I went grey - what do you think?

[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.

[Crankin]

GLC, your post made me laugh. I think New Englanders and Portlanders must be related, because we see a lot of that hair style, too.

[GLC1968]

GLC, your post made me laugh. I think New Englanders and Portlanders must be related, because we see a lot of that hair style, too.

I would bet that we are. I see an awful lot of Red Sox fans here and there are many, many transplants. I grew up in NE and I definitely see a lot of similiarities here.

If I could have gotten my southerner husband to move to the Boston area, that's where we'd be. Portland was our compromise.

[shootingstar]

GLC, your post made me laugh. I think New Englanders and Portlanders must be related, because we see a lot of that hair style, too.

Haven't really noticed alot of greying long hair (meaning at shoulders and longer) where we are further north along the west coast in Lotus Land.

After visiting Seattle and Portland several times, there are some similiarities in the nature/types of people that one also finds in Vancouver, BC.

Admittedly I'm finding as I age, I have a harder time guessing people's ages..especially when I suspect they are around my age and abit older. My brain is actually abit messed up because..none of my 5 siblings have gone grey (all are in their 40's) nor have they dyed their hair. My closest friends for past 25 years, have basically stayed the same weight (with some hard work like myself) and only 1 woman has coloured her hair abit....closest to her natural colour.

My brain is abit mixed up and warped on reality of what the majority of population looks like in my age bracket.

[GLC1968]

shootingstar - I have the same problem with people in my parent's age bracket. My parents are in their mid-late 60's and yet they are active and they look very good for their age. I often forget that they are the age they are.

For example, this is my immediate family:

Does my father look to be 66? My mom 67? My brother (lower right) 39?

This is my frame of reference and it throws my judgement off!