Embracing the gray..

[cronelesbo]

SILVER FOR SURE! I have always called it silver since they began coming in
even in my 30's. I think grey may be used by the media to make us feel
negative about it. I rarely see women who have "grey" hair, it is usually
silver, white or steel colored, and/or a combo.

Personally, I revel in it. It's a personal decision, if it makes
you feel better to color it I can understand that. If it doesn't
that's cool.

I would recommend that women stay away from mainstream
hair color as it is toxic and goes right into your scalp. There
are many good natural hennas nowadays, and some natural
dyes too at the better health food stores. I forget the brand names.

I have been having to cope with thyroid issues affecting my hair,
with hair loss and change in texture. It is normal to have some
loss at menopause, but thyroid medications make it worse.
I have found some good supplements that are helping.

May we all revel in our beauty as we age, and to heck
with the media's obsession with youth!
Barbara Stanwick said "Nobody's stays young forever"
and I agree, so I'd rather embrace it positively.
Even if it means many changes to deal with.

Blessings to ya'll.

[MariaAZ]

How neat that this thread came back up! I responded back in 2006 when I was still hennaing my hair. Must have been around the last time hennaed, because I haven't colored my locks for around 4 years. My lastest hair trim this past Dec. 31 (DH did the honors) saw the last of the colored hair go; I now have midback-length completely unadorned brown/red/silver hair. It's rather funny because I never really liked my natural brown color but I absolutely LOVE my silvering hair. It has so much more dimension. It just seems to suit me.

[indigocrystal]

Good for you Maria

cronelesbo - what supplements are helping slow down your hair loss? Same problem here. No colouring, just naturally going lighter and losing lots! Used to be really thick and bushy, not now.

[Rue]

I used henna on my hair for several years, and loved it. However, I got tired of fighting the patchy silver roots (my hair is naturally dark brown). I stopped coloring it for 6 months or so, then cut my hair very short. At first it was a shock to see all that silver- it must have been hiding under my long hair. Now I love it. When people ask me if my hair is frosted, I tell them it is "moon-kissed".

Rue

[indigocrystal]

"moon-kissed" I like that.

[BellaVega]

I have a few grays around the side of my hair. I'm 39 right now, so I'm not ready to embrace the gray just yet. I use dye from the store but is the henna dye healthier and more natural than the chemical dyes form stores? -Bella Vega, HSA Advisor

[Sashamarts]

henna found in the drugstore (or even health food store) is likely to have chemicals in it. "do-it-yourself" henna does not... maclinda (on here) sells an easy-application henna bar that is all natural... her page is www.buyhenna.com <--- lots of interesting info on there

[LadyB]

Oh hi, I'm back again, a mere NINE YEARS after this thread was first started. I just read the entire thing and I hope LOTS of the original posters come back for an update.
Funny thing happened to MY hair. I've had a hellish YEAR (all detailed in Dancing With Cancer section) and while I had no chemo to trash my hair, it DID start drifting out of my head at an ALARMING rate. A friend sent me an article explaining that it was actually TELLOGEN EFFLUVIUM. (what?) That's a particularly brilliant thing our bodies do in a response to WAY too much surgery and massive wounds to heal. Without checking with our brains, this brilliant body simply re-directs the energy that WOULD be spent on growing and maintaining hair to the wounds. That's EXACTLY what was happening. It wasn't coming out in clumps (thank the Goddesses) but just drifting out all over, so nobody really knew but me. I lost 2/3 of the VOLUME and MOST of it was the SILVER ones!!!! I'm left with thinner dark brown hair with all the new, crazy silver ones coming back on TOP. I took the opportunity to trim bangs (that I haven't had in DECADES because without some blow-dryer straightening, they curl to the sides like a water buffalo) but they're working. Now that the nightmare chapter is over, the surgeries are over, I'd like to get on with re-growing one SPECTACULAR head 'o hair. (without having to gag down any seaweed, thank you!)

Where's everybody else?
GRRRRRRRAMMA BEE!

[Erratica]

Well, it's been 6 more months since LadyB posted. I'm back. Last time I colored my hair was December 2011. Or maybe it was January. Anyway, I've finally embraced the silver and have decided I'm tired of covering up the skunk line/roots. Fortunately, the red I put on it has faded out to lighter highlights and it doesn't look too bad growing out. If I looked good with short hair, I'd chop it all off or even shave my head to get rid of the dyed parts.

It is my profound hope that my hair will be like my father's beautiful silver when it finally all turns. Right now it's mostly on the front, and especially the right side. The back half of my head has only a few strands threaded through.

Noting our family's tendencies:

My maternal grandmother did gray till she was older. Her daughter, my aunt, was gray starting in high school. Aunt Nelle permed and colored her hair red until the day she died around age 80. Her hair was like straw. My mother never colored hers, and once it all turned gray, it was a pretty silver, too.