Temporary Blonde for Interview

[Arya]

Does anyone know a way to go temporarily blonde?

I'm going into interviews to teach English in Korea...and they can be very image conscious. Blonde, blue eyed, Canadian and American young women get the best salaries. It's not very fair, but that's the way it is.


I don't want to wreck my hair colour though!! I really love it, it but I'm not above a bit of trickery to up my salary. I'd just need it blonde for the interview process. I was thinking blonde clip extensions, and some of that old hair mascara if I could find it. If I could lighten it to a strawberry blonde, that would be perfection. I thought this was up LHC's alley.

[manderly]

A wig. There is no way to temporarly blonde dark hair.

[Arya]

nawww, Korean people are really sharp at spotting wigs. Also, my hair is too long to go under one, even if I pin it tightly and use a wig cap. I end up looking ridiculous.
I'm sure there must be some sort of temporary spray or washout or something. My hair is already red, even just a little lighter would turn it strawberry blonde.

A wig. There is no way to temporarly blonde dark hair.

[manderly]

Those blonde sprays are more yellow than anything. That would look quite obvious. You could always lighten your hair - but it wouldn't be temporary. The only way to lighten hair color is to bleach the darker pigments out. That has differing levels of damage, but it's always permanent, unfortunately.

If there's been a development in making it safe and easy for brunettes to go blonde temporarily, it's news to me and it would make headlines :)

Hope you figure something out. :flower:

[Coan-Teen]

To go blonde, even a strawberry blonde you would need to use bleach or peroxide. Both of those options are permanent. Going blonde involves removing color, not adding. You could in theory try something like you are talking about with a spray on, but I doubt it would cover your color in any way and it would not coat evenly. I think if you want to make the hair color change an actual change you could do it, but I don't think there's a temporary way to do it. Sorry.

[Rocket22]

I think the only thing you can do then is try the clip ins like you were thinking.. I would not beach my hair for someone else and destroy it like that, plus it's an interview you don't even have the job (Yet, fingers will be crossed for ya) :)


eta: If you use extensions you can put them up really high on the head to give you the blonde canopy and you will need a lot of hair but it really could be done. you might have to wear it up somehow to make it all blend but it will work. check out my "fake it till you make it" album it's full of extension photos and I would use lighter hair to make it look like I had more blonde in my hair then I did.


eta again :) sorry just thinking if you had the hair put in high enough and had it also throught the hair you could have it pretty curly and have it in a low ponytail or some kind of low hairstyle because then you wouldn't have to worry about the front underside showing.

[monsterna]

Other than clip ins, I would say maybe honey lightening, but it wouldn't be anything close to blonde.

Good luck though!

[Anje]

You know, being pale and red-headed would probably also be interesting to them and more unique than blond.

[morecowbell]

One idea is t0 use a blonde fake ponytail over a bun (available at most beauty supplies), pull your hair back nice and tight, use a blond spray or mascara (it will have to be a fairly heavy coating), and wear a nice big headband to divert the eye.
Do a test run or two, though, because the spray/mascara could end up looking ridiculous! ;)
Let us know (with pics ;)) how you fare! :) (And good luck!)

[kwaniesiam]

Clip-in blonde extensions to look like highlights, there is no way to go temporarily blonde with your real hair.

[Arya]

eta again :) sorry just thinking if you had the hair put in high enough and had it also throught the hair you could have it pretty curly and have it in a low ponytail or some kind of low hairstyle because then you wouldn't have to worry about the front underside showing.
Clever clever! I shall experiment!


You know, being pale and red-headed would probably also be interesting to them and more unique than blond.

Interesting fact, red hair doesn't register in Asia. When Asian people dye their hair brown or blonde, it goes a bit orangey. They assume orange-y hair is just some shade between brown or blonde. My cousin is in Korea and has the brightest red hair you've ever seen, but he doesn't get any comments. Neither did I when I lived in Japan. It was quite a shock for me, actually!



