Most people from around the world assign a lot of value to their hair.

Not a monetary value but a social value, which is often more important. One’s hair can actually cue other people on how they see us, how they make assumptions about us, and ultimately how they react to us.

Find that hard to believe? Then imagine that you’re looking at a man from afar who is wearing rags but sports perfectly groomed hair, one that even GQ models would envy. Chances are high that you would have a hard time pegging that guy as a street bum.

But the significance of hair goes beyond how other people see us but delves deeper into how we see ourselves and how it affects what we feel. And this is why a “bad hair day” can really ruin a person’s mood.

For a teenage girl who is just about to celebrate her birthday, feeling good about her hair takes on extra significance.

News has been circulating on the Internet about a young teenager named Kelsey who had her confidence crushed because of what her dad and stepmom forced her to do to her hair.

Kelsey hails from Fostoria, Ohio and turned 13 in January. As teenagers are wont to do, she wanted something hip and cool that she could show off to friends and feel good about at the same time. That something turned out to be some blonde highlights for her hair.

As far as teenage birthday requests go, getting some blonde highlights is actually pretty modest. At least Kelsey wasn’t asking for an iPhone or a new car, unlike some teenagers. Kelsey’s mother, Christin Johnson, signed off on it without a second thought and Kelsey got her birthday wish.

Christin posted pictures of an excited Kelsey with her brand new highlights. But little did anyone know that Kelsey’s excitement would be short-lived.

Soon after her birthday, Kelsey went to visit her dad and her stepmother for a few days. By the time Kelsey came back, Christin was shocked to discover that Kelsey’s beautiful long hair and brand new highlights were gone, replaced by a short almost boyish cut of hair.

Pictures posted online show Kelsey apparently so ashamed of her new forced hair makeover that she refused to face the camera.

In and of itself, a short haircut isn’t bad. Some women even shave their heads and are proud of it, just like Irish singer and songwriter Sinead O’Connor and MMA fighter Rose Namajunas. However, the important distinction is that these women chose to go with the hairstyle that they were comfortable with.

In Kelsey’s case, she was forced into cutting her hair. The fact that she wore her hair long means it took a long time to grow and must have taken a lot of effort to groom. That shows just how much she really cared about her long hair.

If you look at the photos of Kelsey with her newly cut hair, it’s just heart-wrenching to see how emotionally devastated she must have been.

Even with her face covered, you can clearly see by her body language that she was distraught as if hardly believing that this had happened to her. One could say that it’s just hair and that it can grow back, but teenagers see the world differently. Moreover, it’s a very impressionable time and she may carry these emotional scars for years to come.

Based on information from Kelsey’s aunt, it appears that Kelsey’s dad and stepmom didn’t like the highlights. For whatever convoluted reason, they cut Kelsey’s hair and said something about actions having consequences by way of explanation.

Whether or not having highlights warranted such a drastic reaction, the fact remains that there’s a traumatized teenager out there right now.

Fortunately, Kelsey’s dad and stepmom are facing their own consequences. They have been suspended from their job as firefighters and hopefully, this incident never happens again.

In the meantime, Kelsey is slowly getting back on track and uses a wig (seen above) while waiting for her hair to grow back.