Since the first wristband was worn in 2004 by American cyclist Lance Armstrong to raise awareness of cancer, The awareness have been popular in many countries. Colored wristbands are used for a variety of purpose. You can wear different colors of wristbands in different occasions to spread messages. Thus, it is important to know the meaning behind every color.
Here is the complete guide of the color meaning for each awareness wristbands
Awareness Wristbands Color And Their Meanings
Pink Awareness Wristbands
Pink colored wristbands have long been associated as a sign of support for women who are going through or have survived breast cancer.
The pink colored wristbands is also a symbol for women’s health, women’s rights, cleft palate, girl gender reveal, and female empowerment.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the pink symbol:
- Breast Cancer
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- Women’s Health
- Women’s Rights
- Cleft Palate
- Girl Gender Reveal
- Female Empowerment
Red Awareness Wristbands
Red wristbands are widely known to raise AIDS awareness. It has been the symbol of AIDS awareness since 1991 and is still currently used by different charities and organizations.
Since red is often the color associated with the heart, a red wristband signifies different types of heart disease, congenital heart defects, cardiovascular diseases, congestive heart failure, and long QT syndrome.
Besides disease awareness, the color red can also represent programs such as substance-abuse awareness including tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the red symbol:
Orange Awareness Wristbands
Orange bracelets advocate a wide range of conditions. Examples include malnutrition, the chemical herbicide Agent Orange, Self Injury awareness and Cultural Diversity.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the orange symbol:
- Self-injury awareness/self-harm awareness
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) – the newer multicolored orange/red flame is also used
- Cultural diversity
- Kidney cancer
- Gun violence protests, including after the Parkland shootings
- Leukemia awareness
- Malnutrition/hunger
- Multiple sclerosis awareness
- Work Zone Safety Awareness
Burgundy / Maroon Awareness Wristbands
- Burgundy wristbands are commonly used to represent support for disabled adults and support of long term health conditions. Specific illnesses using burgundy as their central color include sickle-cell anemia, migraines, meningitis and Williams Syndrome.
- Multiple myeloma awareness
- rain aneurism awareness
- Sickle cell disease
Yellow Awareness Wristbands
Another popular color used for awareness bands is yellow. It is often used to show that a family member or loved one is abroad in military service, and serves to represent American troops returning home safely from overseas.
Made popular by Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG wristband campaign, the color yellow also stands for supporting our troops, MIA/POW awareness, suicide prevention, adoptive parents, endometriosis, bladder cancer, spina bifida, and amber alerts.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the yellow symbol:
- Support for military forces, especially those deployed overseas and in conflicts, including prisoners of war and those missing in action.
- Suicide prevention
- Missing Children
- Awareness for certain diseases, such as bladder cancer, endometriosis, one cancer, sarcoma, liver disease, obesity, and spina bifida
Green Awareness Wristbands
- Green wristbands are renowned for their association with environmental causes, but there are also lesser known wristband color meanings.
- Mental health awareness and mental illness awareness
- Lyme disease
- Depression
- Kidney cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- Climate change
- Mitochondrial disease awareness
Teal Awareness Wristbands
- Symbolizes support for women with ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers as well as victims of sexual assault, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
- Was also used to show support for tsunami victims.
- Cervical cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Food allergies
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Uterine cancer
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Blue Awareness Wristbands
There are many meanings associated with the color blue. Primarily, the color blue is often connected with depth and stability. But with wristbands colors and meanings, blue wristbands are used to raise awareness on the anti-bullying awareness campaign. In 2004, Britain’s Radio 1 first used the blue wristbands as a sign of support for the victims of bullying. The British government encouraged kids to wear blue anti-bullying wristbands to show that bullying is not right. The words “Stand Up – Speak Up – Stop Bullying” was seen worn by many individuals from all over the world.
The blue awareness wristbands are also used to raise awareness on these causes: Prostate Cancer Awareness, Men’s Health Awareness, and Colon Cancer Awareness.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the blue symbol:
- Anti-bullying
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Hydrocephalus
- Mourning and honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty.
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
- Support of freedom of speech, press, freedom of association online, and protesting against Internet censorship
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease awareness
Purple Awareness Wristbands
Purple colored wristbands are more commonly associated with ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and many other mental syndromes. Usually, the phrase ‘Mind Strong’ is inscribed on the wristband to show support for patients going through these illnesses.
The purple color silicone wristbands are also often used to raise awareness on Epilepsy, Pancreatic Cancer, Dementia, ADHD, Elder Abuse and Lupus.
Purple can also be a color used to promote awareness for premature birth, domestic violence, or elder abuse. Another reason people wear purple ribbons are for overdose awareness.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the purple symbol:
- Alzheimer’s awareness
- Domestic violence/intimate relationship violence
- Fibromyalgia
- Opioid crisis awareness
- Month of the Military Child, Celebrating Military Kid
- Spirit Day and victims of homophobia
- Epilepsy awareness
- Lupus Awareness Month (May)
- Pancreatic cancer
- Thyroid cancer
White Awareness Wristbands
White silicone bracelets commonly stand for social issues, made famous by the campaign ‘Make Poverty History’.
