Miranda Rae is a 22-year-old TikTok Star who has garnered more than 8 million followers during her career on the social media platform. She is known for her hair change videos and funny stories. She also uses her platform to open up about mental health. In this exclusive Vanity Teen interview, we will get to know her authenticity a little bit more.
How were your beginnings on TikTok?
It was definitely a slow process and it took a while to find my niche, but once I did things took off! I initially went viral for my slow motion hair flip videos – I started doing them because at the time the “Say So” dance was super popular and I wanted to do it…but I’m a really bad dancer, HA. I remembered an episode of Glee about “hairography” and I thought putting focus on my hair could distract from my horrible dance moves! That’s how the slow mo hair videos came to be.
What’s your favorite type of video to make on the platform?
I love making my hair transformation videos because I get so excited to see everyone’s reactions! Along with the fact that I get to change my entire look in the process which is ALWAYS fun for me.
On TikTok you are known a lot for your hair change videos. What was your favorite hair color during the years?
I’ve had so many hair colors throughout the years but I always seem to circle back to either pink or blue! Those are my go-to colors and I can never get bored of them. Over time, I always end up having either pink or blue highlights in my hair to add a pop of color to my everyday look.
If you could stay with one hairstyle, which would it be?
I’d have to say my pink balayage! I always catch myself wanting to do it again whenever I schedule a hair appointment. It’s definitely one of my most iconic looks and I always feel my best self with pink hair. I can totally rock that hairstyle forever and not get bored!
On TikTok you are appreciated for sharing your struggles with ED and mental health. Why did you start sharing this?
When I was younger, I always appreciated when my favorite creators were open about their mental health because it made me feel less alone, and the fact that someone I looked up to was going through the same things as me, really gave me a form of comfort – like everything was gonna be okay. If they can get through it, so can I! Now, I want to be that same comfort for my fans because I know the impact it can have on someone. Struggling with your mental health can be extremely lonely, no matter what specific disorder youre fighting, so having an outlet to make you feel less alone can make a huge difference in someone’s path to recovery. That’s what I’m hoping to be by being open about my own struggles!
Do you usually receive messages from followers telling you have helped them with their struggles?
Yes! It’s one of the most rewarding parts about being a creator. The reason I started making silly videos online was so I could make people happy! When I was younger, so many YouTubers I looked up to were able to pull me out of dark places in my life just through their videos. As I got older, I knew I wanted to have an impact on people the way my favorite YouTubers had an impact on me, so it’s SO rewarding when I get messages about how I helped people with their struggles because that is the whole reason I started content creation!
Why do you think a lot of influencers reflect a perfect life in their content?
I think there is a desire to strive to be perfect on social media that everyone succumbs to at times. I often catch myself almost not posting something because it’s not “aesthetic enough.” Society plays a big role in this, but I think that we are getting closer to breaking down that pressure to be perfect, and instead are starting to be our true authentic selves online! Relatability is where it’s at because it shows people that it’s okay to not be perfect, and I think that’s much healthier for society!
Do you think there’s a need to start speaking about mental health in schools?
I think it’s very important to normalize having emotions, especially to younger people. I think there is a stereotype that showing emotion equals weakness, and that can be harmful to kids. I was always a very sensitive girl growing up, but I bottled up my emotions because at the time there was no such thing as “talking about your mental health” in school. It wasn’t as normalized as it is now. I think if It had been, I wouldn’t have spent so many years trying to shove away my feelings and get help sooner. So yes, I think it is very important!
What’s your biggest dream?
I think my biggest dream is to continue doing what I’m doing now, for the rest of my life! I just really enjoy making silly videos online that make people laugh, it’s truly what makes me most happy. I want to hopefully be an internet personality forever and be a positive impact for my followers. As long as i’m doing that, i’ve accomplished my biggest dream!
Photographer: Lena Melnik
Stylist: Anna Katsanis
Makeup/Hair: Bri Stine