Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Addendum to Gray!

I was glancing through a magazine and found an article about letting your hair be gray! There was a reference to a book recently written by a woman named Anne Kreamer. The book is entitled "Going Gray; What I Learned About Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity and Everything Else That Really Matters" (long title!). I just started reading it, so I don't know whether to recommend it or not yet, but it may address some of the issues I've been facing in letting my hair go gray. If you're inclined, you may want to read it.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Gray Is The New Blond!

After finally deciding to get off the hair color merry-go-round and let my hair "be", I am learning to embrace my gray. At first, I felt it necessary to point out to people that I had gray hair, not because I wanted them to notice, but because I didn't want them to think I didn't notice it. Now my gray hair is all "grown out" and my natural color is shining through the remnants of whatever the last shade I put on my hair was. Frankly, it has been so long since I saw my natural color that I was afraid I wouldn't like it more than I would dislike the gray. I thought about a rinse or something that would enhance my own color without covering the gray. In the end, I opted to just let my hair be. And I love it! I love the shade of brown that it is. And I absolutely love the gray! I feel like it's a perfect highlight job that doesn't cost me a cent and never needs touching up.


But more than that, I feel like my hair matches who I am now. As I look at the women around me, I see many who color their hair, well into their, let's say "older than I am" age. Their faces and bodies betray their age, even if their jet black or golden blond hair does not. I don't fault them for it, but I finally decided that it wasn't for me. Not that I want to look old. The natural perception may persist that someone with gray hair looks older, but frankly I don't think I look any older than when I covered my gray hair. And to me that it a blessing. I wear my gray hair with honor, because I am blessed to be old enough to have it.