With people unable to leave their homes due to the shelter-in-place mandate, many have found themselves feeling adventurous and experimental when it comes to switching up their physical appearance.

For example, some have found that changing their hairstyle while in quarantine is a simple, yet significant change.

Kavya Krishnan, a junior, decided to give herself bangs in hopes of finding joy amidst the feelings of self isolation.

“This external modification allowed me to gain a sense of excitement and change from this new, bleak normalcy,” Krishnan said. 

For others, changing their hairstyle was simply a result of having confidence in knowing that no one would see them if something were to go wrong.

“I only decided to change my hair during quarantine because I knew people wouldn’t see me,” said sophomore Jerimae Pielago, who bleached the tips of her hair while at home. “Even if it looked super spotty or orange, it wouldn’t have mattered because I would be the only one who saw it.”

This time of uncertainty has caused many to feel out of place. By dyeing and cutting her hair, junior Kay Cosper, like many others, now feels more confident during quarantine.

“(Changing my hair) made me feel more in control of my life, since it always feels like I’m spiraling,” Cosper said.  

Despite the fact that the alterations may not have been all successful, Cosper said that she holds no guilt about her decision to dye her hair.

“Although my hair doesn’t look the best right now, I definitely do not regret it. Quarantine has allowed me to do something new without ‘repercussions’,” Cosper said.

Similarly, Krishnan also felt no regret in regards to cutting her bangs.

“It was positive to see a change in my life,” Krishnan said. “I was able to feel a whole new sense of accomplishment and confidence when the world around me felt suffocating.” 

In today’s society, physical appearance, such as one’s hairstyle, can be a difficult topic to wrestle with.

Where do you differentiate the line between having your physical appearance compliment you from having it define you? 

In the whole scheme of things, however, a change in hairstyle may simply be a playful and lighthearted way to attract some diversity in one’s lifestyle.

“I really only dyed (my hair) because I was bored and tired of looking the same all the time,” Pielago said. “So that definitely prompted me to dye it.”