I started to see grey hairs at age 23. I get this from my Mom's side, although she didn't start going grey until she was in her 40s. My aunt (her sister) and my grandmother both went grey early. So it was destiny, genetics or both.
So this is what my color my hair was before I had it dyed a few weeks ago.
And this is what it looks like now.
Yes, although the second photo wasn't taken in daylight, in my mind, there is a difference. My hair looks darker to me when I look in the mirror.
Looking at these two side by side now though, I'm not sure there's much of a difference.
I'm told that if I got highlights, they would cover the grey. And perhaps they would. What I found when I did that in the past was that I then needed both all over color and also highlights.
I could just go au naturale and not dye my hair - at some point I will do that. Currently, only the very top of my hair is going grey - so I won't go all white just yet.
We do live in an interesting culture for hair color. Since we're obsessed with youth, grey is not seen as wise, but old. And I'd hate for someone (particularly at a job) to think I was ten or twenty years older than I am because of my hair color. I don't equate grey with old - by any means, but there are some cultural norms I can't argue with.
So I'll continue to dye my hair - mow the lawn - do things to keep up appearances. In the end, I feel as long as I'm conscious of it, I'll be okay.
5 comments:
I didn't see any grey hairs in the first photo, but I do like the new hair color. :)
I once heard a feminist I really admire say that self-decoration is a great privilege of being female in our society. We're a lot more free to play around with the way we look than men are. Sure, they have the whole facial hair thing, but we can experiment with different hair colors, clothes, make-up, etc. That sword certainly cuts both ways, as you point out with regard to cultural norms and such. But sometimes I really enjoy having that privilege.
Thanks FFG - they are there. Maybe I'm the only person who notices them though...
Thanks NN - It's true that it's a privilege of sorts. I guess what's always got on my nerves is what the social standard is - who defines it - and while I know it's silly to always try to follow it - I know there are some things I will need to do to continue to be a part of polite society (like shower). It does cut both ways, as you mention - so there are good and bad parts to it.
I would like to have more of a discussion as a society about it - there may be many things that we do that we don't have to - are bad for our health and the environment.
I've only recently started to get white hairs, which is sort of disappointing, as I had been told I'd be all white by 30, and I'm 31. I've always figured that if my hair does go, it'll be an excuse to dye it all the colors I've never dared.
My comment is the same as FFG's. :D
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