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Your attitude is fantastic, and 57 is an age when many women are ready to gray . I started graying at 28, white hairs on dark locks. I did not feel ashamed, I just was not ready in the least to go gray.
I also think that its not shallow or shameful to color your hair. Many women prefer the way they look with the color of their youth or perhaps a fun new color! I have tried espresso black, red and now light golden brown .And I am above the influence of marketing jerks. I am a woman who knows her mind and enjoys having colored hair.
Update - I took the plunge today. I was at the point of really, really needing to color. But I decided not to. So I went and got a very punky-short cut (which I LOVE) to get rid of much of my dyed red hair. And interesting discovery - the stylist pointed out that the hair at the very back of my head is not gray at all, but it gradually grays towards the front and what is around my face is pure silver.
Unfortunately there's still a lot of red left, but I am now very curious about what I'll look like completely "natural." Once the dyed hair is completely gone I plan on a blue streak or two around my face.
Recently I have been paying attention to women with varying shades of silver/gray/salt and pepper and have realised that women with gray ("older") hair sort of become invisible...but there's a huge range of interesting shades of gray and a lot of really beautiful women with gray hair. I'm pretty psyched to see what mine will look like au naturel...worst that can happen is I hate it and start coloring again!
At 57, I have gray hair, mostly around my face, but it is creeping into other areas, I suspect. Never have I colored it, never will....I do not feel the need to "look younger", mainly because I am not younger....and want to age without attempting to be what I am not!
BTW, I think gray/silver/white hair is beautiful. It is only the marketing jerks who try to teach women that gray hair is shameful in some way. And wrinkles, etc. Don't buy into their lies.....for them, it is all about money (yours).
I think we are all quite lovely, just the way we are, at any age
Well said. I feel exactly the same way...and I'm exactly the same age, too!
My husband's aunt is 90 and still dyes her hair. She is amazing.
My mother was 36 when her hair went white. Not gray, white. She was still having children. I just have a hangup about that b/c other kids would tease us - like "where's your mom; why does your grandma bring you to school?" Stuff like that - we got over it but it probably made HER feel badly. She never would mention things like that. Believed in all natural. Never wore makeup really either. She did have beautiful skin though.
My dad had dark hair almost till the end. I seem to favor him. No gray yet. For me, thank God but that's me. I appreciate all of you who are comfortable in their own skin. If I did not have to work and compete in the world, maybe I would not care but I have to hide my age in my line of work. At least, I feel that way.
I feel I got a late start so maybe that is why. I'm doing things now most do in their 30's or early 40's.
I just thought of a friend of my sister. She was always very pretty anyway; kids are now grown and married. She went gray - I was actually shocked b/c I had no idea how old she was.
Her husband has one of those baby faces and has not grayed. She looks so much older than he does but it doesn't bother her and I'm sure she thinks it's quite freeing. She doesn't have to work so she can do what she wants.
I live in an area where appearance is looked at more and more. The job market is very competitive and unless I win the lottery, I'm looking at 20-25 years of employment. I do like to work though but I do have to see clients and appearance does make a difference.
I do think it's great that woman can feel they can go against the grain; I'm just not that brave plus gray is one of my worst colors.
I've worn my hair "punky short" for decades - I just turned the big "6-0" last year. Until 18 mos. ago it was platinum blonde. I decided to go grey and stop the madness of processing to get to the platinum stage, saving time and money and feel more natural. (I even posted it about it here!) At first I loved everything about it! I had more time, more $$'s, and grey hair has wonderful texture for short edgy cuts. HOWEVER, after a few months I discovered I was using more and more make-up and still felt "washed-out". I always wear make-up (love it!), so I hit the closest MAC counter - then hit the closest Bobbie Brown counter - then called a Mary Kay consultant. Had them all do my make-up and advise - but still felt like when I looked in the mirror I was still looking "off". I even changed my wardrobe palette, but it didn't improve the situation much.
SOOOO - I held my breath & had my stylist color my hair auburn/copper! The difference in my look was unbelievable!! My hazel eyes popped to green and my complexion warmed right up. I find I can use much less make-up and that "washed-out" feeling is gone. I can see now that the grey was not a good choice for my skin, yet - neither was the platinum blonde. I loved the ease of the grey and I so admire a beautiful woman with grey hair, but it didn't work for me. Family and friends have remarked that I look younger w/o the grey, but I don't think it is the grey hair that aged me, I think that it was the conflict with my skin-tone that didn't work.
Grey is natural, but it may not work automatically with your non-grey wardrobe or make-up, so be prepared - and have fun!!
Just try it and give your hair and scalp a break from all those chemicals. Anyone I know that went natural (grey or not) got thicker/nicer hair within a year of not dying it. An older family member let her auburn go snow white and it lifted her face. She looked more refreshed and the dark color was not accenting lines and shadows within the face. She did have to change her lipcolors though. With any major shade change, make-up change will be an issue. I think one of the things that kept her from looking washed out is that she would wear salmons, pinks, butter yellows etc. All warm colors that would reflect up on her face. If she ever wore a drab color she would pair it with a bright necklace that would sit at the top of the sternum and she would use a bit of her lipstick as blusher.
I colored my hair when I was younger for fun color and at 35, my hair started to show a little gray in the front. I quit coloring it because at that time, they were coming out with the associated risks of cancer in using especially the darker shades. I also liked the "frosting" on the bangs! My husband began graying only maybe 5 years ago at age 52 and now is at least 50% or more gray and I, after having started to gray at age 35, at age 56, almost 57. am maybe 15% gray. So, you might be surprised at what you really have. My mom and dad both had a lot of gray hair before age 50.
yes, if you have a "warm" skin tone, then gray is not going to go well with your complexion. That's why the red looks so good, you probably have warm undertone. People that have "cool" undertone skin can carry off the gray, silver, ash hair alot better.
yes, if you have a "warm" skin tone, then gray is not going to go well with your complexion. That's why the red looks so good, you probably have warm undertone. People that have "cool" undertone skin can carry off the gray, silver, ash hair alot better.
Funny though...I have a very warm/ruddy complexion, but I look great in cool "winter" colors and not so good in reds and other warm or hot colors.
So I am thinking going from dyed auburn/red (auburn is actually my original hair color) to silver/dark/gray ought to be better suited. Paradoxically, even though I have had very red and auburn hair for decades, wearing those colors makes me look awful.
Since I got the short-short cut my hair looks, basically, awful. It's a combination of silver at the temples and roots, and auburn where it's still dyed. I am hanging with it though...wearing more dramatic eye make-up and dangly earrings to make me look less butch and less awful! I actually think I look sort of cute with the short silver and red hair....LOL.
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or two around my face.
Dying your hair
It's a combination of silver at the temples and roots, and auburn where it's still dyed. I am hanging with it though...wearing more dramatic eye make-up and dangly earrings to make me look less butch and less awful! I actually think I look sort of cute with the short silver and red hair....LOL.
