The Brunette Effect: The Personal Experience of a Blond Turned Brunette

A few years ago I was forced to decide what to do with my life after I graduated high school. Looking for an easy answer I thought I had the perfect solution: I would go to beauty school.

I bought my books and kit and was ready to go. It was pretty easy in the beginning. However when physical appearance is the topic of discussion from 8am-5pm, you start to wonder about your own looks. After wondering about your looks you can't help but utilize the products around you and start making some changes. I mean, you could take someone like Nick Nolte, stick him in a room full of hair color, hair products, a blow dryer, and eventually he's going to come out looking like Fabio.

I started beauty school as a blonde with long flowing hair. When I was done with my transformation I was a brunette with a pixie cut. I was pretty satisfied with it. No more of those "dumb blonde" perceptions. I didn't realize at the time how I would be treated differently by the general public. I then started to notice a pattern. Females were suddenly a lot nicer to me now that I was a brunette. At the checkout stands the cashiers who were women had a lot more small talk with me. The response from men, however, was totally different.

When I was blonde, I always had doors held open for me by complete strangers. And, as shallow as it might sound, I never had to carry my own groceries out to my car. There was always a man who was ready to help a blonde in need. But the gestures totally ceased when I became a brunette. It was like I was suddenly invisible. I really didn't need another man's attention since I was engaged at the time but it was surely a noticeable change. That's when it hit me. This is the brunette effect. Women were embracing me and men didn't even know that I existed.

Since then I have gone back blonde. Not because I missed the attention, but because it really is my natural color. However I still cant help but wonder, why did everything change so much? Why do people treat others so differently just because of hair color? Even though I lived it, I still don't have the answers. But I will always hold the memories of "The Brunette Effect"!