Let's just start off by me stating that I am
in no way trying to convince anyone to go gray,
nor am I saying that dyeing your hair
is a bad thing and you are less than.
Going gray is such a personal journey.
I know some women who would NEVER
let their hair go gray and that's O.K.
It's your journey. Own it.
I used to be one of the latters.
I never thought that I would let
my hair go gray.
That thinking changed when I went
through menopause.
Oh how menopause made me change
my thinking in many aspects of life.
Oh how menopause made me change
my thinking in many aspects of life.
One change it made me do was
overcoming the stigmas and myths
about gray hair.
How ironic that menopause struck me at the same
time as "Going Gray" was a trend.
I never cared about being trendy.
I've always wanted to age gracefully
and menopause made me rethink
what aging gracefully meant.
So I am listing 5 stigmas, or myths,
about gray hair and how I overcame
and debunked them.
#1
Gray hair is only for old people.
FACT:
Apparently not.
I had my first gray hairs when I was 16.
Gray hair is genetic.
If one or both of your parents had gray
hair at an early age, chances are, you will
have gray hair at an early age. Gray hair
is a lack of melanin and you can lose melanin
at any age. Both my parents were gray early.
As much as I tried denying it,
I didn't stand a chance of not being gray early.
#2
If a woman has gray hair it should be short.
FACT:
I'm not sure where this thinking came from.
I have met a lot of women with long gray
hair that is absolutely beautiful.
I used to work with a woman that was
in her early 30's at the time that had the most beautiful
long silver hair. She said that she was completely gray
by the time she was in her early 20's. She just accepted
that she was going to be gray early and never thought about dyeing her hair.
Everyone was fascinated by her hair, both men and women.
She was a true unicorn.
Everyone was fascinated by her hair, both men and women.
She was a true unicorn.
3.
Gray hair is coarse and wiry.
FACT:
My naturally curly gray hair is softer than my colored hair every was.
Granted, naturally curly and gray hair tends to need more moisture than straight hair.
By washing my hair with chemically laced shampoos and conditioners,
along with dyeing and blow drying my hair,
I lost even more moisture creating dry, brittle, frizzy hair
along with hair loss.
FACT:
My naturally curly gray hair is softer than my colored hair every was.
Granted, naturally curly and gray hair tends to need more moisture than straight hair.
By washing my hair with chemically laced shampoos and conditioners,
along with dyeing and blow drying my hair,
I lost even more moisture creating dry, brittle, frizzy hair
along with hair loss.
Once I gave up all the chemicals in hair
products, deep conditioned my hair weekly
and stopped blow drying my hair,
my hair started to grow back and
became softer, fuller and the curls reappeared.
products, deep conditioned my hair weekly
and stopped blow drying my hair,
my hair started to grow back and
became softer, fuller and the curls reappeared.
Here is a view of the back taken just last week.
I never realized just how curly my hair was
until I gave up all chemical laced hair products.
I have curls that go on for days.
4.
If you have gray/silver hair, you can't be stylist or sexy.
FACT:
What HOGWASH!
Just the other day I was checking out at the supermarket
and the young woman at the checkout complimented me
on my hair stating that it was "super cute" and asked how
I get it that color and how do I get it to curl that way.
She was dumbfounded when I told her that it was my
natural gray color and curl.
As for being sexy, Hubby calls me his "Little Silver Foxette."
And he is the only one I want to be sexy for.
5.
Gray hair makes you look older.
I never realized just how curly my hair was
until I gave up all chemical laced hair products.
I have curls that go on for days.
4.
If you have gray/silver hair, you can't be stylist or sexy.
FACT:
What HOGWASH!
Just the other day I was checking out at the supermarket
and the young woman at the checkout complimented me
on my hair stating that it was "super cute" and asked how
I get it that color and how do I get it to curl that way.
She was dumbfounded when I told her that it was my
natural gray color and curl.
As for being sexy, Hubby calls me his "Little Silver Foxette."
And he is the only one I want to be sexy for.
5.
Gray hair makes you look older.
FACT:
I'll state again, HOGWASH!
You can look old no matter what hair
color or age you are.
It all has to do with how you present yourself.
Do you dress in sloppy, baggy, dark drab colored clothes,
or do you dress in properly fitted clothes, in colors that
compliment your skin tone?
