Going Gray

Ok, so my hair is turning gray. Is that such a big deal? It kind of has that salt and pepper look because my hair is dark brown. I have had several people question me about coloring it. They make me feel like I *have* to hide my gray. I don't know that I want to. It does not really bother me that the hair is gray. It is what it is, natural.

I guess my question is for those of you that have gray hair, do you or don't you color it? and why have you chosen to either do it or not?

 

I'm happy when mine stays around long enough to turn grey. I couldn't be more indifferent.

My beard and mustache had a splotchy, weird grey/brown pattern. They are both gone.

 

Medi, I'll be 34 next month and I have a LOT of grey hair. I found my first at 18 and the greys have been going gangbusters ever since. I've been coloring my hair for almost a decade now, but I decided to quit coloring it several months ago. My personal view is that society, in general, views men with grey hair as distinguished and women as old. It's unfortunate, but it's a concept pushed heavily by the beauty and celebrity industries.

If you don't want to color your hair, don't. I want my hair to be healthy, so I've given up chemical color and heat styling. I also just don't care what anyone thinks about it. If they don't like it, they don't have to look at me. I read this on another board I frequent - "I'm not here to decorate your world". Damn straight.

 

Just be thankful you HAVE hair!! lol... I was very thin through my 30's and finally admitted I was bald on top. I accepted it, and it doesn't bother me. BUT... now that my temples are going grey, THAT does bother me. I could accept bald without feeling too old, but grey with baldness... THAT'S old, lol.

 

well, for my 2 cents worth, I've waited my whole life to go grey. Now that it has I love it, and my wife loves the parts of my beard that are turning grey as well. Seamaiden has grey hair (just look at my facebook pages), she had it when I met her and I think it's sexy as hell. for that matter, I think grey hair on women, is incredibly sexy, especially if they are 'younger' than it would be expected of them, i.e. women in their '40's rather than their '60's. People are too obsessed with trying to look 'young' forever; grow older gracefully.

 

Hi Meditrina.

Bits of my hair are thinning and losing colour. I do not see myself dying it or combing it over. Why not? I truly don't know. Yup, I've just sat and thought about it for five mines. I just don't know. I do, however, have thoughts on 'made to feel'

The only reason for your dying it would be if you 'want to', but simply 'don't know that'. And it does not read that way to me. Sounds to me like you're not bothered to be other than natural, and I believe the *have to* which they make you feel is no basis for action.

I'd love to know, 'what would be their next communication step if it became obvious that you have no intent whatsoever to dye, and that you are OK with the way you are?'. Would they suck it in, or would they continue 'operating' on you?

Take care

 

Never will color mine. Plenty of gray, with dark brown hair it is noticeable. I'll soon be 59 so it is expected.

Not such a big deal for me, but I think that's because I'm male. It's a bigger deal for women, unfortunately. Last year at my class reunion one woman had let her hair go totally gray - actually more like white. It was cut short and looked damned good. I told her so. She said she figured out how much time and money it would take to color it every 3-4 weeks and decided it wasn't worth it. I like that attitude.

 

It is nice to read that so many of you, both men and women, think that staying natural is a good thing. So far, the only people that have said I should dye my hair are female coworkers. I don't want to be bothered with the cost or the maintenance. Especially since I am happy with the way I look (for the most part). The next time someone says something about it, I will be more than happy to tell them I am OK with my hair the way it is. I will tell them I am growing old gracefully.

 

Yes!

 

My gray hair is battling the white hair and starting to lose. This is fine by me as it looks even better. The top does not really count as I have kept that shaved generally since I was 18, except for my lazy bouts when it grows out.

 

I am a avid dyer. I consider hair color to be an accessory and I have found that my hair looks best, its natural shade. Besides, I like the edginess that saturated hair gives to some people and I will continue to tone the head. I also do it because of the flexibility it lends to a look. Sometimes, I go warmer, sometimes cooler, it usually depends on the season. I find nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, and maintaining a signature look. I feel that we all are entitled to do what we would like to physcially to make our selves feel better, even if it is ego based. For some- gray looks great!It sounds like you are happy with your look and that is all that really matters.

 

It's probably a separate topic; but I have no intent of growing old gracefully. I'll be kicking and screaming, chasing my wife around the house naked, riding my motorcycle too fast, and embarrassing the hell out of my adult daughters.

I am fine with grey hair, though.

 

I've had some grey hair start appearing few years back. I take some kind of coloring in my hair maybe three times a year, my own color has always been dull to me. It's more like to cheer me up than hide the grey, since there isn't that much of grey yet.

When I got back to working outside home year and a half ago, I felt I needed the boost in my ego. Now that I have gained some confidence in working life, I'm thinking, I should just be natural with my hair too. I don't use makeup either and I don't want to look younger than I am, just fit enough for my age.

Good thing about grey hair is, it gives more volume to your hair, and my hair has always been rather slack, albeit it's not that thin.

 

I got my first grey hairs when I found out my wife was pregnant with my son, a little over 17 years ago. Since then, my beard has become almost entirely grey and my hair too is getting there.

I am in my early 40s and love my grey hair.

If my wife had hair, and it turned grey, I would be all for it.

 

I'm 27, on the cusp of turning 28 in 2 months, and I've got grays coming in.....they're not that many, but enough to remind me I'm getting old

 

I know some extremely hot women in their 40's with natural grey or mixed brown and grey hair.
Dyeing would not make them any hotter.
I say go with what ya got and be proud of it.

 

Medi - do the sexy short haircut thing. Look at Dame Dench ("M" in the latest Bond movies) - she looks fabulous. I think people comment on grey in women's hair when the hair is kept long, as in youthful length long. As in maiden hair. The discordant look of grey mixed with hanging onto a youthful hairstyle is perhaps what attracts the comments. Wait 10 or 15 years, then grow it long again when your new colour is more uniform.
FWIW I'm blond, and white is doing the stealth thing, creeping in around the sides of my head. No problem. If my hair looks half as good as my dad's does (he's now 90) I'm a happy camper. My beard is a patchy, brown-grey mess and will never be allowed to grow more than 48 - 72 hours. It's only purpose is for scratching my Lady's hide when requested.