Blue hair

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Hi nurses, I have been very well behaved :rolleyes: since I was a little girl. I have kept my original hair color, original eye color, and act like everyone else wanted me to be for a very long time. Since I became a nurse, I feel so comfortable as it is my nature to care for others. I love my job and I love how my residents react to me. Finally, after over 40 years of my life, I feel that I am myself after become a nurse. So I start to think that I may be able to be myself just a bit more but I am a bit concerned. I am concerned about how my residents will feel. So I thought that I should ask experienced nurses , your opinions. What do you think the residents will react to me if I dye my hair blue? I don't want to stand out but I love to see my hair blue. I don't want to shock them or confuse them since I work on a dementia unit. Should I go ahead or should I stay the look that the residents know? Would you please give me your opinions? Thank you :)

As a case manager I have had deep blue almost black hair and no issues but I also have my cheeks pierced (very tiny rhinestones) at the time so my hospital clearly was more lenient.

But my recent RN program the director lectured me about fixing my "unprofessional" and "shocking" hair color telling me to dye it to a natural color... Only problem is I was my natural red hair color that she insisted was unnatural.

So glad to have graduated last month! Now to find a job that will allow my to have my diamonds in my dimples again lol

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You could bleach it light blonde and then use temporary wash out colours over the top? That way it's acceptable for work as blonde, but on days off it's blue or purple or whatever.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

to Lori - I'm glad your friends have been well-received where they are. I just hope they never have the need to look for employment elsewhere as I would worry about other employers being so accommodating.

I stand by my previous concern that employers can be covertly discriminatory when it comes to subordinates being 'outside the norm/box'.

And in today's customer service mind-set environment, all it will take is for some consumer to make a negative comment and that blue hair may not have been such a great idea.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I would recommend if you do it that you go to a professional to get it done. Colored hair isn't automatically unprofessional, it can be done wrong though. I've done pink, purple, blue. Loved all but the blue it went green as it faded.

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Specializes in NICU, Cardiac.

My hospital has a ton of really strict policies but hair color is unit discretion. Our manager has allowed visible wrist/arm tattoos and wild hair. There's a nurse with a blue streak on the underside of her hair, one with ice blue, dark purple, and I've had rose gold with lavender highlights, though it was really subtle. I'm actually going this afternoon to get it redone because it was beautiful and I never got any complaints from parents. We were told that if parents complained, we would have to stop with the crazy colors but so far so good. I love my crazy color :)

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
to Lori - I'm glad your friends have been well-received where they are. I just hope they never have the need to look for employment elsewhere as I would worry about other employers being so accommodating.

I stand by my previous concern that employers can be covertly discriminatory when it comes to subordinates being 'outside the norm/box'.

And in today's customer service mind-set environment, all it will take is for some consumer to make a negative comment and that blue hair may not have been such a great idea.

Maybe part of the difference is that I am in Canada. We don't have"consumers". We have patients. I know that other places in my area are fairly liberal about hair color and tattoos. Even piercings are really ignored. lol

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Maybe part of the difference is that I am in Canada. We don't have"consumers". We have patients. I know that other places in my area are fairly liberal about hair color and tattoos. Even piercings are really ignored. lol

I so wish we still had patients but now the powers that be want us to call patients "clients" or "consumers" which is garbage. I didn't go to school to cater to customers or I'd still be working at Starbucks. I'm a nurse and nurses take care of patients. I really dislike the consumer/customer terminology change

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Agree with the others - check your dress code policy first. But if the policy does not prohibit any colors ... inexpensive clip on hair pieces or extensions would be a good way to try it out before committing.

Temporary hair washes can be OK for a costume kind of thing or to try at home on a weekend, but they tend to bleed onto clothing and skin and probably would not be workable for "real life".

If you currently dye your hair to cover gray, etc. ... the transition to a bright color becomes more complicated, as the current dye must be stripped out of the hair, and then the desired color applied. I really wanted some pink streaks in my hair, but my hairdresser steered me away from the process.

