Going Grey Gracefully

Grey is the New Black Going grey gracefully

A few years ago, I noticed that younger women were dying their hair grey. As a 45-year-old woman the irony was not lost on me. There I was paying to dye my hair back to its original chestnut while the 23-year-old sitting at the next basin was paying the same to achieve my silver locks. WHY was I doing this? One of the many downsides of colouring hair is that you have to repeat the process every 3-8 weeks. I was closer to three weekly and was planning my life around my roots. Then there was the expense. In spite of Davina McCall’s exhortations home dying did not look professional and my bathroom needed a deep clean afterwards. Finally, I was beginning to notice that dyed hair just didn’t look authentic on me. My skin looked just a little bit ‘off’ next to my hair colour. So, I decided to embrace the grey.

Why do we go grey anyway?

Each hair grows from a follicle which contains cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes produce two types of pigments: eumelanin (dark brown or black), and pheomelanin (reddish yellow). In combination they are responsible for our hair colour. As we age the melanocytes in the hair follicle start to die and the hair becomes more transparent. Gray hair still has some melanin, but not enough to give us back our youthful hue. White hair has no melanin.

The process of going grey

Lots of people opt for a shorter haircut but it’s not essential. I didn’t. I decided I’d grow mine to shoulder length and brazen it out. My hair is still fairly thick, so I wanted to make the most of it. My hairdresser recommend a textured cut to give it volume and movement. I still hated it for the first three months, as my roots came in, and I wore hats a lot. I nearly caved at one point but my wonderful hairdresser talked me off the ledge. By six months I was loving the changes. My hairdresser recommended that I used products with a bit of shine. Grey hair loses its natural shine and can look less healthy. I love to use a hair oil from about halfway down my hair, which softens and moisturizes it. I don’t use it all the way up the roots because it does weigh the hair down a little. One bonus of being grey is that I have to wash my hair less. Grey hair is naturally drier so whereas before I was washing it every day or every other day, now I usually wash it every three or four days. Another good recommendation was a specialist ‘purple’ shampoo and conditioner. ‘Don’t freak out when you first see it,’ my hairdresser warned me. ‘It’s very purple, but it will brighten your grey hair and remove yellow tones.’ Then she added, ‘Only use it once a week though or you’ll end up lilac!’ It works like a charm. I love how silver my hair looks when I use it but I’m mindful of her warning. My biggest concern was about looking ‘old.’ It didn’t take me long to realise that if I didn’t embrace more colour in my wardrobe that is exactly what would happen. I switched to a brighter lipstick and added some jewel-coloured tops and statement earrings to my previously all black wardrobe. I even updated my spectacles to a bright coloured frame. In addition, I keep my hair in a modern, more youthful cut and I love the fact that the colour now compliments rather than competes with my skin tone. Four years on I’m nearly fifty but I no longer worry about my roots, and I’m saving a fortune at the hairdresser. It’s not for everyone but I’d definitely recommend going grey because of the freedom it brings.