10 February 2016

Gray Hair

I started getting gray hair in my early forties.  No big deal, since most people I know and have known have gotten gray hair eventually.  At the time, my hair was still naturally a pretty light blonde, so if anything, the gray gave it some highlights.

Then my light blonde hair started to get darker.  Not really any color, just a darker, dirty-hair looking blonde shade.  It made me look sad, frankly.  (The Tim: "I don't understand why your hair always looks dirty, when I know you wash it."  This from a man who *very* seldom says anything about my appearance that is not a compliment.)  As an adult, I've more or less always had short hair, because in spite of my imagination, I do not have thick, lush, wavy hair.  I have always had thin, fine, straight hair that is so soft, it barely holds a part.

So I decided that since I wasn't able to do much style-wise with my hair, I'd be adventurous and try getting it colored.  I wasn't going to try to do it myself, because I am just not good with things like that.  Plus, I wanted someone else to blame if it all went south ...

The hairstylist I'd been going to was willing to experiment with me.  The end result was a) a cute short cut, and b) an amazing color that was a deep red/brown, but looked like my own hair.  As a matter of fact, when I showed up at work that next Monday, a co-worker said, "Oh you went back to your own hair color" and would not believe that I'd always been a blonde!  Anyway, this worked really well for a couple of years, and then much to my dismay, that hairstylist retired because she had a second kid.  (Don't these people realize their professional obligations???)

Over the next few years, I tried different people and places, with varying degrees of success, but never quite the "click" of the original person.  Over the last year, I've tried several places.  One of them was pretty amazing, but I was so grossed out by the stylist's filthy workstation, I just couldn't make myself go back.  The next time, at a different place, I was pretty pleased, because I thought I had finally found a good fit with a new stylist.

Fast forward to last week.  I had made an appt to have my hair cut and colored this past Saturday.  Actually I spent most of last week deciding whether or not to get it colored.  For whatever reason, I was feeling that since my 60th birthday was coming up, I should just see how much gray I really did have, and how it looked.  But then I decided that I would get it colored one last time during my 50s, and work on revealing the gray after that.

The new stylist referenced above?  Turned out to be a real bully.  He refused to listen to what I wanted as far as color.  I should have just said, "Forget the color, just cut it," but in an attack of eejit-ness, I let him talk me into his idea.  Which on the surface, sounded good.  On my head, though - not so much.

Oh well.  Hair grows (mine grows really fast), and I've already made my next appt for a cut someplace else that was highly recommended to me, and is even closer to my house.  And since I'll be the apparently magical 60 when I go, I'm gonna let the color grow out until I see how much/what kind of gray hair I have.  I'm hoping for a head of gray hair like one of my sisters' has, or like The Tim has - lovely, bright, silvery-white gray.

I'm thinking I'll look a lot like this:

'Cause, you know - I look like this all time just sitting around the house ...

But deep down, this will probably be closer to the truth (except shorter):


I'll keep you posted.  :-)

5 comments:

Vera said...

You make me laugh Bridget and we could be sisters or twins (except that I am heading towards 63). My hair sounds very, very similar to yours, though I've gone back and forth between ultra short and ultra long. Neither is really good for me. Lately it's been short with some highlights but I cancelled my last appointment 2 weeks ago and haven't made a new one. I **think** I am growing it out again. And the highlights - I'm sick of them. The last two cuts from my stylist I have not really liked, so I need to find a new place. Meanwhile because my hair is in that awful growing out stage it just looks ratty all the time! Doesn't matter what I do with it...10 minutes later it is flat and boring.....Good Luck to you!!

Anonymous said...

Oh my ......that last photo is quite frightning!!! I'm voting that you'll look like the nice lady with the crazy necklace instead.

I used to color my hair, but let it go natural several years ago. I actually LIKE my grey streaks.

elns said...

Haha you are so funny! I started getting gray hairs at the end of my 20s, but not enough for me to fuss with too much. I would dye it every now and again in my early 30s partially because what I had "seemed" like a lot (what did I know) but also because I thought I could get some style (I couldn't). But by my late 30s, I was definitely going gray. Now in my early 40s I would have an all over white look if I let it go. It's so obvious with my dark hair when my roots are showing. I'm not ready, but I really think it's a personal choice, style and YES what that gray turns out to be! I don't subscribe to gray = old. And anybody that does. I'm making that face in the bottom photo at, ha!

Mereknits said...

I think growing it out is awesome. I have not highlighted my hair in three years. I have a lot of gray, and a big streak of it just above my left eye. I like it, I do look a little more washed out, so after three years makeup free I decided I might need to rectify that. Whatever makes you happy you should do. I think gray is so cool.
Hugs,
Meredith

Lorette said...

I had to talk my stylist into the going grey thing. I just got sick to death of spending so much money, and my hair grows fast enough that I had to do it about every 5 weeks.

When I decided to stop coloring, I had her put some very light highlights in the front, especially around the area where my hair gets parted. It disguised the growing in thing and made it rather painless.

And now there are people who intentionally dye their hair grey, I think it's a fairly damaging processing though.