I love, LOVE those pictures from BuzzFeed!

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Not to sound like a recorder, but if your dress code is okay with it, then feel free to go for it. I worked with a med tech that changed her hair style and color (blue was one of them) with several different wigs she owned. The residents (the ones who commented anyway) LOVED them and would have conversations with her about what they'd like her to try out next. It's all going to depend on your facility's policies though.

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Lol, all of this talk about 'clients' and 'professionalism' made me think of that crazy post from a few months ago about the "beauty, splendor, and awe" that healthcare professionals should demonstrate and the nurse with the buzz-cut and the "pirate" eye patch.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-and-professionalism/the-sloppy-image-1031776.html

:lol2:

Not that I think professionalism is something to laugh at...but seriously, that post was freaking ridiculous.

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Lol, all of this talk about 'clients' and 'professionalism' made me think of that crazy post from a few months ago about the "beauty, splendor, and awe" that healthcare professionals should demonstrate and the nurse with the buzz-cut and the "pirate" eye patch.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-and-professionalism/the-sloppy-image-1031776.html

:lol2:Not that I think professionalism is something to laugh at...but seriously, that post was freaking ridiculous.

"Where I work the majority of female doctors wear their hair down, liberally apply makeup, wear form fitting clothing, and hard soled shoes. They try to appear as beautiful as they can. Likewise, the male doctors come in with tailored clothing that had been ironed, they have well-oiled hair, nice watches, and other things reminiscent of the show "General Hospital."

Meanwhile, in the ICU I've worked in, we've got a female nurse with a buzz cut, one woman wearing a pirate-like black eye patch, nurses with baggy wrinkled scrubs, nurses wearing those ugly skechers shapeups, everyone wearing their hair up or back in a plain boring pony tail instead of letting it flow, men or even women with untrimmed or unneatly trimmed facial hair"

WHHAAAAAATTTTT?!?!

heres what I see when I read this

liberally applied makeup = hooker/call girl

form fitting clothing = too tight and constrictive to be of any help in a code

hard soled shoes = heels, she ain't running for a code

If this doctor was in my unit and she pulled off one of my dressing then tried to leave it I'd be laying supplies down for her and letting her know she's to do the dressing again herself. This Dr sounds afraid to get dirty and unable to do much in a code situation. She must just be doing rounds from her office while looking for a doctor husband.

Tailored clothing = too tight and constrictive to be of any help in a code

well-oiled hair = greasy

nice watches = flashy

general hospital = STD central where everyone is having sex with everyone

i wouldn't want this shallow skeezy Dr any where near me or my liberally make-up face and tight hoochie uniform, I'd probably get a STD just standing near him. This Dr also would have no respect from any of my coworkers or myself.

Yeah um I've had an eye patch when I had eye surgery. It isn't pleasant and it was a necessity. I did try to make it lively and cute by making it pirate or another day it was a drawn eye with glamous makeup looking. But is she seriously looking down on a nurse for having a medical condition and not being so shallow as to not care for it all in the name of vanity?

hair back or up= that's a requirement at most hospitals. My waist length hair would be up in a bun either way because I don't need it in feces or all over the place getting nasty germy. Women with untrimmed facial hair? Look some ladies have a bit of a mustache and that's their bodies so leave my bleached mustache alone jeez!

Also my hubby can shave at 5am and have a decent beard by 9pm, some people's facial hair just grow fast and thick.

This nurse, I just can't even... Jesus take the wheel!!!

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I am glad to report that my workplace doesn't care about my blue hair :) actually, I had blue Peak a boo highlight done two days ago and the first night when I was at work, I let my hair down , no one seems to notice that there was a little bit of blue highlight under my natural hair. Last night, I tight my hair so no one at work would really see my highlight although no one asked me about it, I think it is better to be careful. This morning, our AM supervisor noticed my new look but she told me the only thing that I need to get ride of is my blue nail polish. So I am going to clean it up later but it was fun when it lasts. :)

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