As we age, not only does our hair become lighter,
but our skin becomes thinner and lighter in color
as well. If you are a woman who doesn't care to
wear make-up, no worries. By adding a little
complimentary color close to your face, in the
form of a shirt/blouse, scarf or jacket,
a pair of pretty earrings,
or even a touch of light color to your
lips will add a little needed
color back into your complexion. I'm not saying
that you can't ever wear black, navy or even gray
clothes again. If you choose to wear these colors
close to your face add a bright scarf, earrings
or necklace close to the face, or a touch of lipstick/gloss.
I have never kept my age a secret.
I have been mistaken numerous times both by
women and men, young and old, for someone much younger,
both before going gray and during my silver transition.
I can't tell you how many times I have been
mistaken for my husband's daughter before going gray.
Just because he was prematurely gray.
Excuse me for getting a little side tracked but I
have to tell you this sweet story.
One day last year while I was going through my silver
transition, I was watching my twin grand babies
and a friend of my daughter-in-law and her
2 children stopped by to see the twins.
Her daughter was about 10 years old at the time.
The daughter asked me if I was the Mommy.
I told her that I was the Grandma.
She said "really?"
She then got a shocked look on her face and said to me that,
"you don't look like a Grandma."
I could have hug that child.
I was just as shocked by her statement as she was by mine.
Her mom was just as shocked by her statement as well and said to her daughter,
"Whoa girl, how to give a compliment."
What can you say to that other than,
"Out of the mouths of babes."
Here is a picture of me at the beginning of my gray journey last year.
Age 57.
And this is me 1 year into my silver journey at age 58.
Does this look like an old gray haired woman?
Here I am just shy of 13 months in my silver transition phase.
Notice how the lighter, brighter colors compliment
my changing hair and skin tones.
So there you have it, my 5 myths about gray hair.
I personally am very attracted to people with silver/gray hair.
I think it is absolutely beautiful no matter who
or what age the person is.
One thing that I have learned in life is:
Your hair color doesn't define who you are.
How you act and react to situations will.
Here's to aging gracefully.
Until Next Time,
Veronica
I'll state again, HOGWASH!
You can look old no matter what hair
color or age you are.
It all has to do with how you present yourself.
Do you dress in sloppy, baggy, dark drab colored clothes,
or do you dress in properly fitted clothes, in colors that
compliment your skin tone?
As we age, not only does our hair become lighter,
but our skin becomes thinner and lighter in color
as well. If you are a woman who doesn't care to
wear make-up, no worries. By adding a little
complimentary color close to your face, in the
form of a shirt/blouse, scarf or jacket,
a pair of pretty earrings,
or even a touch of light color to your
lips will add a little needed
color back into your complexion. I'm not saying
that you can't ever wear black, navy or even gray
clothes again. If you choose to wear these colors
close to your face add a bright scarf, earrings
or necklace close to the face, or a touch of lipstick/gloss.
I have never kept my age a secret.
I have been mistaken numerous times both by
women and men, young and old, for someone much younger,
both before going gray and during my silver transition.
I can't tell you how many times I have been
mistaken for my husband's daughter before going gray.
Just because he was prematurely gray.
Excuse me for getting a little side tracked but I
have to tell you this sweet story.
One day last year while I was going through my silver
transition, I was watching my twin grand babies
and a friend of my daughter-in-law and her
2 children stopped by to see the twins.
Her daughter was about 10 years old at the time.
The daughter asked me if I was the Mommy.
I told her that I was the Grandma.
She said "really?"
She then got a shocked look on her face and said to me that,
"you don't look like a Grandma."
I could have hug that child.
I was just as shocked by her statement as she was by mine.
Her mom was just as shocked by her statement as well and said to her daughter,
"Whoa girl, how to give a compliment."
What can you say to that other than,
"Out of the mouths of babes."
Here is a picture of me at the beginning of my gray journey last year.
Age 57.
Does this look like an old gray haired woman?
Older looking?
You decide.
Here I am just shy of 13 months in my silver transition phase.
Notice how the lighter, brighter colors compliment
my changing hair and skin tones.
So there you have it, my 5 myths about gray hair.
I personally am very attracted to people with silver/gray hair.
I think it is absolutely beautiful no matter who
or what age the person is.
One thing that I have learned in life is:
Your hair color doesn't define who you are.
How you act and react to situations will.
Here's to aging gracefully.
Until Next Time,
Veronica
