Is dying your hair a sin

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Answer

Ancient Egyptians were some of the first people known to have dyed their hair. They made hair dye from henna and various other plant extracts. In 1907, L'Oreal introduced the first hair dye for commercial use, and the rest is history. People began to use hair dye primarily to cover the gray as they aged, but dyeing hair has become as commonplace as cutting it. Some see changing one’s hair color as an act of vanity. Some may even see it as a sinful rejection of the natural color God gave.

In everything we do, including dyeing our hair, God checks our motives. He is far less concerned with how things appear than He is about why they appeared in the first place (1 Samuel 16:7). Those who are totally devoted to Christ have much liberty because their choices will be those that please Him (1 Corinthians 10:31). Christians are judged by “the law of liberty” (James 2:12). This law of liberty says that all things not directly addressed in Scripture are “lawful for me, but not all things are profitable” (1 Corinthians 10:23). Those declared “not guilty” through faith in the resurrected Christ need not fear the judgment of God. That judgment has already been poured out on God’s own Son (2 Corinthians 5:21). Although we are not under condemnation, we want our free choices to honor Christ’s sacrifice. Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

When we come to the choice of whether or not to dye our hair, we ask ourselves, “What will honor the Lord?” One motive for dyeing hair may be to further a ministry. For example, a missionary moving to an Arab country may consider his fiery red hair a distraction from his mission and choose to dye it black in order to better blend in with the people to whom he ministers. A woman working with teenage girls may believe her prematurely gray hair gives her less credibility with that age group, and she may dye her hair to match her natural, non-gray color.

As far as we know, Paul never dyed his hair; however, he was not adverse to making changes to reach different people groups: “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19–23).

Another motive for dyeing one’s hair is simply preference. Someone may believe a different hair color better showcases his or her features. Rather than desiring unnecessary attention, people with dyed hair usually want to look more natural, the way correctly applied makeup can enhance a woman’s natural beauty. As long as the hair color does not diminish a Christian’s testimony or reflection of Jesus, there is nothing in Scripture to imply we should not dye it.

Of course, dyeing one’s hair can also be done with improper motives. When dyed hair is used as a symbol of rebellion or defiance of social mores, it is communicating an ungodly message. Christians are to be known for their meekness, holiness, and love for each other, not their defiance. We are to do all things in a way that honors the Lord. First Peter 1:17 calls on us to “live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” That which is non-conformist in us should originate in the heart of God; we should not identify as rebels for rebellion’s sake.

If hair dye helps a woman enhance her beauty in a way that draws attention to her life message, there is nothing wrong with it. For men, if dyeing hair (while they still have it) helps them feel younger and more productive, then nothing in Scripture prevents them from doing that, either. However, if dyeing hair is used as a way to hide one’s true self, or if it detracts from the image of holiness that all Christians should pursue, then it is wrong (1 Peter 1:15).

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What does the Bible say about dyeing your hair? You'll be surprised to know (or perhaps not so surprised to know) that many Christians differ on whether someone commits a sin if they touch up their gray roots or decide to go for a different color altogether. Full disclosure, I dyed my hair from brown to an auburn this past November. My author picture, being an older picture, doesn't contain the changes within.

It makes sense why a lot of Christians would feel the same way about dyeing hair as they do about tattoos or piercings. Many can point to Bible verses, particularly in Levitical law, that talk against such practices for cultural reasons (tattoos and piercings meant something way different than they do as fashion statements today). So we'll dive into a brief history of dyeing hair, what the Bible has to say about the subject, and whether we've committed a sin by dyeing our hair. What does the Bible say about dyeing your hair? Let's find out.

Did People in the Bible Dye Their Hair?

If they lived in Egypt, there's a possibility they did, according to GotQuestions. "Ancient Egyptians were some of the first people known to have dyed their hair. They made hair dye from henna and various other plant extracts." Granted, those in Egypt often shaved all the hair off their body—due to widespread lice issues—and often wore wigs. But perhaps many of the wigs were dyed using henna.

Those in Israel probably didn't practice this as readily, either due to cultural reasons or simply because commercial dye really didn't become much of a thing until the twentieth century. Much like topics of dating and what television shows we can watch, we don't always have clear answers from Scripture, since such commodities didn't exist during the times of the Old and New Testaments.