One idea is t0 use a blonde fake ponytail over a bun (available at most beauty supplies), pull your hair back nice and tight, use a blond spray or mascara (it will have to be a fairly heavy coating), and wear a nice big headband to divert the eye.
Do a test run or two, though, because the spray/mascara could end up looking ridiculous! ;)
Let us know (with pics ;)) how you fare! :) (And good luck!)
Haha!! This is a great idea! I'll have to try and find some of that mascara stuff, haven't seen it in years.

[teela1978]

Interesting fact, red hair doesn't register in Asia. When Asian people dye their hair brown or blonde, it goes a bit orangey. They assume orange-y hair is just some shade between brown or blonde. My cousin is in Korea and has the brightest red hair you've ever seen, but he doesn't get any comments. Neither did I when I lived in Japan. It was quite a shock for me, actually!
hmmm... really? My one friend in Korea happens to be a redheaded girl from Utah... and from her stories it sounds like she stands out quite a bit :)

[lyria]

Would a cassia gloss or catnip rinse do enough? You said that you have light red hair, but it looks pretty dark red in your picture. If it is darker then I don't think you can temporarily change it without actual dye.

Edit: I personally have not had experience with coloring hair, so take this with a grain of salt!

[Arya]

hmmm... really? My one friend in Korea happens to be a redheaded girl from Utah... and from her stories it sounds like she stands out quite a bit :)

Well, I stood out because I was white, and so does my cousin, but not for our red hair. Literally no one I came across in my nine months ever commented about it. My other redheaded friend and I would laugh about it there. Cousin reports the same! He only gets comments for his height and his good looks (everyone there tells him to be a movie star XD). They were more interested in looking *really closely* at my blue eyes. I had a loooot of people right up in my face to get a good look.

[halo_tightens]

If you think about it logically, you'll understand why it can't be done.

You can add color to your hair and make it darker, which can then perhaps wash out or fade over time. If you remove color, however, it's not like it's going to somehow come back on its own. If you remove color, which it what you're doing if you lighten your hair, the color is GONE. Permanently. The only way to return your hair to its original color would be to dye it back.

You can't just layer a light color over a dark color, like with cassia or catnip. It would either not show up at all or just add a golden cast to your starting color. The light color is NOT going to cover up the dark color. It's just not possible; it's the way things work.

[misstwist]

If I wanted to do what you are proposing I would use coconut oil before lifting the color. There is a thread around here somewhere about coconut oil preventing peroxide damage.

It still wouldn't be temporary.

Henna over the top of a bleach job should get you back to red without damage.

[xoxophelia]

You could try some sun in and a blow dryer to get your hair to strawberry blonde. I have used sun in before and it personally didn't do THAT much to damage my hair. That being said, my hair isn't fine like yours. However, you can do it slowly and gradually and see how your hair is taking it.

[Lianna]

Interesting fact, red hair doesn't register in Asia. When Asian people dye their hair brown or blonde, it goes a bit orangey. They assume orange-y hair is just some shade between brown or blonde.

That's kinda how it is where I live. Light redhead = blonde dye gone wrong. Dark redhead must be dyed, "things like that don't exist". :p

Now I don't care if people think my fake red is a dye job gone wrong (anymore).

I think people think these things because natural redheads aren't common. I might have seen 5-10 my whole life.

[Eire]

I dunno. You're very fair, have light eyes and light reddish hair. I think you will look pretty darn American or Candian to a Korean interviewer. I have fair skin and green eyes and I look easily Caucasian, and my hair is a lot darker than yours.

Be confident, be yourself, and let your resume and personality speak for themselves. I don't think the mindset of trying to be or look like someone you're not is really optimal for impressing interviewers. Just my 2 cents.

Edit: I should probably add that stereotypically, brunettes are seen as intelligent and capable, redheads as confident and energetic, and blondes as fun but kind of ditzy. So it seems that if you were playing to stereotypes, I think you'd want to avoid being a blonde in an interview situation.

[utdesertrunner]

The last time I had highlights the stylist asked if I wanted to bleach it or color it with blonde. And my hair is pretty dark brown. That was the first time I had ever heard of it, but you can always call a stylist and ask.

[Arya]

Would a cassia gloss or catnip rinse do enough? You said that you have light red hair, but it looks pretty dark red in your picture. If it is darker then I don't think you can temporarily change it without actual dye.

