...to have blue hair as a doctor?

[WiIdfire]

I got hidden rainbow hair while on maternity leave, and it was fab. When I went back to work, I dyed it back to a boring brown.

As a doctor, it's always been fairly accepted that you should dress conservatively, that it's not acceptable to have bright hair, visible tattoos, eccentric clothing etc. and I've always stuck to that. However, since going back, I've seen 6 other members of staff (non-doctors, but patient facing, nurses etc) with blue or vivid pink hair, it seems to becoming much more mainstream. My husbands non-medical colleagues were baffled that I would even consider going back to brown just to go back to work.

So, would I be unreasonable to have blue hair as a doctor? Is it socially acceptable yet?

Bright colour hair, tattoo's and piercings have become so mainstream that it isn't non conformist or different anymore. It's ususlly them saying Im cool I dont care what anyone thinks of me and I shouldnt be judged....so why the statement.

People who dont go to these lengths with crazy hair styles etc......they are the ones who really dont care what anyone thinks.

It just looks like an attempt at teenage rebellion on someone far too old and Id say that about non professionals too.

Actually I have tattoos because they are significant to me and turquoise hair because I'm going grey and it was either dye it brown or have fun with it. So I'm having fun with it.

It was quite poignant to me that a close relative died over christmas some time ago.

We were there while it happened as it was cancer and we got the call that it was going to be soon and rushed in Christmas or not. The ward was decorated as it would be and the nurses all had flashy head dresses on and one had her hair coloured green. This was a ward for terminal patients I might add.

After the death and they came to pronounce her, the nurse couldnt even take her fucking flashy head dress off to do it. She pronounced a death in a flashing head dress.

I am sorry but dressed with green hair and looking like santas little elf, it just came across to me as disrespectful and as if it was farcical really. It was surreal.

You as drs and nurses often deal with life and death daily. Just think the next time you give bad news to a patients family how the hell your bright green or blue hair makes you look. It is childish for a serious professional and there is no other way to say it.

It the same as the earlier poster who said she was not impressed when ill or in the throes of labour that the next staff came in with neon pink hair and bunches. Quite.

Bright colour hair, tattoo's and piercings have become so mainstream that it isn't non conformist or different anymore. It's ususlly them saying Im cool I dont care what anyone thinks of me and I shouldnt be judged....so why the statement.

Not this bollocks again.

I know I'm not different for having tattoos. I have eyes, I can see that everyone and their dog has tattoos.

I didn't have them to make a statement. I had them because I like them. What other people would think of them didn't cross my mind.

The pediatrician who checked DC3 out after she was born had a superman belt I instantly trusted him I don't know why could be because I like people to be their true self

I think it's great. No worries from me

I think its fine and cant wait till until looking different (or not so different cos everyone does it apparently) doesnt raise eyebrows and people are judged by how they do their jobs, not how they dress.

The pediatrician who checked DC3 out after she was born had a superman belt I instantly trusted him I don't know why could be because I like people to be their true self

I'd distinguish between peds and others here. Small children tend to like this stuff, adults may well not - see QueenLiz's story.

Older kids would likely feel patronised by a superman belt, though - my 14 year old would be inwardly groaning.

Olecranon Sun 16-Oct-16 08:33:20
I am a GP and I think it is accepted that you need to dress conservatively. Eyebrows would definitely be raised about coloured hair. I think it looks unprofessional and some patients would judge you for it.
Agreed my nan would ask for Someone else
and personally if I am honest if I had to see I would but if I had the choice I would see the doctor with normal hair

I don't want my doctors ,teachers or professionals with wacky hair or nose rings or face tats

I am afraid being a grown up means having to conform unles working for yourself

And personally any thing that takes away from people thinking you know what your talking about or that your not serious about your job is a bad thing you don't work in top shop or GAP your a doctor

If you want to be expressive work in fashion or google were expression is welcome

Your in a job were you need to look like trust me I am a serious person I know what I talking about blue hair dosent really scream that to me

Your hair looks amazing, love it. As long as they are professional and show empathy I would love my doctor to have funky hear like that

I'm a doctor. I have blue highlights. No one has complained least of all the patients. I may now have to name change as my colleagues will definitely recognise me!

I would be far more concerned by your attitude to patients and your competence as a GP than what colour/style your hair was or any piercings or tattoos you may have.

