The Extraordinary History of Hair Color

Aging is a natural, beautiful privilege. And we'll be the first to tell you that there is nothing more admirable than accepting yourself for who you are, both inside and out. But sometimes, we're just not quite ready to let Mother Nature take over with fine lines and gray hairs, and that's why hair dye was invented. For those of us who have been dyeing, highlighting, balayaging, glossing, and toning our hair for years, it's more than the cosmetic aspect of trying a new color. It's a part of history that is deeply rooted in preserving a certain beauty era in our lives.

"Many women associate gray hair with aging. This prompted them to cover their gray to maintain a more youthful look," says hair colorist and founder of LRN Beauty Lauren Paglionico.

We asked Paglionico and hair artist and salon founder Gina Rivera, so share just how far the hair industry has come when it comes to dying your hair.

Keep reading to learn more about the fascinating history of hair color, and how it has changed today.

1500 BC

Given how accomplished the Egyptians were as a civilization, it shouldn’t really surprise us that they, too, dabbled in hair dye, which is where the color process originated from. They would use henna to camouflage gray hair (yes, the preoccupation with grays dates way back). "Plants like indigo and turmeric were also the main ingredients in dyes," says hair artist Gina Rivera.

Years later, the Greeks and Romans used plant extracts to color their strands. They also created a permanent black hair dye. However, when they discovered it was too toxic to use, they switched to a formula made with leeches that had been fermented in a lead vessel for two months. It took a few hundred years to expand the color choices beyond black.

300 BC

During the Roman Empire, prostitutes were required to have yellow hair to indicate their profession. Most wore wigs, but some used a mixture made from the ashes of burned plants or nuts to achieve the hue. Meanwhile, other ancient civilizations like the Gaul and the Saxons were dyeing their hair a variety of vibrant colors to show their rank and as a means of intimidating opponents on the battlefield.

500–1500s AD

Red hair first appeared as the result of a genetic mutation in the Dark Ages, with the first documented case of a natural-born redhead occurring in Scotland. For many years, people with natural red hair were subjected to suspicions of witchcraft. It wasn’t until Queen Elizabeth I took her reign in 1558 that red hair become more acceptable.

1800s

Not much changed until the 1800s, when English chemist William Henry Perkin made an accidental discovery that changed hair dye forever. In an attempt to generate a cure for malaria, Perkins created the first synthesized dye in 1863. The color was mauve and appropriately named Mauveine. Soon after, his chemistry professor August Hoffman derived a color-changing molecule from Mauveine (called para-phenylenediamine, or PPD), which remains the foundation for most permanent hair dyes today.

1907

It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century when modern day hair coloring originated. In 1907, Eugène Schueller created the first synthetic dye for commercial purposes. He called it Aureole. It would later be called L’Oréal, as would the company he founded.

During this time, hair coloring tools also began to appear, such as highlighter caps, which were used to highlight hair. "Highlighting the hair [was done] by pulling little strands through a rubber cap with a metal hook and applying bleach to the strands," says Rivera of the technique known as frosting.

1931

Ever wonder where the term platinum blonde comes from? You can thank Howard Hughes (and Jean Harlow) for that. In 1931, in what might just be the most successful public relations strategy ever, Hughes released a film called Platinum Blonde, titled to promote and capitalize on the hair color of the young star, Jean Harlow. Many fans quickly followed suit, dyeing their hair to match Harlow’s. Hughes’s team even organized a chain of Platinum Blonde clubs across the country, with a $10,000 prize that would go to any hairdresser who could copy Harlow’s shade. Ironically, Harlow never admitted to dyeing her hair.

1950

Prior to 1950, going blonde involved bleach and a lot of damage. Lawrence Gelb advanced formulas in the 1930s, but the truly revolutionary discovery of single-process hair color came in 1950. That year, Clairol, the company Gelb founded with wife Jane Clair, introduced the first one-step hair dye product that actually lightened hair without bleaching it. Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath, which allowed women to color their hair at home, discreetly (this was important, as women preferred not to publicize the fact that they colored their hair at this time) became a huge hit with the masses.

1960s–1970s

By the late 1960s, coloring your hair was commonplace, and 1968 was the last year Americans were asked to state their hair color on passports—the prevalence of hair dye made this information pointless. And by the 1970s, public sentiments toward dyeing your hair began to change. Slogans like L’Oréal’s “Because you’re worth it” encouraged acceptance of openly using hair color products. Clearly, the shift in viewpoint was a lasting one.

The 1970s also gave us another new technique: balayage. "Balayage was created in the '70s and became popular for its natural sun kissed effect. The color was more lived in and low-maintenance," says Paglionico.

1980s

Today, you can’t turn on the television without seeing Eva Longoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, or some gorgeous celeb trying to sell you hair color. Well, all that began in the ’80s, the decade of celebrity endorsements. Brands started securing the biggest names in Hollywood (think Cybill Shepherd and Heather Locklear) to endorse their products—a natural progression, given Hollywood starlets had been serving as hair color inspiration since the ’30s.

2014

In May of 2014, while most of the population was embracing sombré and other, more natural-looking hair color techniques, Kylie Jenner took the opposite approach and made her first major hair color transformation. The youngest Jenner sister set herself apart with the now-iconic teal blue tips. Little did we know this would be the first of many vibrant hair colors for Jenner.

2016-2018

"Hair color is part of our identity, and trends change faster than ever before due to social media," says Paglionico. These days, hair colors run the gamut. The end of the 2010s saw believable looks like lived-in color and depth and dimension to buzzy techniques like rose gold and tortoiseshell hair to pastel creations like opal hair.

2020

The years of the COVID pandemic saw a huge shift in beauty services, as many salons were closed to in-person appointments. Left to our own devices (or boredom and creativity), we did a lot of experimenting at home. Thus, saw a was a surge in semi-permanent hair dyes and bold colors.

Present

According to Paglionico, recent years have brought a shift in hair coloring trends and ingredients.
"Formulas are more gentle on our hair and scalp and put hair health first. From natural tones, to balayage and ombré, people color their hair for many reasons and it always comes down to wanting to look and feel good," she says.

Rivera notes that we are also seeing a return in colors and of years past, but with a more refreshed look. "Butterscotch hair was big back in the day it was used to subtly lighten the hair by giving it some warmth," she says of the color, which is quite popular today. "Actual color has come extremely far as well over the years ingredients that derive from plants and small amounts of ammonias are now used to help with vibrancy and longevity."