005 Bye to dye

An old, gray haired lady was not what I ever thought I would be-- and a grandmother to boot. But I have achieved both titles in the last decade of my 68 years of life.

The grandmother title is one I adore, but the other is sometimes shocking, especially when I pass a three-way mirror or see my reflection in a window.

After using gallons of various shades of hair coloring (from brown, red, to blonde) for a couple of decades, I finally gave it up and went natural. I had always thought I would stop when I reached my 70s but gave in two years ago after a scalp problem.

It's not easy after an addiction to the many colors on the boxes of dye products, beckoning me from the shelves of local stores. The models are portrayed with gorgeous 

shiny locks of colors, harking back to my younger days. 

Natural color in 1973

The application didn't always turn out the way the model looked, but there was always hope. 

Or there were the trips to the beauty salons with dreams of looking like the models in the books, magazines, or posters on display.

The color selections are a far cry from the hair dyes of the 1950s and 1960s when I was growing up. Shoe polish black seemed to be the color of choice. My mother and grandmother were purists, and hair dye did not touch their curly locks. Other relatives never allowed one gray hair to see the light of day.

One aspect of hair color that I have always found hard to believe--that there are people in the world who actually don't have to use dye because their gray hair hardly shows--I hate those people!

But alas there comes a time when enough is enough. It isn’t quantum mechanics, but I decided that my habit of making a mess in various parts of the house with the box solutions or spending hours and money for professional help, was over.
No matter how you slice it, dyed hair will not mask all the other age-defining properties of the body so it was time to give in.

I soon learned it wasn't easy going from color to a total absence of it. (The gray hair is caused by a loss of pigment.) I had no idea what my hair would look like or how much gray I had. I was hoping for a nice white.

I found out there was no quick way to resolve the issue. I got blonde highlights at first to ease the transition but no matter what you do, it has to grow out. 

Two-Tone Hair

I would often stop women who had great gray hair and ask advice. 

I had two-tone hair for many months --- not real attractive. I didn't realize how extreme it was until I saw photos--often a little startling but I never gave in.

Months later--about ten--I was there. Gray with a little white and brown mixed in. Shampoos and conditioners are a big help that promise brightening of the gray--not as bright as I would like but a little better. 

Almost there!

Comments from others have been surprising--some absolutely hate it and are very vocal. While others treat you as a member of a special society--that of the gray hairs--with smiles and polite comments.

I find the length--not too short or too long--keeps it from putting me in the realm of the blue hairs or the hippies who never got a trim.

But I warn you--don't do it until you are ready. Gray is not the new brown or black or red or blonde, but it is certainly natural.

Erik Estrada likes gray!

I can't say I love it, but I don't hate it either. Possibly I am viewed as a stately sophisticated senior citizen or on the other hand, a cranky, opinionated old-gray haired broad.

Now we match!

One revelation that jumps out at me when I look at recent photos, my husband and I now match!

So gray hairs be proud -- we are truly going natural and nothing could be more environmentally friendly. 

Frances C. Lowe