Edit: I personally have not had experience with coloring hair, so take this with a grain of salt!


You could try some sun in and a blow dryer to get your hair to strawberry blonde. I have used sun in before and it personally didn't do THAT much to damage my hair. That being said, my hair isn't fine like yours. However, you can do it slowly and gradually and see how your hair is taking it.

I'm sure these ideas would work great, but the thing is, I don't actually want to dye my hair permanently. I really like my colour, I'd just need it blonde for the interview pictures and process. I'd go back to red (maybe with some clip in blonde extensions) afterwards. Thanks for the ideas though. ^_^



If I wanted to do what you are proposing I would use coconut oil before lifting the color. There is a thread around here somewhere about coconut oil preventing peroxide damage.

It still wouldn't be temporary.

Henna over the top of a bleach job should get you back to red without damage.
Ahh, but Henna isn't the same colour. I've never found a dye my exact colour, so I'd still have a weird line when my roots came in. I don't like the idea of actually dying my hair..I feel like it's dishonouring my ancestors or something. Nicole Kidman is such a traitor XD. On the other hand, tricking people temporarily into thinking I'm blonde doesn't rub me the wrong way. :D




You can't just layer a light color over a dark color, like with cassia or catnip. It would either not show up at all or just add a golden cast to your starting color. The light color is NOT going to cover up the dark color. It's just not possible; it's the way things work.

Sure it would be possible! I don't need the actual shaft to *be* blonde, my hair just needs to *seem* blonde. It would just need to be some sort of thicker product to cover it, like a spray or mascara or something. I'm wondering if anyone knows any,or has used some.




That's kinda how it is where I live. Light redhead = blonde dye gone wrong. Dark redhead must be dyed, "things like that don't exist". :p

Now I don't care if people think my fake red is a dye job gone wrong (anymore).

I think people think these things because natural redheads aren't common. I might have seen 5-10 my whole life.
That's so interesting!! Where do you live? In ottawa, it's like Children of the Corn, the redhead edition. There are always a few redheads in my class. XD


I dunno. You're very fair, have light eyes and light reddish hair. I think you will look pretty darn American or Candian to a Korean interviewer. I have fair skin and green eyes and I look easily Caucasian, and my hair is a lot darker than yours.

Be confident, be yourself, and let your resume and personality speak for themselves. I don't think the mindset of trying to be or look like someone you're not is really optimal for impressing interviewers. Just my 2 cents.

Edit: I should probably add that stereotypically, brunettes are seen as intelligent and capable, redheads as confident and energetic, and blondes as fun but kind of ditzy. So it seems that if you were playing to stereotypes, I think you'd want to avoid being a blonde in an interview situation.

Ya, that's the thing. I'm already qualified enough to get the job, but blondes get better salaries. Unfortunately, there's a certain element of racism. Asian parents often want their children taught by the stereotypical blonde, blue eyed american. They don't have quite the same stereotypes over there. Blonde hair is really admired there, so I actually would do better in salary negotiations with blonde hair. It's even recommended to dye your hair blonde if you don't mind it. *sigh*
I know I could get a good salary, but anything that helps, I'm willing to try.

[Druid of Alba]

Honestly, don't do it. Your hair looks beautiful in your picture. Just leave it, buy blue coloured contacts if you want, they can be fun, so you can use them after the interview if you want! And wear pale foundation as well. But honestly, you really can't go blonde without bleach. I'd highly advise you to just go with pale makeup and blue contacts. That's awful that they're racist!

[Nae]

Are we talking a serious salary difference or a small amount? I think weighing the possible amount against the possible hair damage is really important. I personally wouldn't be very apt to do it, but it is up to you.

[catiebloo]

Instead of maybe trying to pretend you hair is blonde (which i think has been established is pretty much impossible without a wig) could you possibly play down the fact you're a red head? Like pull it back & smooth any flyaways down, put it in a low, tight bun...no toys or anything to draw attention to it?

Then you could use the money you would have spent on your hair on some eyelash extensions or professionally applied temp lashes to play up your eyes and draw the attention to them? Also going with the pale complexion as someone mentioned above...?

[jesis]

I was just thinking also that you could put in enough clip ins to give yourself 'highlights'.

