Changing for Change
Graphic by Agnes Lee
I remember pressing play on the last episode of Squid Game, waiting eagerly to see how the popular series would bring its disturbing and tempestuous events to a close. Then, nearing the end of the episode, after a shocking revelation and some falling action, I was utterly confused as to why the writers decided to end the show with the main character going into a salon and dyeing his hair a strikingly bright shade of red. It looks unnatural, like he’s shaved the Little Mermaid’s head and made a wig. But maybe Seong Gi-hun’s choice to go to the salon after all the disaster that has befallen him is a more natural response than it may seem. It isn’t uncommon for people to change their appearances after stressful events. All the horror and death Gi-hun faces certainly qualifies for something that could inspire a reshaping of appearance, a change in hair color at the very least.
Maybe, you’ve modified your look after a breakup or know someone who’s gotten a tattoo after a life-changing event. Changes in our lives can provoke changes in our sense of self, and this can result in us altering our appearance. In a 2009 survey with men and women aged 18-68, researchers observed that stressful life events strongly correlated with intentional changes in appearance like haircuts, tattoos, piercings, and plastic surgery. Younger people were more likely to report changing their appearance in response to life-changing events
Perhaps one of the reasons that changing our appearance is a response to life-altering events is because physical changes are more concrete than changes in personality and mentality. They can thus act as clear proof of change and serve as a symbol for larger transformations. Sociologist Helen Ebaugh wrote in her books Out of the Cloister and Becoming an Ex about leaving her life as a nun behind. She noted that taking off religious habits and wearing secular garb, rather than just the act of leaving a convent, was what really symbolized becoming an ex-nun and stepping into a new identity.
Changes in appearance aren’t solely symbolic, however, and they have effects that reach more than skin deep. How we look is part of how we define ourselves, alongside our beliefs, attitudes, belongings, and the various roles we play in relationships and work. There exists a trope differentiating between the mind and the body or the mental and the physical, but still, the two are tightly linked and arguably indivisible. Identity then, is a mix of both the body and the mind. As television, magazines and health fads have become widely popular, our bodies have been put front and center and many people are highly conscious and intentional about their physical appearance. Additionally, studies involving patients living with dementia have demonstrated how integral appearance is to our minds and our sense of self. Looking at clothing and talking about appearance have helped patients with dementia recall multi-sensory memories and define and discuss their identities.
It makes sense then, that changes in how we perceive ourselves might manifest in how we display our bodies. Research exploring the relationship between relationships and identity has found changes in self-concept in the face of breakups. This can explain the phenomena of dyeing or cutting one’s hair after the end of a relationship. Relationships can also directly affect people’s body image and insecurities relating to how they look. And body image is not solely shaped by explicit comments about the body or relationships. In general, stressful life events have been found to correlate with damage to mental health and specifically, body image.
Dissatisfaction with our identity and body can be something transitory, egged on by trauma or stress. It could also just be a sign of a changing sense of self. Altering our appearance can be an effective way to go through change. Maybe dyeing your hair bright red is what you need right now. Maybe not. That’s up to you.