I went grey - what do you think?

[Cataboo]

I wouldn't read anything into it - and I actually think you look younger with the short haired grey look. It looks great.

[BikeDutchess]

Love it! I have short hair too and never covered up the grey. It's about as grey as yours, I think (although it always looks greyer in photos than in the mirror - why is that, I wonder?)

Yeah, some other people have hang-ups, I guess. I was in a restaurant last month and a total stranger came up to me and said "I'll bet you & I are the only women in here with our natural hair color!"

[Biciclista]

put me on the "you are very brave, i wish i had the nerve to do that" list.
I am a lot older than you and my face, well, looks a lot older than you.
one might argue that this is a good reason to let me go grey
but I am concerned about my job and i know that looking younger helps in this world.
You look very nice either way.

[GLC1968]

but I am concerned about my job and i know that looking younger helps in this world.

Mimi - you make a very good point. 10 years ago, my life and my ambitions were VERY different and I would not have been able to do this. As much as I always admired beautiful silvery grey hair, I just couldn't even consider it on myself. Now, I figure that people will see me and either think "wow, she looks really good for 50-something" or "balsy girl - I couldn't go grey that young". I'm sure I'd feel differently if I was 50-something.


Two things have occurred to me today about this though:

1) In my mind, I'm still a brunette. Short hair is one thing (i've had it before) but the grey is not something I can feel or see unless I look in a mirror, so my own self-image hasn't changed yet.

2) I don't want to update my facebook page with a new photo. I don't want people whom I used to know and who don't see me day to day to see me grey. Why is that? Why do I care about them?

[pinkbikes]

In my mind, I'm still a brunette. Short hair is one thing (i've had it before) but the grey is not something I can feel or see unless I look in a mirror, so my own self-image hasn't changed yet.

I think it looks terrific - neither younger nor older - but just a great look on your face.

But I SO relate to what you say above. I also am quite grey and just turned 45. I started going grey when I was about 21 and all my older female relatives were pretty much snowy by the time they were 50.

I recently decided to be a blonde to see if it would make it easier to hide the grey regrowth. I worked hard at being blonde and ended up quite a nice shade. I was blonde for long enough that some people only knew me as blonde (a bit over a year).

But I never felt blonde. I was always a brunette in my mind. I knew when I started having irrational moments of jealousy over some girl with brown hair that it was time to stop being blonde. I am now back to being a bottle brunette! And happier for it. My eyebrows and hair match again!

I will have to do what you are doing one day. I have a very young face (I think) for my age (all chubby chipmunk cheeks) and can't quite face the disparity of face and hair yet.

It is funny - I'm an engineer surrounded by men and only one of them ever said anything when I went blonde (OMG - WHAT were you THINKING!?!) but several noticed the day I went back to being brunette and quietly said that the world had now gone back to normal! Funny buggers!

[Crankin]

I thought of this thread yesterday. The instructor at the new yoga class I am taking has shockingly white hair and she is the same age as me. But, her facial features look unbelievably young. I mean, I look young, but in an "overall way." There was not one line on this woman's face and her skin was just silky smooth. I thought her hair looked awful, making her look really old! It was sort of a weird thing; her face looks about 35, but her hair looks like she is very old. But, I think it's mostly because of the style. It's sort of an un-styled length, at the neck level, a little above shoulder length. If it was cut short, it probably would be really flattering. So, maybe the key is to consider the style and your facial features if you are going to go all grey.

[GLC1968]

I thought of this thread yesterday. The instructor at the new yoga class I am taking has shockingly white hair and she is the same age as me. But, her facial features look unbelievably young. I mean, I look young, but in an "overall way." There was not one line on this woman's face and her skin was just silky smooth. I thought her hair looked awful, making her look really old! It was sort of a weird thing; her face looks about 35, but her hair looks like she is very old. But, I think it's mostly because of the style. It's sort of an un-styled length, at the neck level, a little above shoulder length. If it was cut short, it probably would be really flattering. So, maybe the key is to consider the style and your facial features if you are going to go all grey.

