Gray-Haired Girl

And then one day, my gray hair was completely grown in, and I fell in love.

I've realized that I hardly know how to write about it anymore because now it's just become part of who I am. I think it's beautiful and cool, personally. (And yes, maybe this means I'm living in my own La La world.) But more often than not I kinda forget about it. Or at least, I forget about the issue of it. That it's different from what most women do.

I mean, I've got next to no idea what anyone in my life thinks about it, because if you ask, people usually refuse to be honest with you, and the average person doesn't walk up and start talking to you about your hair no matter what they think. I do still occasionally notice people looking at it, and I've been treated with odd disdain by a couple of clerks in the last few months, but who knows what that's about.

The other day at work a friend snapped a pic of me at my desk. What's interesting about it to me is that it's a day that I simply washed and air-dried my hair. So this is 100% natural right here:

I am also very much enjoying the increased health of my hair. Entire areas of my hair line have started not only growing back, but now there's some additional length there (wispy length, but still) that I have actually been able to clamp with a curling iron. I am loving that!

I will say that one thing that's definitely changed in my life is that no one ever tells me that my hair looks nice, which hurts a little. But sometimes peeps tell me that *I* look nice, so I guess I'm OK. I know the gray hair is really difficult for people to grok, and I can only imagine that some peeps do not find it attractive or wise.

End of the day: I love it.

So, that's the gray hair update. I guess I'll only blog about it again if something happens like I'm accosted by some horrified reality show make-over person, lol. Hey, I live in Los Angeles. It could happen.

Meanwhile, here's a great post from Los Angelista who has beautiful natural hair: My Natural Hair Is Not A Fashion Trend. Rock on.

Comments

[Average Jane]

Your hair looks great!

[Sherrie in South Florida]

I like it.

[Mahala]

After reading about your plan to allow your hair to grow out in all it's natural gray glory, I decided to do the same. My home dye jobs were starting to get that shoe polish look and let's face it, that look doesn't work on anyone. Unfortunatly, after a few months I discovered my hair was WAY grayer than yours. I decided I just wasn't ready.

I, at 43, have more gray hair than my 65 yr old mother. Life is not fair sometimes LOL!

Your hair, by the way, looks FABULOUS!

[Janet Abel]

I am 47 and my hair is almost white and I love it. I started going gray at 16, dyed it in my twenties, gave up in my thirties, and am loving it in my forties. Going natural is a lot cheaper, and a lot better for your hair

[lizriz]

Thank you, thank you! :)

[lizriz]

For what it's worth, my hair seemed like it was A LOT grayer until it was finished growing out. Something about it sitting right next to the dyed hair. Particularly in pictures OMG.

But ultimately, what's important is that you do what works for you and makes you happy, absolutely. :)

And thank you!

[lizriz]

I'm definitely so curious as to what my hair will look like as the years go by. I'm glad I'll be able to see it change. :)

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Crystal]

I turned thirty-three in April and have found several white hairs since then. My father has had snow white hair since his thirties. He dyed it for several years but has been natural the past fifteen or so. I never ever thought I would be going white-headed in my early thirties.

What I found most interesting was the men in my life (hubby especially) encouraged me to embrace the white strands on my crown. Every single woman, with the exception of one dear friend, has offered me the name of her hairstylist.

I think we, as women, often presume what is attractive because of our own fears. Just because my MIL looks fine in her sixties with dyed hair, doesn't mean I will look fabulous in my thirties because of a trip to the hair salon.

To me, it takes much more to be a beautiful woman, and you are a fine example. I'm going white with you!!

[Los Angelista]

YAY! I absolutely love your gray hair and I hope you keep it up. Here's to each of us embracing our natural hair!

I don't know if I'll henna my gray forever, but I like that it's non-chemical and is actually good for my hair.

[lizriz]

Right on! And thank you.

Sometimes I don't know how I got to this place where my age doesn't bother me and all that societal stuff about women's appearance just sounds like so much noise, but I am *glad* to be here. It's great to be myself!

[lizriz]

Thank you. :)

Someone suggested henna to me, and I thought it seemed really cool. Ultimately, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to work it into my routine, and it turned out that I liked my rogue look. ;)

[Carla]

Hmmmmm... I never got compliments on my hair color UNTIL I started to silver up some. Perhaps the part of the country you live in? I also have never been "offered the name of a colorist" by my friends like Crystal has, but possibly that's because by never coloring to begin with people may have assumed I wanted it natural. And I did.

[Kim]

For some reason, I think it would look awesome if you streaked a bright pink where it's grey. It'd just be "fun". But definitely, not natural.

I grew out my hair to my natural brown, but found I feel more "artistic" when my hair is redder. The bleach blonde wasn't me. But I do like playing around with it all.

[lizriz]

I definitely think the area of the country is a big part of it. I'm a little nervous about taking my gray hair to my 20-year high school reunion. Eek!

[lizriz]

I think purple, maybe? Honestly, I'd love to try it, but the color would have to grow out then when I was over it, so I think safer to just let it be.

Definitely get wanting to play with the color, though. Everyone should definitely do what makes them happy and confident for sure. :)

[homemediastore@excite.com]

You know I'm with you. There is nothing wrong with gray, it's a color and in my eyes a better color than many other choices. I find it much more unattractive to have hair that's clearly colored to the hilt. As we get older it just starts to look ODD to have hair that doesn't match our face. Kind of the same thing that you notice when someone has clearly had a face lift. ICK. Beauty and sex appeal is generally about confidence and so forth, not a hair color.

[lizriz]

I definitely agree that natural hair with gray - or all gray! - looks SO much better than garishly colored hair, particularly as we age.

[Denise]

I loved your post, I'm 51 and stopped dying my hair a year and four months ago - how liberating it has been. I wish I had stopped dying as soon as you did - but it's never too late to be true to oneself!

[lizriz]

Denise - It is indeed SO LIBERATING!  :)

[Keri]

Love it!