By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano
Access to personal care services has been limited because of the pandemic, making people turn to do-it-yourself treatments such as hair coloring.
Facebook group Colored Hair Community Philippines (CHCPH), started in 2019, is a community that educates and guides those who want to safely color their hair.
“I searched for a hair coloring group in the PH but I found none. My colored hair friends joked about making one, and the rest is history,” relates Lenian Gaspar, CHCPH founder.
The pandemic has driven the growth of its members from 3,000 in June 2020 to close to 25,000 today.
The group’s welcome note reads, “The goal is to have a place for all tips, tricks, discussions, and product reviews especially for stuff available in the PH market.”
While hair disasters are inevitable considering that bleach is a chemical, Gaspar reassures that “it will grow back.”
“[T]ake it easy. Billie Eilish didn’t go platinum in her bathroom sink in two hours, it literally took days and a professional colorist,” reminds group admin Imee Malabonga.
“Research first before doing anything! Remember, bleaching is a chemical process so you have to be very careful,” adds Xio Quiñones, another admin at CHCPH.
Gaspar shares, “We’re tired of seeing people get botched bleach and coloring jobs because they were misinformed,” which is why the group also prepared 11 learning guidelines in order to further educate its members.
Sisiws, as the members are called, also raise concerns about how the society misunderstands people with colored hair.
“We can still be professional with colored hair, we can still do great things even if our hair is not kept naturally black,” Gaspar points out. “Times are changing and the world is not the same as it was 70 years ago. Acceptance for individuality is already happening, we just need a little more push. Everyone should get along and look the way they want to.”
Malabonga adds, “There will always be naysayers, traditionalists, and people who just say stuff because they think they’re funny and/or have nothing better to say, but you go home to yourself. What’s important is how you feel, how these wild/different looks make you feel.”
Hair coloring is also seen as a low-commitment form of expression, as admin Jem Gallardo shares, “For me, it’s temporary and reversible, unlike tattoos and piercings. You can quit it anytime you want.”