I agree that the style makes a big difference in how we perceive ourselves and how others see us.

My husband and I were just talking about this last night after we saw a woman walking her dog down the street. She had long dark hair with huge sections of gray around her face (kind of in big chunky streaks). It was pulled back in a loose ponytail (who gets done up to walk the dog, right?) and she looked to be quite young (late 20's, early 30's). It was obvious that she was prematurely grey, but my husband immediately said that it looked odd with that style. We see a lot of that around here...women with long, greying hair...it's pretty typical for a 'Portlander'. It works on some, not so much on others. The thing is, her hair was gorgeous - it just didn't fit HER. On an older woman, people would probably stopping and staring, it was that stunning looking. But of course, to each, her own.

I told him that if I stay grey, then I'm pretty much done with long hair. Of course, I know that I look better with short hair anyway (no matter what color it is), so it's a decision I should have made years ago. Long hair is just easier, I guess and I often get lazy in the 'upkeep' department!

Oh, and thanks for the continued kind words. My hair is starting to look less purple and more silver around my face as the old dye finally washes/fades out, so my look is progressing. Oh, and I got stopped and asked the other day 'who does your hair?'. That hasn't happened for me in YEARS, so I guess that's a good sign.

[five one]

I'm not sure of the "why" gray hair sometimes yellows. A quick Google seems to give only solutions to the problem.

My DH's grandmother had beautiful white hair. Her hairdresser put some sort of purple rinse on it to keep it white. Her son, my FIL, also had white hair, but with a yellow tinge. It made him look older than he was and sort of haggard. Obviously his mother didn't let him in on the secret of shiny white hair! DH's hair is probably 90% white. We both use Shimmer Lights. I probably don't need to at 30%, but what the heck... My natural color is very dark brown. I like the contrast of the brown and white.

Funny, my gray shows up in the mirror, but not so much in photos.

My role model for going gray gracefully is folksinger Joan Baez.

[GLC1968]

Joan Baez and Jamie Lee Curtis - two people whom others have pointed out to me as good role models (attractive short grey hair, I guess)!

Yes, I tried the google search thing without much luck. Pollutants, UV rays, smoking, beta-carotene - all came up as possible issues but no definites. I live in a very pollutant free area, I don't smoke and I have been wearing a hat in the sun lately, so that's a start! My mom is 100% white (at 66) and she started out as a platinum blonde. If her grey was a bit yellowed, I don't think anyone would notice. I'm colored completely differently (obviously), so I want to make sure I don't have issues! Thanks for the heads up!

[Chicken Little]

It's the bomb. Keep it up!

[Grog]

You look awesome! Love it.

[lph]

You look gorgeous. I'm probably equally grey, and working on exposing it - gradually. You ARE brave, for doing it in one fell swoop. Way to go!

[shootingstar]

GLC, you look better at this point in time in your new grey shortie haircut. Very cute. You are lucky your face shape can carry this.

Over the past decade, my haircuts have become incrementally shorter in style. There are some funky, sculptural hair cuts my hair stylist would like to try but it would mean some drastic asymmetrical, deliberately uneven lengths that would not look good in 2-3 wks. after haircut, with further complications by my cycling lifestyle needs. My hair grows fast...

Most makeovers that I've seen which include haircuts for women over their 40's and up..seem to be where an even slightly shorter type of hair cut & styling looks better and younger on women as she ages.

[grey]

I like the gray! Mine will probably not start turn until I am in my late 60s. My mother just turned 59 and STILL hasn't but three gray hairs, and my grandma is only just getting fully gray at 80. I admire silver gray hair so much, I'm actually kind of bummed I have to wait so long.

[Biciclista]

uh Grey, it's no big deal, really. your hair changes too. it's not just the color.
And you can always dye your hair.