Schools across the country are shut down and transferred to online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. Wylie ISD is no different. While this is a bleak break from activities and socialization, students are choosing to make the most of their time stuck at home and are making a bold change in their appearance–like dying their own hair.

This newfound freedom that students are finding in their appearance is allowing them to be more expressive and satisfied with the way they look, thus improving their overall state-of-mind.

School dress code prohibits any unnatural hair color. This limits the options that students who wish to dye their hair have, forcing many of them to either wait until summer break and do a temporary dye job or not dye their hair at all. However, many students who have dyed their hair over break are saying that a new hair color allows them to feel more comfortable with and gain confidence in themselves, but if they were to return to regular schooling with their new hair color, they would be forced to dye it back to their original hair color.

School policy does not allow “unusual” hair colors, claiming that these colors could be distracting in the classroom setting, but that is true of any part of a person’s appearance. Dress code hasn’t banned neon orange or yellow polo shirts, which there are plenty of at school, so why ban something less distracting than bright colors and would be harder to change once returning to school? There’s a difference between changing a person’s shirt and changing a person’s hair color.

By simply allowing students to have the freedom of controlling what color their hair is, the school would be allowing many to express themselves, grow more confident and become more individualistic.

Students should be allowed to choose their own hair color and not be forced by the school to stifle their creativity and independence. As so many students have already discovered, dying hair a comforting and positive color can greatly improve mental and emotional states.