[Anywhere]

No suggestions here, but if you only use them for the interview and then show up for work with red hair, won't they eventually notice? :ponder:

If I agree to pay someone X amount because they had blonde hair for their interview, but then they show up to work with a different color, I'd be peeved. I guess once you're secured in your contract it won't matter. :confused:
I guess if I were you I'd go with the clip ins. I feel like spray on color would look really obvious, I'm thinking those spray ons people use for Halloween. You said Koreans are good at spotting wigs, so I don't think the curly blonde bun cover would work.

[enfys]

I've used hair mascara and coloured sprays. They are thick, blobby and make your hair crispy. Also, they only coat the outermost layer so if your hair shifts in the day or anything, it will become blatantly obvious what you have done, even if it was somehow not before that.

[jesis]

I was just thinking also that you could put in enough clip ins to give yourself 'highlights'.

[jesis]

Woops sorry for the repost.

It seems to me that you have your heart set on the spray/macara thing, so do it and see if you like it. You seem to disagree with all of our suggestions.

[HintOfMint]

Perhaps face framing highlights and then a bunch of blonde clip on ponytail things, so that when you pull your hair back, you'll see the blonde streaks going into the ponytail and then a blonde ponytail? Sorry it's not quite what you were looking for, but at least less of your hair will be damaged by bleach.

Also, I find it horrendous that these employers discriminate like this. I'd articulate further, but please excuse me, steam is coming out of my ears.

[CaliforniaAnne]

I know you've already said "no" to a wig. However, I've been doing theater "stuff" for a long time and know that despite what the classic "wig" looks like, you can actually find hair/makeup/wig artists that can make you look completely real, even with all the the hair. It's just a thought if you find yourself at a last resort. Also, don't forget the eyebrows and eyelashes.

[Toadstool]

I think people think these things because natural redheads aren't common. I might have seen 5-10 my whole life.

Really? How different! Here there are loads because Wales is a Celtic country.

[Katze]

You know, being pale and red-headed would probably also be interesting to them and more unique than blond.

This. You look anglo-saxon or celtic, to me - you do NOT look Asian, by any stretch of the imagination! I bet you look exotic enough to them as it is. And your hair is lovely, why ruin it? :D And why ' lie ' for an interview?

You don't need to be blonde to look American or European! I wish I had one cent for every dark blonde-light brown haired woman here in NORTHERN Europe who bleaches her hair blonde and looks fake. On our trips to Scandinavia, too, we meet a LOT of people who are naturally brown- or even black-haired. And I keep hearing that I look northern European (with german and norwegian ancestry, no wonder) even though I am neither blonde nor blue-eyed.

By the way I teach English to mostly native speakers of German and it is important to me that my last name is very clearly English. I have colleagues who are also married to Germans and took on their husbands' names (I didn't) and people end up explaining, 'oh, but she IS a native speaker' .

In the EFL world, I've found, being a native speaker counts for a LOT. That comes first, then your skill and experience. :D Seriously.

good luck, BE YOURSELF, be friendly and eager (THAT is something that Americans are often liked for in business in other countries), as well as reliable, and you will go far!

[amaiaisabella]

Sure it would be possible! I don't need the actual shaft to *be* blonde, my hair just needs to *seem* blonde. It would just need to be some sort of thicker product to cover it, like a spray or mascara or something. I'm wondering if anyone knows any,or has used some.


It is actually not possible, even if you wish it to be so. You can do the mascara or those spray dyes out of a can, but I couldn't tell you how realistic they would look.

Your choices are either a wig, one of those mentioned above, or actually dying. There is no way to temporarily stain your hair blonde because you can't lift dye with dye.

[littlenvy]

I tried these at halloween and if you don't put too much they don't look too fake.

http://www.costumecauldron.com/shop/halloween-costume/Hair-Spray-Gold-p-73338.html

You can spray some on the underside so the blonde peeks through and then you can clip on some blonde hair on top and around.