They also represent peace and religious beliefs but are also associated with bone disease and blindness.
Clear wristbands have been previously used to demonstrate the fight against invisible illnesses, and as such related conditions have adopted clear and white bracelets to promote their cause.
White bracelets are used in the White Ribbon campaign to raise awareness and prevent violence against women. Aside from the famous Lung Cancer Awareness every November, and the Make Poverty History awareness movement, white wristbands are also used to raise awareness on International End of Violence Against Women and Victims of Terrorism.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the white symbol:
- Bone cancer
- Lung disease including cancer
- Peace
- Victims of Terrorism
- Violence against women
Black Awareness Wristbands
Everyone knows that the black is the absence of color. It is usually a color that is associated with mourning, mystery, and authority. But the black awareness wristbands symbolizes many important causes, and one of them is the promotion of Black Lives Matter. Black wristbands, conjuncted with the white wristbands is a new and modern way of protesting and showing support on the Black Lives Matter movement.
There are other causes represented by the black awareness silicone wristbands. Some of these are: Gang Prevention, Melanoma, Mourning, and Skin Cancer.
In summary, the following are the meanings of the black symbol:
- Typically a sign of mourning, or otherwise in memoriam
- Melanoma (skin cancer)
- Awareness of the POW/MIA issue in the US
- Black Ribbon Initiative awareness and public outreach program of Madhya Pradesh Police (India) to make all sections of society computer security aware and alert
- Anti-violence campaign in New Zealand
- Gang prevention
Gray Awareness Wristbands
- Asthma
- Brain Tumor Awareness Month/Brain Cancer Awareness
- Borderline personality disorder
- Diabetes Awareness Month
Sliver Awareness Wristbands
- Schizophrenia
- Brain illness
- Brain disorders
Brown Awareness Wristbands
- Anti-Smoking
- Colorectal Cancer
Lime Green Awareness Wristbands
- Lyme disease
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma awareness
- Global warming
Dark Blue / Navy Blue Awareness Wristbands
- Arthritis
- Child abuse prevention
- Colon / Colorectal cancer awareness
Light Blue Awareness Wristbands
- Childhood cancer
- Men’s health
- Prostate cancer
Lavender Awareness Wristbands
- Craniosynostosis
- Epilepsy
- General cancer awareness
- Rett Syndrome
- Testicular cancer
Rainbow Awareness Wristbands
- Gay pride
- LGBTQ equality
Wristband Colors for Every Month
Here are top awareness month meanings:
January
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
- Nation Birth Defects Prevention Month
- Thyroid Awareness Month
- Glaucoma Awareness
- Nation Mentoring Month
February
- American Heart Month
- Teen Dating Violence Awareness
- National Cancer Prevention
- Black History Month
March
- National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
- Brain Injury Awareness
- Kidney Cancer Awareness
- National Nutrition Month
- Women’s History Month
April
- Earth Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- Animal Cruelty Prevention
- Child Abuse Prevention
- Autism Awareness
- Sexual Assault Awareness
- Testicular Cancer Awareness
May
- ALS Awareness Month
- Celiac Awareness Month
- Military Appreciation Month
- National Arthritis Month
- Asthma & Food Allergy Awareness Month
- Mental Health Awareness
- Stroke Awareness
June
- LGBTQIA Pride Month
- National Safety Month
- PTSD Awareness
- Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness
July
- Eye Injury Prevention
- UV Safety Month
- Juvenile Arthritis Awareness
- Cord Blood Awareness
August
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- Medic Alert Awareness
- Psoriasis Awareness Month
- Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
- Water Quality Month
- Influenza Awareness Month
September
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Leukemia Awareness
- Nation Recovery Month
- Prostate Cancer Awareness
- Ovarian Cancer Awareness
October
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- Domestic Violence Awareness
- Sown Syndrome Awareness
- Hunger Awareness Month
- Bullying Prevention Month
November
- COPD Awareness Month
- Great American Smoke Out Month
- American Diabetes Month
- Epilepsy Awareness Month
- Lung Cancer Awareness
- Military Family Appreciation
- World Vegan Month
December
- Human Rights Month
- Impaired Driving Prevention Month
- Safe Toys and celebrations Month
- MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
- Crohn’s Disease Awareness
- Colitis Awareness
- AIDS Awareness Month
How to Design a Custom Awareness Wristband?
One of the many reasons why wristbands are appreciated by businesses and organizations is because they are very affordable and are easily customizable. There are a variety of customization options available in making a custom awareness wristbands. The most common things that you need to consider in personalizing your own awareness wristbands are the quantity, material, color, message, size, and design.
You can choose from a wide range of wristband materials like silicone, fabric, vinyl, Tyvek, and thermal paper. Each material can cater to different purposes. But the most common material used in making an awareness wristband is silicone. The silicone wristbands are the most commonly used type of wristband in raising awareness.
With the popularity of social media, it is now easier to raise awareness for several causes. Modern technology also has made it easier to celebrate and advocate this awareness. At certain times, different causes are celebrated for an entire day, week, or even months.