I always said when I went grey that I’d go blonde (from dark brunette). And now, I am going grey, but I have not gone blonde. In fact I have not even stayed brunette. I’ve become wispy grey at the front and indecision has set in.
The reasons for my indecision are:
- The changing times – it is now quite trendy to be grey, even graylights have become popular.
- Cost, Convenience, Colour – If I opt for an interim measure and put a colour wash through my hair to hide the greys I risk looking identikit brunette; either too dark or too red.
- Cost, Convenience, Colour (2) – If I have my hair beautifully high or low lighted at the salon, it’s going to need a considerable budget to maintain,
- Cost, Convenience, Colour (3) – the time factor. Having your hair coloured requires a fair bit of time sitting in the chair waiting. Of course I could regard this as valuable “me” time, or do some work.
- Over-riding all these concerns is a thought that I’ve never really had before. Is it denegrating to my status as a woman to dye my hair? I have all the badges: self employed working mother (badges and bar!), why do I need to dye my hair? Does dyeing my hair imply that despite succeeding as a human being, I’ll never quite succeed until I look young(er), glossy, polished.
But what is wrong with looking polished?
Do I need to look young? Not really, no. I’m interested in looking like me, but I don’t need to look younger. Do I mind my grey hairs? I would rather they were brown but I can live with them. I’m happy to admit my age (47, nearly 48). Why then do I worry about my grey hairs? Well, they are unruly. My grey hairs are coarser than my brown ones. When blow dried they stay smooth for all of, oh about 30 seconds, and then they ping up of their own accord and remain in that vertical pinging position ad infinitum not to say nauseum. They look unruly and they look drab, I feel ungroomed. So they have to go.
Or do they?: If I cut my hair shorter the vertical ping may not be so noticeable and the grey hairs would blend in with my natural brown hairs, for the time being at least. But I don’t want short hair, at least not now. In common with many other 40-something women, I think long hair is perfectly acceptable.
There is no right answer is there? The key seems to be style and attitude. A great hair cut and being well groomed will go a long way to mitigating an obsession with grey hairs and their impact on us and on others. But even as I type that I think, the next time I blow dry my hair those pesky little grey ones are going to annoy me. So, what to do.
To be continued….I don’t have the answer right now…..
