To color my fifty shades of gray hair? Or not? That is the question.
I’ve been toying with coloring my hair on and off for years. And I can count on one hand the times I’ve had it colored.
I don’t deviate from the norm – and always use the same basic blonde color. But, I like to keep things simple and easy. So, I prefer not to color it and go all natural.
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That means, as I’m getting long in the tooth, my dark blonde hair has turned fifty different shades of gray, white and somewhere in between.
My husband has commented on how gray my hair looks when I’m outside on a cloudy day. And, no, I don’t take that as a compliment.
Now if he were to say, “Hey sexy lady, I love the way your hair gleams under the clouds and brings out the beautiful silver gray color”. Then we made mad, passionate love…WAIT a minute, this isn’t the book “Fifty Shades of Grey”. Back to hair color! If my hubby were to say those words to me, THEN I’d say that was a compliment. But I won’t hold my breath.
When I see my reflection in the mirror, an older, than I care to think I am, woman is staring back at me. My skin is youthful, but my hair? Not so much. My gray/whitish hair sits atop my head like a beacon in the lamplight.
I go back and forth on this thought. Color it? Don’t color it? Color it?
I really, really, really prefer not to.
Cons of Coloring Hair
The reason I have an aversion to coloring my hair is many. It can cause breakage.
My hair is already thinning on its own, so I don’t want to cause additional loss. I dislike having to dye it every few weeks when the gray roots grow back. And I believe that it doesn’t look natural.
God or whatever universal power you believe in, intended for us to age into gray hair. Our skin tone changes, our eyebrows change as we age, so coloring our hair doesn’t always complement our changed skin tone and eyebrows. Whereas gray matches perfectly.
And, lastly, the cost to color it. It ain’t cheap!
All these reasons makes it seem like a no brainer.
Pros of Coloring Hair
Hmm, now to be fair, I should write what I like about coloring my hair. I like how soft it feels afterwards. I like that my gray is gone and, because of the old lady stigma of going gray, I feel more youthful.
But that stigma pisses me off.
If I am intended to go gray, but our Western culture considers it unattractive and old, then of course I feel the pressure to color my hair.
In other cultures, the aged are revered – gray and all. I believe we can learn from those cultures and rid ourselves of the stigma.
What if we were to do this? Let’s rethink going gray. Let’s reframe our thought pattern about it.
Gray is Beautiful
If we change our thinking to gray hair is beautiful, boy oh boy, that would free up a lot of time and frustration. Gray is certainly a popular paint color on our walls at home at the time of this writing. Why can’t gray be a sought after color for hair?
Why can’t it be considered attractive and youthful looking? Men are distinguished looking with gray hair and I think women should be considered sexy!
Calling all famous models, actors, and persons in the spotlight – let’s unite! Let’s make gray the new cool, sexy, must have hair color!
Really if you think about it, gray goes with everything. It is a versatile neutral color. Pinks, blues, reds, yellows, oranges, and of course, black and white, look gorgeous with gray.
Every lipstick color will match perfectly. And that, my friend, is purely positive!
Second, let’s create a new stigma and motto about going gray. Something like “Gray is great”. Psst. Spread the word. Gray IS great!! Here, I’ve even written a little ditty about it.
Make way! It’s a new day! It’s a great day to go gray! Use your hairspray not a toupee. Break out the cabernet in your lingerie and raise a glass to the new shade.
All the way from Santa Fe to the Chesapeake Bay to the Milky Way. Even on Broadway! Yes, you heard me okay. It’s a great day to go gray! So, make way!
A New Pact
Let’s make a pact, you all. To go out there into the world, our heads held high, our confidence level soaring, adding a little swing of the hips and rock that gray hair! Are you with me?
You look gorgeous!
In conclusion, since I believe gray will become the new “in” color, since I’ll save cash, and since my hair will be healthier, I think I’ve answered my own question. To color my fifty shades of gray? H.E. double hockey sticks No. At least, for now.
Cheers!
Kathleen
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