my complexion. I definitely think it had to do with my mom; she made me feel confident about going blonde. I first went honey blonde when I was 19, and I was obsessed. It was a lot of upkeep, especially since I was relaxing my hair during that time. By that time, I dyed my hair black, red, dark brown, so I wanted to try blonde. Fast forward to 25, I was wearing a blonde pixie and decided to big chop. The short, blonde look just made my skin pop! I've been blonde for 11 years now and I color my hair myself. My mom jokes that she can't imagine me as a brunette anymore. I definitely feel blonde suits me more than my brown natural hair color. When I have a fresh cut and color with my red lipstick on, it's a wrap.”

“I chose to go blonde mainly because I was entering a new era with my hair and I needed a big, dramatic change. I knew the risk, but the reward of being a blonde was worth it. I was afraid in the beginning that the type of blonde I ended up with wouldn’t look good on my skin.  But, I just convinced myself it didn’t matter because I’m a Black woman and any color looks good on us. Rocking my blonde hair makes me feel unique, brighter, and sunkissed.”