With that said, let's explore what the Bible has to say about hair, in general, to see if we can get a general consensus on whether God approves or disapproves of us touching up our roots.

What Does the Bible Say about Dyeing Your Hair?

What does the Bible say about dyeing your hair? Nothing in particular. Since it wasn't a practice done in Ancient Israel. But it does have a few verses on hair. So let's dissect those. 

Acts 18:18: "Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken."

Perhaps you have heard the story of Samson. Certain groups of people, such as Nazarites, took a vow not to cut their hair or touch anything dead or unclean. Paul here appears to be cutting off his hair because of a vow. So hair could be linked to vows back in the Old and New Testaments. Granted, those practices certainly haven't translated the same throughout church history. Monks were known to cut off their hair, as were nuns. Often they do and did this as an act of humility, often as a renunciation of fashion and other things of this world.

Leviticus 21:5: "Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies."

This passage may seem odd to us until we look at the general context. Canaanite priests often shaved/cut themselves in grieving practices. We'll notice how many of the things God bans in the Old Testament: tattoos, piercings, cutting of hair of priests, directly go against cultural practices of the enemies of God. God wanted his people to be set apart.

1 Peter 3:3-4: "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

This is often the most used verse Christians use to argue against why other believers shouldn't dye their hair. But again, we need to look at the context. Not only does the passage warn against vanity, but we need to understand that hair had different connotations in different cultures. In Greek culture, women had varying hairstyles depending if they were married, unmarried, or prostitutes. Peter, like God in the Old Testament, is trying to have the women of God be set apart from other nations.

Another issue is the braiding of hair and ornamentation of hair—a common practice in Greek cutlure—often had sensual connotations. "The outward adorning of the body is very often sensual and excessive; for instance, when it is immoderate, and above your degree and station in the world, when you are proud of it and puffed up with it, when you dress with design to allure and tempt others, when your apparel is too rich, curious, or superfluous, when your fashions are fantastical, imitating the levity and vanity of the worst people, and when they are immodest and wanton. The attire of a harlot can never become a chaste Christian matron."

Paul is admonishing the women to adorn themselves in modesty to prevent men from getting the wrong idea.

Is it a Sin to Dye Your Hair?

In short, probably not. 

What does the Bible say about dyeing your hair? Really, not much. Our culture doesn't have the same connotations of the dyeing of hair that the braiding/adorning/etc. used to in Paul's day. Obviously, if women now throw their hair into a braid, it shouldn't cause a fellow brother to stumble. And if it does, that brother probably needs to seek the help of a biblical mentor or counselor.

With that said, we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. There's probably a reason many Christians feel uneasy about the dyeing of hair, especially what they would deem "unnatural" colors.

1) Age is part of sin (Genesis 3) and so in dyeing our hair, perhaps we are trying to avoid the truth of our fallen nature and that ultimately we will perish, as all humans do

2) Dyeing hair can be perceived as vanity and a frivolous practice

3) Dyeing hair an unnatural color such as blue or green may seem like we're defiling our bodies from how God had originally intended it

With those arguments in mind, I think the GotQuestions article linked above puts it best that it all comes down to the heart. Are we dyeing our hair in an attempt to allure someone and as an attempt to puff up our beauty? Or are we doing it for more wholesome reasons?

With that in mind, I leave readers who are hesitant about other believers a few things to consider about other believers choosing to dye their hair.

First of all, both men and women dye their hair. Many Christians often like to point out that women are doing it to lie about their age or be provocative. But we have to be consistent in our arguments and apply it to men as well—something many Christians aren't eager to do (yes, men can be immodest too, if we're being consistent in how we argue).

Secondly, like tattoos, dyeing your hair can give you a chance to witness to someone. You can have a conversation with your hairstylist about God, or perhaps choose a color that symbolically represents something in the Bible. My hair is now red, which can remind me and others of the blood of Christ and his sacrifice for us.

Finally, dyeing of hair can show the creativity that God has given us. Many Christians are hairdressers. They can witness to others who stop by their station as they're dyeing their hair and use the talents God has given them to do the work well. 

In short, it all comes down to the heart and motive of the person getting their hair dyed (or dyeing someone's hair).

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/simonapilolla

Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids.

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