Eileen, Age 70
HE NOTICED
Just as I was going through menopause, at age 51, my hair seriously started to change color, from dark brown to a certain shade of grey particularly on the top of my head. I was desperate. I could not use permanent dye because I knew that I was allergic to some of the chemicals in the brown dyes. What to do? I decided to use semi-permanent dye, and I did so for about four years.
At one point my husband, Fred, used to help me with the process. Henceforth, to all who knew about his help, he was called “Mr. Fred.”
I was very happy with my new hair color, which at the beginning, resembled my real dark brown hair. But, over time, I began slowly, but not totally, to realize that the semi-permanent hair color I was using was doing strange things to my hair. This change in my hair color was brought home to me by an experience I will never forget.
One Saturday, I went with my husband and a few family members to see a show in New York City. I remember that I was wearing a two piece dress in a deep shade of purple. After the show was over, one of the actors came scurrying off the stage and came right up to me. I wondered why he was staring at me. Then he said with a big smile on his face, “I noticed you, while I was performing. You are such a hip woman. Do you always color your hair to match your outfit?”
I was not angry. The way he phrased it, did not make me feel foolish. Quite the contrary. I started to laugh. I responded, “I guess so.” I had not realized the extent to which the dye had oxidized my hair. My family and friends were also kind. They used to say to me that my hair would look so nice, if I only let it naturally turn grey and then white.
My hair went from salt and pepper to purple, and eventually to pewter. I love it. People stop me all the time to tell me how lucky I am to have such a beautiful color hair. As it was, when I was younger, it is my crowning glory!
Your story can be my story too — except I was never told my hair is purple — which is my favorite color. Anyway, I also get so many compliments on my silver hair. Yesterday at a meeting of 15 ladies, I was the only one who wasn’t still dying my hair. I truly felt sorry for all those ladies that are still slaves to the dye bottle. Good for you and good for me. I also get a ton of compliments. People say to me “if my hair would come in like yours, I’d do it”…and I reply: “you don’t know until you do it what the color will actually be”. It took me 8 long months to grow out the brown-dyed hair. I have about 20 hats that I bought to cover up the inches of growth, but it was so worth it. Luckily I wear my hair very, very short. One thing you have to do when you have gray hair, is wear lots of make-up and always have a very stylish haircut. Thanks for sharing your story.