[Pyvsi]

Lace wigs can probably give the desired effect. You have to get really skilled at application and removal though; they can do a number on the hairline. They can also be painfully expensive. If you search lace wig bhuman hair you can see some options.
Whatever you decide, best of luck! :flowers:

[Lollipop]

I was also going to suggest a lace front wig. I know quite a lot of people that wear fake hair, and these can blend beautifully. That being said, what happens after you get the job :confused:? I think red hair is different enough that they would be intrigued. I like what one other poster said, to play up your eyes and "whiteness' and downplay your hair if you feel that it is a problem.

Addendum: Several people have gotten a bit peeved about this discrimination, but I would like to remind you that it probably exists everywhere. In the US, for non-unionized jobs (as in private firms) an employer can pay you whatever he wants. Even today women make less money doing the same jobs as men. It is wrong, but it exists here too.

[morecowbell]

(snip)
Addendum: Several people have gotten a bit peeved about this discrimination, but I would like to remind you that it probably exists everywhere. In the US, for non-unionized jobs (as in private firms) an employer can pay you whatever he wants. Even today women make less money doing the same jobs as men. It is wrong, but it exists here too.

Yep. :( Sad but true. I've witnessed this first hand, a 19 year old boy who started at the same time I did was making a full dollar an hour more than I was for less work... would that I possessed an 'instant Karma' button. :patrol:

[burns_erin]

As far as sprays go, the graftobian (http://www.graftobian.com/commerce/product.jsp?prodId=1734&catId=2134) is the only ones I have ever been able to successfully work with. I had to go grey for a play. We used the silver.

Some tips for actually working with the benighted stuff...

1. Even though the directions say spray only aftyer hair is styled DON'T do that. Spray into hair, brush out before totally dry and then style, that way is is not blobular. Your hair will still feel awful but it will look better. And THERE WILL BE SOME BREAKAGE.

2. Don't assume you can just buy blonde and have it work, try a couple of colors. We tried grey and it was awful, silver worked better. You might find that gold is the better color. You will have to try as many possible colors and coverage amounts.

3. With my method you will definitely look like you have over used the hair spray. So make sure you choose a style that will hold up to that sort of look. I used a bun, because that was what the part called for. But what also works is big hair, hair styles. You know the back combed helmet sort of thing.

4. The Big headband is probably still going to be a good idea to break it up.

5. After styling, set it with real hairspray so it does not flake off so bad.

6. Make sure your clothing is of a color where flakes of this will not show so bad. Especially don't where black.

Hopefully this will help some.

[Arya]

Perhaps face framing highlights and then a bunch of blonde clip on ponytail things, so that when you pull your hair back, you'll see the blonde streaks going into the ponytail and then a blonde ponytail? Sorry it's not quite what you were looking for, but at least less of your hair will be damaged by bleach.

Also, I find it horrendous that these employers discriminate like this. I'd articulate further, but please excuse me, steam is coming out of my ears.

Ya, the thing is..it's not exactly racism, it's more catering to parents. Parents have this stereotypical idea in tehir heads of what an English teacher should look like, and they're happier if they get it. You're 98% English teacher, 2% model. I had blonde blue eyed pretty friends in Japan who got their faces plastered on trains to advertise their english school. So it sorta makes sense if you think of it that way.

The same thing happens here, Wouldn't a hot young Japanese teacher with stereotypically long black hair attract and keep more students? At my uni, many students wanted to take the class from the Japanese professor, not the ethnically German fluent Japanese speaker. It's basically the same thing.





It seems to me that you have your heart set on the spray/macara thing, so do it and see if you like it. You seem to disagree with all of our suggestions.
? I only disagreed with permanent solutions, I don't want to ruin my hair colour, like I said in the first post.




I've used hair mascara and coloured sprays. They are thick, blobby and make your hair crispy. Also, they only coat the outermost layer so if your hair shifts in the day or anything, it will become blatantly obvious what you have done, even if it was somehow not before that.

