Bright hair, dreadlocks and tattoos: why it’s important for athletes to stand out in appearance

Many athletes like to express themselves by changing their hair color, doing different hairstyles and filling their bodies with tattoos. Together with a psychologist we try to understand why it is important for athletes to maintain not only their physical condition, but also their chosen image path.

Neuropsychologist, specialist in clinical psychology

All sports, similar to religious communities, have their own ideology, rules of participation and, of course, trends.

Why is it important to stand out?

Asya: If we consider a person according to Graves’ spiral dynamics (a system based on the theory that any living system, such as a person, a company or a country, goes through approximately the same levels of development – ed.), we all at a certain level of consciousness want to belong to a society, a social group, to feel the support of associates, unity and our need. The more unique a group is, the more special a person feels.

All members of a group need to fulfill the conditions of membership, for example, to observe certain rules and follow a code of conduct or to prove their qualifications. The brightest and most prominent representatives of groups set the fashion, trends for something. Other members of the group, wanting to keep up and be as popular, follow the trend. And only those who are confident in themselves and are not afraid to become a black sheep in the group, defend their point of view and, for example, do not beat a tattoo if they do not want.

Every person has an inner need for attention, because since childhood our inner child sets the program: the more attention you pay, the more you are loved. Every single group and its members adhere to this principle. That’s why every sport has its own fashion and distinctive features.

Surfers beautifully shake their slightly sunburned hair out of the ocean. And over the years we have formed an association: burned-out hair on men – surfer; dreadlocks – extreme; lots of tattoos, tight legs and earrings in the ear – soccer player.

But despite belonging to a group, the inner desire to get more attention, to feel special and loved, does not disappear. And how to stand out and be remembered on the field among 20 guys in the same uniform? Dye your hair brighter or get a colored tattoo. And in case of success during the match it is a chance to set a new fashion and every day to watch how people all over the world imitate you, which also increases the sense of self-importance, and therefore adds confidence.

Many people consider extreme athletes as reckless people because of their image component. Extreme sports, unlike most Olympic sports, became regulated much later, so there is still a “spirit of freedom” in them.

Extravagant hairstyles

The trend for coloring hair in acidic shades appeared thanks to Dennis Rodman. During his career, the American basketball player has become a role model not only for aspiring athletes, but also for those who deep down really want to experiment with their own appearance: Dennis’ bright hair color has always attracted as much attention as his aggressive game.

The basketball player had a variety of hairstyles: red hair with shaved circles, a red ribbon on his lightened hair to express support for AIDS patients, the Chicago Bulls logo, and other abstract symbols.

The same trend has been favored by auto racer Lewis Hamilton, basketball players Jaylen Green, Jordan Clarkson and James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. Athletes like to braid their hair, bleach their strands and dye them in other shades.

The tattoo trend

Soccer players are quick to respond to new fashion trends. In the 90’s, when tattoos were no longer considered a sign of belonging to a disadvantaged social circle, soccer players began to powwow the body. By the 2000s, they appeared on almost all representatives of soccer. Among modern athletes, this trend continues to develop.

For example, attracting attention thanks to numerous drawings on the body likes Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Each of his tattoos has a meaning. Tattoos have become an integral part of David Beckham’s image.

On his body painted inscriptions addressed to his wife and children, images of angels and Jesus Christ, as well as dates of significant events for the footballer.

Surfers tried to make their lifestyle different from the routine and average. It was not cool to settle down, start a family and move up the career ladder, so they spent all their time on the beach, practicing on the board and in the evening singing songs to the guitar, enjoying life to the max.

Hence the image of the classic surfer: sunburned long hair, shabby shorts and T-shirts, and eyes red from the salt water.