A friend posted on Facebook about her hair being fairly un-tameable, so I took a photo of my morning hair. Old crone, much?
My hair, when young, was really quite lovely, a deep, dark auburn-brown, long and wavy. Where did that go?? It is still long, but the color has faded to this mishmash of grays and light browns, with nary a twinkle of auburn highlights.
I have never colored my hair, except for one ill-advised attempt when I was 14. My brothers bought something called Sun-In to get that Beach Boys look, I guess, and let me use some of it. Mom was in the hospital at the time, so we figured no one would notice.. I didn't think it had done much to mine anyway. But when we went to visit Mom, the first thing she said was, "What on earth have you done to your hair!" She was right, too, it did look awful, a kind of orange-y ginger streaked mess.
So since then, I have left my hair to do what it will. And look where it's got me! Actually, I don't mind at all. After all, at 72, any color except gray or white would probably look strange, at least on me. I know some get away with coloring their hair or do those new colors like blue and purple, but it's just not for me.
Which reminds me of a story my mother told on my English granny. Granny was getting ready for cousin Julie's wedding. She had bought a new dress, hat, handbag and shoes, but, she said, something still didn't look right. Then she realized what it was, and went and got her hair dyed! "Much better," she said.
Me at my first wedding, 1968
My mother had lovely auburn hair, and as she aged it grew lighter and then finally became an odd mix of light red, gray and white. She didn't like that at all, and began having her hair dyed auburn. Which looked really nice, actually. I think had mine looked like hers, I would have done the same.
Mom and me, 1988
So, what's happening with your hair these days? Is it graying? Have you kept your color, or have you decided to augment nature a bit? It is a very personal decision, isn't it, and based very much on how we see ourselves or want others to perceive us.
2016, well on the way to gray
Lately I have been seeing on Facebook many people reposting pictures of Dolly Parton in a Dallas cheerleader outfit. And of Martha Stewart who did the SI swimsuit issue, I believe. Both ladies are what, 80 or so? I guess these photos are to prove that we don't have to age? I would argue that all of us could look like them, given the same advantages of a personal trainer, home gym, personal chef, plastic surgery, and air-brushing!
The thing is, do we want to look perpetually young? And why? I am in the camp that prefers to rock being and looking like a granny to being a Rockette.
And now, this granny has to get back to work. No rocking chair years for me, yet!
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
After years of sort of grey/white/blond mixed together, I've finally evolved to what I'll have the rest of my life...all white. It can get a bit of curl when cut in the back...and straight mainly. So I keep it short. And it's very very thin, so I do use body enhancing gel after shampooing. That's the story from this 81yo.
ReplyDeleteI love white hair, Barb. Would that mine had gone that direction!
DeleteWhat there is of my hair is still two-tone at the age of 76 -- even my beard. Sue did blond hilites and now does gray bc she hasn't grayed completely either. I think colouring, done well, is great. However, my BiL looked like he used uniform brown shoe polish, may his memory be blessed.
ReplyDeleteI think many people do the highlights to sort of ease into the color change as they get older, AC. I should probably do as Sue does, and color it gray to even it out.
DeleteAt 57, I still colour my own hair. It's a dark blonde / light brown shade. I just picked up some "root colour" today. My hair, if left to its own devices, would have grey in it and would be quite wavy/curly/frizzy, but I like to wear it more straight if possible. I might let it go grey some day, but not yet. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteYour hair is so lovely, Jenn. Whatever you are doing certainly works for you.
Deletewow...I love your wedding picture..really chic and beautiful. You at least still have full head of hair...I am losing too much hair these days :-//
ReplyDelete33F here. Ack, winter is there!
ReplyDeleteYour hair is beautiful!!! Mine is so thin, you can´t do anything without it.
LOL. I once, I think I was 17, wanted black hair. I looked like an aubergine. My friend wwent without me to buy something to get it out. Now I looked like a carotte.
My hair back then was "street-dog"-coloer, as my Mom called it. I used henna then to make it less like a carrot.
Just to find out many, many years later... my hair is a reddish-brown indeed!
;ain thing is: We have hair! Ingo´s grey, too, but, well, he has hair!
My Brother turned bald in his 30´s already. Luckily it´s modern these days!
Beautiful pics of you, now and then btw!
Let´s see what my hair has in stock. I think I´ll let it rule the way :-)
I went gray fairly young, 40's I think. Barb on the other hand has maintained most of her natural color into her 60's.
ReplyDeleteLoved your photos!
My hair looks a lot like yours! And I'm only 57. I have quite a bit of white in my hair, no gray but I do still have quite a bit of brown in the back & underneath.
ReplyDeleteMy mother & grandmother both had that beautiful, pure white hair....so lovely. and I think I'm working toward the same thing. I remember when I was a teen & my grandmother would come stay with us. Grandma had long white hair that she pincurled to get waves that she brushed smooth & wore in a bun at the base of her neck. She wore a white hairnet to keep all the fly-aways in place. I would watch my mom brush out grandmother's hair & it flew out everywhere & looked like fairy hair to me. I loved it so much!
I've never dyed my hair either. I think there's a trend now to keep your hair natural. Have you heard of silver sisters? I don't care to look young either. I've almost completely stopped wearing make-up. But I do want to be able to move & feel strong & healthy. I think we can be much more flexible & strong as we age than we realize.
My hair is gray. I use a shampoo for gray hair. It is a purple rinse and it evens out the color. I just don't have the time (or desire) to deal with roots.
ReplyDeleteMy hair still has color - sort of mixed blonde where the added grey makes the blonde part glisten a bit, which I consider a late-in-life gift! I do wish more of the hair would stay on my head though. I've probably got about 25% of my original volume now, just enough to cover my noggin. But if/when I see a bald spot, I will get a buzz cut and put on a hat, just so I can stop fretting about it.
ReplyDelete