I was thinking this because my friend used a blonde wash in, and sprayed stuff on top in high school, and it looked okay. As long as you don't leave your hair loose and do several layers it looked all right. I was thinking of putting it in a tight bun, because tight buns often look a little crispy! XD



Honestly, don't do it. Your hair looks beautiful in your picture. Just leave it, buy blue coloured contacts if you want, they can be fun, so you can use them after the interview if you want! And wear pale foundation as well. But honestly, you really can't go blonde without bleach. I'd highly advise you to just go with pale makeup and blue contacts. That's awful that they're racist!
Haha, well, I'm already pale and have blue eyes (and eyebrows), so it was just the blonde I was working on! Don't worry, I won't do anything that would ruin my hair. I just thought people might have some temporary suggestions that might work. Doesn't hurt to ask, right?


Are we talking a serious salary difference or a small amount? I think weighing the possible amount against the possible hair damage is really important. I personally wouldn't be very apt to do it, but it is up to you.

Not planning on damaging my hair! And yeah, it can be a difference of $400 a month, from what I've heard. Enough to make me curious about trying it myself. It's a fun project anyway, don't you think?


Instead of maybe trying to pretend you hair is blonde (which i think has been established is pretty much impossible without a wig) could you possibly play down the fact you're a red head? Like pull it back & smooth any flyaways down, put it in a low, tight bun...no toys or anything to draw attention to it?

Then you could use the money you would have spent on your hair on some eyelash extensions or professionally applied temp lashes to play up your eyes and draw the attention to them? Also going with the pale complexion as someone mentioned above...?

That's a good idea too! My friend is a MAC makeup artist, I'll definitely enlist him for help come the day. Thanks!




I was just thinking also that you could put in enough clip ins to give yourself 'highlights'.

Thanks, I think I'll go with that if the blonde stuff looks icky. ^_^


I know you've already said "no" to a wig. However, I've been doing theater "stuff" for a long time and know that despite what the classic "wig" looks like, you can actually find hair/makeup/wig artists that can make you look completely real, even with all the the hair. It's just a thought if you find yourself at a last resort. Also, don't forget the eyebrows and eyelashes.

Hm. Well, I've worn a bunch of high quality wigs, but I can never get them to sit close to my head, even with help from theatre people! I did the tight bobbypinned coils + wig cap, and I still looked like I was on Star Trek. Do you have any suggestions that work better than that method?

[Arya]

Part 2! I was offline today, but I wanted to answer everyone's post! I know it's long, but I really appreciate all your input and don't want to ignore anyone's comments ^__^.


This. You look anglo-saxon or celtic, to me - you do NOT look Asian, by any stretch of the imagination! I bet you look exotic enough to them as it is. And your hair is lovely, why ruin it? :D And why ' lie ' for an interview?

You don't need to be blonde to look American or European! I wish I had one cent for every dark blonde-light brown haired woman here in NORTHERN Europe who bleaches her hair blonde and looks fake. On our trips to Scandinavia, too, we meet a LOT of people who are naturally brown- or even black-haired. And I keep hearing that I look northern European (with german and norwegian ancestry, no wonder) even though I am neither blonde nor blue-eyed.

By the way I teach English to mostly native speakers of German and it is important to me that my last name is very clearly English. I have colleagues who are also married to Germans and took on their husbands' names (I didn't) and people end up explaining, 'oh, but she IS a native speaker' .

In the EFL world, I've found, being a native speaker counts for a LOT. That comes first, then your skill and experience. :D Seriously.

good luck, BE YOURSELF, be friendly and eager (THAT is something that Americans are often liked for in business in other countries), as well as reliable, and you will go far!
Haha, thank you for all the advice!! I taught some english on my exchange in Japan, and I've taught english here as well. I think I'm a pretty good candidate, and that lots of Scandinavians aren't blonde, but from several reports, I hear it really helps with salary. It's not a major concern of mine, just something I was considering doing, and I thought the LHCers would be entertained/intrigued by my little project. (Oh, and I'm not actually American, I'm Canadian. Does the stereotype change much? I find that people overseas don't know much about Canada. Funny story, I got told several times in Australia about so-and-so's daughter who lived in 'Canadia", teehee)



It is actually not possible, even if you wish it to be so. You can do the mascara or those spray dyes out of a can, but I couldn't tell you how realistic they would look.