On P1 someone has said "the fact that lots of people think it's ok doesn't mean it's ok". I would add "the fact that some people don't think it's ok doesn't mean it isn't ok."

If your HR policy doesn't stipulate this is not acceptable then go for it.

I love your hair.

There is one problem though and that is the placebo affect. Medicines are more effective if the doctor looks the part. I do wonder if having a doctor with rainbow hair might added how patients perceive you on a subconscious level. They might think you are a medical student.

However it might be time for prejudice to be challenged. In the past cultural expectations might have impacted on the placebo affect that a woman or a black doctor created.

Hair looks fab! I don't think I would notice if my doctor had tattoos or unusual hair colour, it doesn't bother me at all :)

It looks lovely but I wouldn't do it. Whilst most patients wouldn't mind I wouldn't want people to (wrongly) judge my ability based on my appearance - colleagues or patients. It probably makes you appear younger too, and I think it's hard enough sometimes being taken seriously as a senior trainee when you are female. Particularly in surgery where I bet patients ask you 'when is the (male, grown up) doctor coming to see me?'. I used to work in a male dominated specialty and this used to piss me right off. I'm short and female, therefore must be a junior

Do it. If we listen to the hard of thinking who judge people on their hair colour/ tattoos/ hair style/ and way we dress we will never move forward.

The idiots that do this obviously have some sort of issue if they have to base their view on those items rather than your ability as a doctor.

As a Tattood and coloured haired person I know exactly what people are like and it makes me laugh that they think about things in such a petty way. They probably sit at home watching their neighbors to make sure they don't paint their house anything other than magnolia as well.......

I'm a bit disappointed to see that while there is (rightly) a lot of open-mindedness towards blue hair, that someone conservatively dressed would be assumed to be a bit of an unhelpful dinosaur. Not necessarily, and open-mindedness should really work both ways

My trust in any doctor is helped immeasurably if he/she is the picture of health, good personal hygiene and common sense. If your blue hair doesn't detract from that, why not?

I like it and I'm now thinking of getting it done too. I am mid 30's and open minded. There are a lot of small minded people out there (just check out the baby name forum) who would be offended by it. I have no personal idea why but there you go. As a pp suggested you could hide it in a chignon or plait.

I won't agree with everybody else here. I would not only raise my eyebrows but I would not trust your judgment.

Little Flamingo. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Let yourself die then. If you base your judgement on something as petty as hair colour not the ability of the person doing the job you deserve all you get.

There are so many professionals - doctors, police, firefighters that now are less inclined to follow the norm with tattoos. Why should they do so with hair colour. And how does having coloured hair show your judgement is effected? It doesn't. It just shows that they like different things to you.

What next? You don't want a doctor treating you because they are gay? Or because they come from a foreign country? Or because they are vegan?

All you are doing is propagating hatred based on rubbish.

Ohbehave
'Let yourself die then'
Charming

Someone being gay/vegan/foreign has no impact on how a patient may view the person responsible for their care at the point of contact.
We are service providers for some elderly patients who may not feel comfortable with too much change.
This isn't about trying to quash individuality.
It's about trying to respect the fact that ill sick people want to see a confident 'adulty' person who can fix them while they feel vulnerable.
Did you see QueenLiz's post?
btw Liz.
That is unacceptable. Completely fucking unacceptable.
I used to allow fancy dress on wards at Christmas, but there were always always staff dressed professionally too for patient care and contact.
At Christmas, you tend to only be in hospital if you are very sick and it's awful that this wasn't taken into consideration.

Feralbyrl

Just as being vegan gay or anything else should have no impact neither should hair colour.

If you are going to not let a professional who has studied hard for years and is in the position of trust because they earned it do their job then who's fault is it. Not theirs.

All you are doing is perpetuating the feeling that you can't colour your hair without being weird or untrustworthy which is not really acceptable.

QueenlizIII

Firstly I am sorry for your loss. At Christmas as well it can make a happy occasion never have the same feeling again.

I am sorry you feel that people who colour their hair are childish, but this is not the case. As with the maternity ward to have someone with coloured hair does not affect their ability to do the job.

I am sorry that you feel that way about them but we are moving forward in an age where this is more than acceptable and I don't feel that it is childish or disrespectful in any way - in fact I think it is disrespectful to the person you are judging on the colour of their hair rather than their ability as a professional.