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I Was Fired For Dying My Hair

How times have changed

Susie Kearley šŸ¹ Guinea pig slave
Never Stop Writing
3 min readNov 19, 2024

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Me with highlights vs black ā€” authorā€™s own photos

I was watching a television interview with a UK government minister recently. She had red hair, dyed scarlet. And she was in a top job in government.

It made me reflect on how times have changed since 1991, when at the age of 17, I had a job in a shop. I got a load of shit from my boss because Iā€™d dyed my hair. It never occurred to me that I needed permission to dye my hair, nor that the colour of my hair was their decision, not mine.

I hadnā€™t worked there for long, but I celebrated my new job by enjoying some things that I couldnā€™t previously afford. One of those things was to buy some hair dye. Iā€™d had highlights when they gave me the job, so it wasnā€™t my natural colour then either. I liked to experiment, and changed colour regularly. I was 17. Thatā€™s what 17 year olds do!

I dyed my hair black, as Iā€™d done many times before, and used a little more eyeliner, so I didnā€™t look too pale, and to complement the dark colour. Apart from that, I was in the staff uniform. I looked smart and presentable. I was told off by my boss, who obviously didnā€™t like my black hair.

I knew the colour would fade, because it always did. I have fine hair and colours never lasted long. Colours seem to be more permanent on people with thick hair.

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Never Stop Writing
Never Stop Writing

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Susie Kearley šŸ¹ Guinea pig slave
Susie Kearley šŸ¹ Guinea pig slave

Written by Susie Kearley šŸ¹ Guinea pig slave

Freelance journalist UK. Published in BBC Countryfile, The Mirror, Britain mag etc. Covers writing, health, psychology, memoir, current affairs, & environment.

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