Should Christians wear make-up or dye their hair?

People of all ages (and genders for that matter) are often seen with dyed hair and/or makeup. Are you one of them? Along with the dyed hair, there's sometimes lots of jewelry adornments, plus make-up with glitter, bright eye shadow, dark eyeliner, false lashes, and even elaborate nail polish. Is this something that Christians should be doing? What does the Bible say about dressing up our appearances?

First off, if your parents have told you that they don't want you to dye your hair or wear make-up or jewelry, then you've got to obey as long as you live under their authority (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). If they have given you that freedom, then at this point, it is a decision to be made between you and God.

The Bible says that what God really cares about is the heart—not what's on the outside (1 Samuel 16:7b). At the same time, that doesn't mean that the outside doesn't matter at all. Practicing good hygiene is important in caring for your body and respecting yourself and those around you. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Paul talks about how women should "dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Now, just to clarify that verse, Paul is NOT saying that we should never wear jewelry, make-up, or do special things to their hair. What he IS saying is that a Christ follower should not let their outside appearance take priority over their inner beauty. If we find we're spending more time and money on our outward appearances than we are on becoming like Christ, then our priorities are probably in the wrong order.

What is real inner beauty?

Take a look at 1 Peter 3:3-5, which says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." It is our kindness, love, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, etc. that shows our true beauty—not what color hair or type of jewelry we have.

While there's nothing at all wrong with the act of dying your hair, cutting, curling, or braiding it in a certain way, or wearing make-up and jewelry, feeling pretty on the outside should never be more important than being beautiful on the inside. God loves and values each one of His children as a unique and lovely creation, but His deepest desire is for our inner beauty to shine the brightest.

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