Not exactly packing question; hair color okay?

indiajesse

I didn't know where else to post this random question. I am a solo female going to India in September (! so soon!) My hair is long and curly and is dyed bright purple and fuchsia on top (black underneath). Is this going to cause any problems for me? What will people's reactions be to this unusual hair color? I'd rather not re-dye it, but if it's offensive somehow, I would.

Thanks for your input!

lotus blossom

"be not concerned with what others think of you but what you think of yourself". heard that somewhere once, think it was a buddha quote.

i think that if you're comfortable with your hair, comfortable with getting, perhaps, even more attention than you'll get as a foreign woman in india, than that ought to be the deciding factor, imo.

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Not all who wander are lost

Nick-H

Don't you get stared at wherever you are?

It'll be far worse in India.

If that's OK by you, then don't worry about it!

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

indiajesse

Yeah, people stare at me in the US too (even though I'm so used to my hair I keep forgetting why I would look unusual...) and little kids are always whispering, "Mommy! Look at that lady's hair! It's purple!" It doesn't bother me. I was just worried that it might be somehow offensive in India. Like maybe prostitute-like, or something. If I get too annoyed by stares and comments, I can cover it with a scarf or something...

Bex

Hey Indiajesse - I was wondering the same thing too!
I have fire-engine red hair and was planning on leaving it that way for India, but was concerned that i may get more stares than average .
My travel partner said to leave it - if we get seperated in a crowd it will make it easy for them to find me!
And I can always cover it with a scarf...

PeakXV

There is one teenage young lady who I see walking to work/school everyday that has bright, cotton-candy pink, hair.
I almost drive off the road everytime I see her because of the contrast it makes with the backscape. The first time I saw it I thought that somebody had just fired off a flare gun towards me.

But she appears very comfortable with and it works well for her which is all that really matters.


Fast forward to India: I love the double-look especially by the pre-partition born gentleman (the ones who stroll with their hands elegantly clasped behind their back and in traditional pajamas) give when they see a slightly unorthodox-clad western in their vicinity.

Other than them you probably will not get too much unwanted attention.

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What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

fly2raven

Be prepared to have a lot of people staring at you...I have blond hair now, but I had it a lot darker when I first moved here - I thought that dying it darker would help me to blend in more - it didn't If your skin is 'fair' you are going to receive a lot of attention having your hair color so bright will make it worse but you are going to get it either way...

Nick-H

What concerns me is the possible Is it real? scenario.

If you find yourself surrounded by a group of young men wanting to find out if it is real, they may not stop at touching your hair.

fly2raven

Yeah...I can see how this could happen...I actually had a guy come up and touch my hair once in a mall - it was disturbing and that was only one guy and my hair is not that bright...so...something for her to watch out for...for sure..

icetea

Actually I think prostitutes here don't usually look so very different, they may just look like any other saree-clad woman, so don't worry for being mistaken for one.

Most people probably won't see you as a "decent woman" and you'll certainly get a lot of stares in some parts of India, but then hey, you're a westerner so it fits. We can get away with anything.