Today I’m over at Rock The Silver, with an update on going gray. Since I know that this topic elicits strong feelings, let me say that I have no desire to proselytize. To each her own, with hair particularly. Mine just happens to be increasingly silver. If you have the time and inclination, find the post here. I thank you in advance.
LPC Is At “Rock The Silver” Today
- June 27, 2011
25 Responses
Going right over, L.
xx’s
I can’t do it. My ego and hairdresser won’t let me. And since he’s one of my best friends, staying blonde cost me nothing, except an extra lunch and a coffee later.
Several of my friends have gone the grey route and they look fabulous, as do you.
Some day maybe when I don’t have a girlfriend 1/2 my age….
xo Jane
My hair is similar to your in length. I know the length is controversial with many. I am also letting my hair go white (It does seem to be white, not gray and my hairdresser has confirmed this.) I am still putting in the blonde highlights (but not on the white parts) because my natural hair color is darker than my blonde highlights and the contrast with white is stark.
Like you Lisa, I don’t see much change when I look in the mirror. I DO see the change when I see a photograph. I am alway a bit surprised at how white my hair looks.
I look forward to seeing your hair as it progresses.
Beautiful I feel you have made an excellent decision for many reasons and most importantly you look great!
Helen Tilston
Have you ever heard the term WASH? White Anglo Saxon Hebrew. That’s what I am, privileged upbringing, and a low emphasis on the Jewish part of my heritage. We do have our own set of archetypes, which I won’t go into here, but my point being – that I don’t fit into the one that ages with grace – yet.
Any red heads gone the grey root? hee,hee!!
The grey streaks are more ‘mustard’ or horror of horrors like a smokers yellow!!!! so this gal has gone the strawberry blonde route adored being a red head would enjoy a ‘white head’ any advise out there would be much welcomed. Ida
Your hair looks great. I’m *just* starting to see the first few gray hairs, and I like how they look — they look like blonde highlights. I’m hoping that my hair takes the same subtle turn that yours did.
Is the last picture really showing your hair? Amazing. I would never turn gray in such an elegant way. So far I have managed with color rinses, keeping my original hair color. One day at a time..
Your hair looks marvelous — I hope mine will grow out as well when there is enough grey to make keeping up with the roots of my bottle-red no longer tenable. I fully intend on long, straight and silver.
I’ll answer here the question you asked there, about an easy way to put hair up: I have had hair below my shoulders most of my adult life and am never without a hair stick of some kind. Depending on length and layers, you may need a single (chopstick-like) or a U or fork. Long hair can be wrapped into a knot; currently I have layers and so do a mock French twist (which is easier than it sounds but needs a bit of explaining the first time). The fork I carry with me the most is this one:
http://www.craftycelts.com/hair/images/hairfork.jpg
Maybe it was the light on your “after” photo, I couldn’t tell the difference between the grown out part and the colored part.
It seems to me that saving $350 on highlighting or coloring is a smart move.
Would you have made this same decision if you were still working or more actively looking for a job?
Have you seen Cindy Joseph, the Eileen Fischer model with the long, silver hair? Sometime in her late 40s / early 50s, she got signed to Ford, the modeling agency. I think she’s beautiful in her non-conventional way.
http://www.boombycindyjoseph.com
My mom, who had jet black hair through her 50s, just let it go naturally salt and pepper. (She’s in her 60s). She now keeps it a short, boy-type cut, which suits her.
I think your long hair looks great.
Lisa, Try a single braid. Saw a woman in Europe wearing a silver braid…so elegant. It might suit you!
“Try a single braid.”
Even better, a French braid, no not cornrows, not Swiss milkmaiden, just a sui generis version that you and your hair consultant work out exclusively for you. Very sturdy, very sexy, very grande cousin! Gwyneth would lift the crown a bit, but that’s show biz.
Loving your posts!! White Shirt, Sunglasses and going gray – how did you know!
As with everything else about me, I’m certain my grays will win too eventually. LOL
Hello Lisa…. well I am a 30 year old with long dark brown hair, and to my great surprise I have found some unmistakably white hairs growing here and there. Since then I have become obsessed, I search for them and pull them off. I now I should not do this. I always told myself that when I got the white hair, I would just leave it and assume. Of course I did not expect to see them until I was … late in my forties or at 50, as happened to my mom. Anyway. I do not think you really see them or they look like blond highligts, which I have, unless you search like crazy like I do. Thing is as much as I fight against it, I can not seem to have peace with it, and as soon as I find one, as short as half a centimeter or shorter I tweeze it out. Maybe I should start highlighting ? Do you have any advice ? I like my hair color.. which is chocolatey brown, but that tends to get kind of golden blond in the summer… like Giselle Bundchen when she is not blond…
Hope you have some insight ?
