On Accepting Your Natural Hair Colour . . . if you dare!

I am part of the tail end of the Baby Boom cohort (1956 – 1964).  Inner health is very important, but I also want to look good; however, a few years ago I decided to favour my health over vanity and quit going to the hairdresser every couple of months, where I spent an inordinate amount of time and money having my hair cut and highlighted. I kept meaning to call my former hairdresser to explain that I had not betrayed her with another, but somehow never got around to it – sorry Van!

My journey from blonde streaks to silver highlights was a little tough, although in retrospect, chopping off my hair and getting a funky short style part-way through the process (rather than having the alternative, inevitable two-tone effect) might have been a good idea.  Anyhow, determination won out over vanity and I managed to get through the very awkward phase and am now quite happy with my silver strands among the brown. To be honest, I kind of wish I was 100% white, that is such a dramatic look! 

If you don’t want to chop off your locks or suffer through the not-so-pretty growing out phase, a good idea is to add a few lowlights, which helps to blend the two shades. A good hairdresser would probably be able to ease the transition, but I just tried not to think about it and wore a lot of hats!

Hollywood celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Meryl Streep, Ali MacGraw, Diane Keaton and Helen Mirren are leading the way with a new trend to embracing their natural silver hair. “Embracing a physical symptom of aging is in some ways the ultimate feminist move”, says an article from New York Daily News which advocates embracing your grey hair.

There are a plethora of blogs extolling the benefits of rocking your own natural grey hair, but an outstanding blog on the subject is by Cindy Joseph, who has gorgeous, long silver waves and became a model AFTER going grey. She now even has her own “Pro-Age” makeup line for women who, “want to reveal their natural beauty”! I love that concept.

There are even some younger women with no natural grey hair who are colouring their hair grey on purpose, so grey hair does seem to be having a “moment”.

I firmly believe you should do what makes you happy, whether that means hair colour or no hair colour while hopefully using the least toxic options (since some choices are known carcinogens). I know it is not for everyone, but I love my silver streaks and the time and money I have saved over the past few years has been fantastic – I financed a trip to Europe (see photo below, taken in Bath, UK at The Fashion Museum this June). I even found some tips on Youtube to trim my long hair myself, which involves a large bread clip, some good scissors and a bit of contortion!

Trying on a corset while visiting England – I didn’t even cinch it very much, but ouch!

Not being a slave to my hair is very freeing. I also avoid lots of chemical toxins that can contribute to health problems such as cancer and if, as a result, I look my age, that is a small price to pay.