Your choices are either a wig, one of those mentioned above, or actually dying. There is no way to temporarily stain your hair blonde because you can't lift dye with dye.
Well, I'm not really interested in dying my hair in the traditional sense of the word. Anything that deposits colour should be good. I thought I'd ask LHCers if they knew of any products. I mean, it's 2011, we SHOULD have something that does it by now! XD



I tried these at halloween and if you don't put too much they don't look too fake.

http://www.costumecauldron.com/shop/halloween-costume/Hair-Spray-Gold-p-73338.html

You can spray some on the underside so the blonde peeks through and then you can clip on some blonde hair on top and around.

Oh, great advice!! "Peeking through" is a great idea, and thank you very much for the link!


Lace wigs can probably give the desired effect. You have to get really skilled at application and removal though; they can do a number on the hairline. They can also be painfully expensive. If you search lace wig bhuman hair you can see some options.
Whatever you decide, best of luck! :flowers:
Oh right, like legolas! Didn't he have to shave a mohawk for it though?



I was also going to suggest a lace front wig. I know quite a lot of people that wear fake hair, and these can blend beautifully. That being said, what happens after you get the job :confused:? I think red hair is different enough that they would be intrigued. I like what one other poster said, to play up your eyes and "whiteness' and downplay your hair if you feel that it is a problem.

Addendum: Several people have gotten a bit peeved about this discrimination, but I would like to remind you that it probably exists everywhere. In the US, for non-unionized jobs (as in private firms) an employer can pay you whatever he wants. Even today women make less money doing the same jobs as men. It is wrong, but it exists here too.
Yup, I agree with you on the discrimination front. I'm in no way trying to say that Korean people are being racist. Having a certain image can open more doors in any sort of job where you're trying to attract customers/clients.




As far as sprays go, the graftobian (http://www.graftobian.com/commerce/product.jsp?prodId=1734&catId=2134) is the only ones I have ever been able to successfully work with. I had to go grey for a play. We used the silver.

Some tips for actually working with the benighted stuff...

1. Even though the directions say spray only aftyer hair is styled DON'T do that. Spray into hair, brush out before totally dry and then style, that way is is not blobular. Your hair will still feel awful but it will look better. And THERE WILL BE SOME BREAKAGE.

2. Don't assume you can just buy blonde and have it work, try a couple of colors. We tried grey and it was awful, silver worked better. You might find that gold is the better color. You will have to try as many possible colors and coverage amounts.

3. With my method you will definitely look like you have over used the hair spray. So make sure you choose a style that will hold up to that sort of look. I used a bun, because that was what the part called for. But what also works is big hair, hair styles. You know the back combed helmet sort of thing.

4. The Big headband is probably still going to be a good idea to break it up.

5. After styling, set it with real hairspray so it does not flake off so bad.

6. Make sure your clothing is of a color where flakes of this will not show so bad. Especially don't where black.

Hopefully this will help some.
Hey, this is wonderful advice! I've done some of this stuff for plays too, which is why I have some confidence in the sprays. I know it doesn't make you look like Gweneth Paltrow or anything, but I'm thinking it might be workable. If I wear white it shouldn't look so bad, I should think. A headband would also probably hold it in place a little better. Oh well, it will be an entertaining experiment, anyway!

[burns_erin]

Hey, this is wonderful advice! I've done some of this stuff for plays too, which is why I have some confidence in the sprays. I know it doesn't make you look like Gweneth Paltrow or anything, but I'm thinking it might be workable. If I wear white it shouldn't look so bad, I should think. A headband would also probably hold it in place a little better. Oh well, it will be an entertaining experiment, anyway!


No, Not white, not white at all, but beige or cream I would think would work. The golds and yellow are BRIGHT on white. So was silver and grey for that matter.

[Arya]

No, Not white, not white at all, but beige or cream I would think would work. The golds and yellow are BRIGHT on white. So was silver and grey for that matter.

I don't own any beige or cream (makes me look ill) but I do have lots of silver and grey!

[burns_erin]

I don't own any beige or cream (makes me look ill) but I do have lots of silver and grey!

Then I would really suggest you try flaking some out on some different clothes to see what works, besides colors, some fabrics seemed to hold and collect it worse as well. When I was grey, we actually found a red cotton top that worked wonderfully, it did not hold the flakes, and they did not really stand out either, but other red tops did not work so well.

