It\u2019s no secret. For nearly 50 years, I\u2019ve been coloring my hair. It all started in middle school when \u201cbeachy highlights\u201d were achieved with lemon juice. As an adult, I relied on professionals to lighten things up with an assortment of colors. It\u2019s not that I disliked my natural hair; it was just too dark for my pale complexion (think Elvira). Eventually, as I grew older, the primary purpose of salon visits was to cover the gray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yep, the gray. It begins with small wisps around the temples and before you know it, it\u2019s spread like unwanted weeds. Needless to say, I wasn\u2019t a fan. And, it wasn\u2019t just the color; it was the texture. The wiry, unpredictable, kinks made me feel less like Elivra and more like Albert Einstein (I should be so smart).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, when it comes to gray hair, there\u2019s an obvious double standard. When men transition to \u201csalt and pepper,\u201d they are perceived as wise and distinguished. When women start to gray, they are often viewed as old mares, past their prime, and ready for pasture. Ridiculous, but true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, for 30 years, I\u2019ve covered it. Highlights, lowlights, toners, permanent and demi-permanent dyes; I tried them all. And yet, never really loved the results. The color was typically too ashy, too orange, too streaky or just too fried. But… it wasn\u2019t gray, and that\u2019s all that mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then this thing happened. My hair started falling out. A lot. Everywhere I went, I left small puddles of hair behind. Strands covered my furniture, my clothes, the shower drain and even found their way into my food (yuck!). Before long, I had a small balding patch which immediately sent me surfing the web for hair pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dermatologist asked whether I had been sick (no), stressed (not since retirement), eating right (pretty good), coloring my hair (absolutely). Her advice: take a multi-vitamin and stop with the hair color. Wait, what??<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I shared this news with my stylist, she looked horrified. \u201cI can use natural hennas or vegetable dyes\u201d she offered. And as tempting as those options sounded, I was committed to following the doctor\u2019s recommendation in order to get my full head of hair back. \u201cWell, the good news\u201d she sighed, \u201cis that you are only about 20% percent gray.\u201d Wow\u2026 This was big news to me. It seemed crazy that I had spent a small fortune and hundreds of hours in the chair for a mere 20% percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I tried to accept a color free future, I looked to others for inspiration. According to Glamour Magazine, the \u201cgray hair revolution\u201d began during the pandemic with women learning to embrace their silver stands and powering through the transition. Model and actress, Andie MacDowell, graced the cover of magazines with her long, flowing gray hair and offered no apologies. Social media communities such as \u201cSilver Foxes\u201d and \u201cGrombre\u201d highlighted women across the globe celebrating gray as both liberating and empowering. It was time to reject the notion that a bottle of chemicals is necessary to look vibrant and feel beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, how\u2019s it going? Well, it\u2019s been about eight months with no color. Some days, I love it and some days not so much. The best thing is that the bald patch is gone and the hair is no longer shedding like crazy. \u00a0There\u2019s no way of knowing whether dye was the culprit, but I haven\u2019t missed the frequent salon visits. Instead, I\u2019ve gained a whole new appreciation for healthy, natural hair versus processed locks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will I keep it forever? I don\u2019t know. But here\u2019s the thing\u2026 Retirement provides the freedom to fully be myself. I don\u2019t have to worry that droopy skin or gray hair will prevent upward mobility. There are no concerns about daily wardrobe choices and what professional image is conveyed. While my looks are still important, it\u2019s about what makes me happy. And believe it or not, I like the way the sunshine catches the gray and creates a sparkly halo. It reflects the glow of a woman who is content and living a life she loves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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