The nasty bit is the blonde - I have to bleach my hair with peroxide to get it that colour. The natural bit is the vegetable dye, which washes out slowly over a period of about 10 washes, because it doesn't fully permeate the shaft of the hair. I can get approx four applications of the brighter colours on top of one session of bleach - I only rebleach to match my roots.
Personally, I think that picture was a fluke and would have looked good regardles of hair colour. I know I personally like it better than any other photo I've taken of myself in the last year - it really cheered me up when I came in and got a look at it full size. In fact if Dad didn't have a low quality printer, I'd have it on photo paper and in a frame right now
But Monster is right. I am going through a phase of wanting to show off my plumage. It does make me feel as if I am an individual who has opinions to be respected, who has a right to be noticed, who isn't some fat depressive who melts into the background in a pool of woe and is a burden on society. I'm working on the reasons for those feelings with health care professionals. I'm working on being a blot on the landscape every day, and every day I'm taking up less room.
So for now, I'll make my statement about who I want to be via my hair, at some point it might just become a badge, in which case I'll take it off and make my statement via my personality. On the other hand I've experimented with hair colours and styles since I was 11 and was allowed to use a wash-in wash-out colour during school holidays. I might stick with bold/ metallic colours for a long time. Depends where my mood takes me.
And of course i realise not everyone likes bright colours. I'm not vain enough to think that everyone is looking at my hair and wishing they could have it too. Well, excepting most 10 year old girls. If more people thought it was as great as Monster and I do, more people would have their hair that colour. And I'd probably be ice blonde as a way of standing out.
Genuine thanks for the compliments - I don't post here to get them, I post here to share, and therefore I appreciate them all the more, even if it's for something I have decided against.
And thanks for the offer Ali, but I'll pass this time.