In college, we as students go through lots of changes. Some people get tattoos, others get extra piercings. People join clubs and learn new languages. It’s the perfect time to experiment with your identity.

So maybe you’re thinking about doing something new. Maybe you’re looking for a change. You want to find something fun and different to do. You want to dye your hair.

You’ve seen people with bright, bold colors, or those beautiful pastels, and you want to make the leap. But you’re not quite confident enough to get it done.

Well here’s some reasons why you should go ahead and do it, and some tips on how to manage your new hair.

1. Bleaching your hair sounds scarier than it is.

Most everyone and their mother will tell you that bleach kills your hair. And if you want a bright pink or those gorgeous pastels, you’re going to have to bleach your hair first. Maybe even a couple of times, depending on how dark your natural hair color is. But when people say bleach ruins your hair, they’re only half right.

While bleach is a toxic chemical that you are putting in your hair, it can be relatively harmless if you're careful. There are certain risks, such as losing curls or the hold of your natural hair if you bleach it too much, and the more worrisome risk of harming your hair, leaving your with “dead hairs.”

However, watching how often you get your hair bleached, and taking care of your hair can eliminate these problems altogether. To be careful, get your hair bleached somewhere professionally (skip over those box bleach kits) and moisturize and condition it regularly. It’ll be just as healthy as normal.

2. You’ll be easy to find

Ever get lost in a crowd? Ever have trouble getting a friend to find you? Ever get ignored? Well not anymore. When you have bright hair, people notice you. You stand out compared to everyone else on the street, or in your classrooms. It’s impossible to miss someone who has bright hair.

People will remember who you are better, your professors will pay more attention to what you’re contributing in class (which can be a blessing and a curse) and you can find yourself in photos. Trust me, people will remember you.

3. People will compliment you on the street

This is a common situation that is weird to get used to but is pretty flattering. People will come up to you on the street to say they love your hair. Sometimes strangers will ask where you get it done, what it was like, and sometimes they’ll want to talk to you about their plans to dye their hair. It’s a cute situation, and you get to meet a lot of new people. You come across as more fun and approachable. People want to talk to you and ask you questions. Sometimes you get nods from other people with dyed hair like you know something that everybody else doesn’t.

4. Switching colors is easy

If you’re worried about what happens if you get tired of your color, it’s easy to change it! The dyes fade naturally over time and with washing your hair, so in place of touching up your current color, you can always make a switch. Pastels fade pretty quickly so switching from say, a pastel pink to a pastel purple would be no problem.

However, dark colors don’t fade out all the way, so switching from say, a dark green to a light blue would be harder to do. But, if a color doesn’t fade out all the way, you can always bleach it and start over, as long as you use caution with the bleach.

5. You’ll make a hairdresser’s day

Most hairdressers don’t get a lot of bright colors in a day. They typically get a lot of haircuts, or bleach treatments, or highlights, but when you go in asking for your hair dyed green, it becomes a lot more fun. Hairdressers and the other people in the salon love seeing bright colors. They get excited for you and with you and work with you to get the perfect shade and color you want. It’s a lot of fun energy, and you end up with a really cute and rocking shade of hair.

6. You’ll never have another bad hair day

When you have colorful hair, you will never have another bad hair day. Your hair could be a mess, all over the place, with the worst bedhead you’ve ever seen, but everyone else will just see that you have killer dyed hair. The color distracts from any other funkiness that might be going on in your hairdo, which means you can get away with so much more if your hair is typically not cooperative.

7. You can coordinate your outfit with your hair

If you’re someone who has a lot of bright colors in their closet or wants to brighten up their grey wardrobe, colorful hair is a great choice. If you have colorful clothes, you can match outfits to your hair, or pick and choose what would blend with your hair or something that will make your hair stand out. If you have a lot of blacks and grey in your wardrobe, dyed hair is an easy way to look more colorful, while not having to buy any new clothes that just aren’t you. All around, it’ll make any outfit look better.

8. You’ll look amazing

Lastly, and most importantly, you’ll look amazing. Any color looks great on anyone and is a great addition to get. It’ll make you look fun, fashion-forward, or just like someone who wants to stand out. In these cold winter months, it's always good to have a little bit of color to make you feel a little brighter. And the people around you will appreciate it too.

So go out, and get that hair color you want. You won’t regret it!