[littlenvy]

After all this you have to take pics :)

And I wish you best of luck on your interview.

[Nae]

$400 difference a month?!?! :thud: Holy Cow, I hope you can manage it somehow, that is just ridiculous. I would be trying to figure out how to go blonde too! Best of luck and knock em dead during that interview!!!!!

[Demetrue]

Get the Jessica Simpson long blonde fall with headband - wear head band low enough to cover the front of you hair line. You can try them out at Ulta stores. Ulta.com

[HintOfMint]

Ya, the thing is..it's not exactly racism, it's more catering to parents. Parents have this stereotypical idea in tehir heads of what an English teacher should look like, and they're happier if they get it. You're 98% English teacher, 2% model. I had blonde blue eyed pretty friends in Japan who got their faces plastered on trains to advertise their english school. So it sorta makes sense if you think of it that way.


Forgive me, but you are only kidding yourself if you think it is not racism. Catering to racist attitudes is still racist. I would also ask you to check your privilege. I am the daughter of Indian immigrants, and an American citizen. I don't "look" American or Western even though Western culture is my culture and the only culture I really claim as my own. Yet, you are applying for a job for which someone who looks like me would NEVER be hired. Your future employers may have a problem with your hair, but they won't consider me because of my SKIN and the way my eyes and lips are shaped. I've been told that I am exceedingly well spoken, but every once in a while a person expresses surprise because "I speak English so well." As in, I speak well for an Indian person and completely lack an accent.

I hope you know how lucky you are that the only thing standing in your way is a box of peroxide or this hair mascara nonsense. I do not think you are racist. But you really need to count your blessings and really think about what it means to have a good part of your global social currency based on your skin color and maybe try not to be so blase about your privilege. Frankly, the rationalization is deeply insulting.

[stinamoo]

Perhaps a lace wig? I have photos in my album of mine, and you could pick up a blonde one on ebay for under 100USD for a synthetic, real looking one. I know you said your hair is long but I know people with very long, very thick hair who can squish it down to their scalp so they don't have a deformed head shape.

[Arya]

I made that post so it would be clear that I do not feel Koreans are any more or less racist than anyone else, and that the same problems occur here (with the Japanese teacher example). The schools I'm applying for often pay teachers higher wages who can be used as models as well. I never said anything about them *not* hiring anyone else. I actually know about 8-10 Black and Asian English teachers in Asia with the JET, EPIK, and NET.

Actually my future employers don't have a problem with my hair, I would get the job regardless due to my experience and qualifications. However, one aspect of the job is modelling, and the models they seek are, sadly, blonde and blue eyed, which is unfortunately the Western beauty standard that suppresses all sorts of other types of beauty. If you would like to rage against the colonialist beauty industry feel free to do so. On another thread.

But telling me to 'check my privilege' is uncalled for. If you would like to discuss race theory, I'm quite versed on it, and I would love to engage in a healthy debate on it. However this is not the thread for it. Please start a new one if you would like to discuss it. How about you PM me with your concerns instead of insulting me?

I have quite a few other things to say to you, but as I respect the rules of this forum, I shall abstain. PM me if you'd like to continue this talk, I'm sure you'll find I'm not the uninformed airhead you seem to think I am.

[/COLOR]



Forgive me, but you are only kidding yourself if you think it is not racism. Catering to racist attitudes is still racist. I would also ask you to check your privilege. I am the daughter of Indian immigrants, and an American citizen. I don't "look" American or Western even though Western culture is my culture and the only culture I really claim as my own. Yet, you are applying for a job for which someone who looks like me would NEVER be hired. Your future employers may have a problem with your hair, but they won't consider me because of my SKIN and the way my eyes and lips are shaped. I've been told that I am exceedingly well spoken, but every once in a while a person expresses surprise because "I speak English so well." As in, I speak well for an Indian person and completely lack an accent.

I hope you know how lucky you are that the only thing standing in your way is a box of peroxide or this hair mascara nonsense. I do not think you are racist. But you really need to count your blessings and really think about what it means to have a good part of your global social currency based on your skin color and maybe try not to be so blase about your privilege. Frankly, the rationalization is deeply insulting.