I asked my hairdresser how I would look with grey hair. I got a one word answer: “Practical”.
I love the length and I love the grey. Your appearance now matches the personality of someone who would go traipsing through India on her own. Your business appearance doesn’t match as well – for me anyway.
Marsha – Thank you so much!
Jane – Younger significant others do play a role:). To say nothing of free hairdressing you lucky duck.
Susan – The length is controversial, but in any scenario where it might be inappropriate, and cause discomfort where you don’t want cause any, you can put it up. Besides, it’s not like going naked to a wedding or anything.
Helen – Thank you!
kathy – I had not heard that term, but quite like it. And would love to hear your equivalent archetypes.
ida – Ah. That is a set of special circumstances.
Meghan – Thank you. If you don’t get a stripe, as I did at first, I think the whole transition could be quite pleasant.
metscan – Yes. It’s really my hair. No Photoshop:). You’d look absolutely fantastic grey.
Maryn – Thank you so much. I am going to get myself a hair fork and give it a shot. I bet there are all kinds of styles in the world, right?
RoseAG – The lighting did pose a challenge, I agree. The difference is only in tone. In other words, I had light and dark before, in shades of brown and yellow. I have light and dark now, in shades of silver and what I can only describe as iron brown. And I started coloring my hair precisely because of my job. I highly doubt I’d leave it this way were I working.
Joyce – Cindy does look amazing. I’d love to see a picture of your mom:). Thanks.
Valentine – I think for errands a braid would definitely be better than a ponytail. Thank you.
Mags – Great minds think alike, obviously:).
Amanda – I think I’d stay brown, for now. I wouldn’t pull them out, I mean, you’ll want all the hair you can get, later in life. So I’d probably color them if they are numerous, leave them in they are few, and then start to highlight at some point to prepare to go gray without the abrupt demarcation.
Duchesse – Ha! While practical is useful, it’s not very powerful, is it.
Fuji – Thank you. I agree, my business appearance was the ultimate act of High WASP “appropriateness.” I studied, I practiced, I dressed for the situation. In semi-retirement, I’m experimenting. Several people have asked me to switch out the photo on this home page. Perhaps I shall.
Lisa,
I’m doing the same thing you are – going long and naturally grey. I’m trying to keep it in good shape by keeping the damaging sun off it and avoiding any clips or other items which might damage it. I find that ponytails break my hair and cause it to fall out so I’m just keeping it out of my face and the sun off it with a scarf and continue looking for non-damaging ways to put it up. It’s naturally wavy and if some of the hair breaks, it doesn’t fall smoothly and is a nightmare. It’s not quite long enough to do this yet, but I thought that this http://bendywand.com/ looked interesting and relatively benign.
Mary G
I find it interesting how many of us spend a good portion of our years focused on external roles and obligations and how those years are bookended by experimentation during adolescence and retirement. It seems to be waxing and waning, looking inwards and then outwards…
Yes, I too have joined the ranks-So far there are changes amidst every other color my hair is at present. There is nothing more liberating than just doing it. I could not agree more with you assessments and reasoning behind the going with the gray. Keep up the good work! I will if you will! pgt
Loved your post about the silver. Walking that road myself. Hairstylist recommended a wig and scarves. HA! I don’t think so! It looks better than I thought it would in transition…I did have some layers cut in so the silver would dance around in the brown more, though. Will go back to long and all one length when grown out.
I love it.
I am 58 and my hair started to go grey at 32.
It came in streaked right in the front. My hair was
a sandy dark blonde. It is still a blend but I’m more whitish in the front mainly. Now don’t freak out, but my hair is long and stick straight. It is also silky and I have it trimmed every 6 weeks to keep it all one length and so when i turn my head
every strand moves with the cut.
My hair makes a statement along with the way I dress. I was in the fashion business in another life and I still dress in statement pieces, such as big and bold earrings..I have kept all the chunk jewelry from the 70’s and & 80’s that were hand made and from Neimans French desingers in those times.
Besides getting into that..the thing that is most important with going grey is your skin coloring. You can either play up your eyes and wear light lipstick or play up your lips with little eye make up. Grey hair looks great with bright colors too, something I would never wear in my 30’s and 40’s until I moved south. I am still a blue jean girl and I do wear high platform heels with skinny jeans, but I am more understated then my 40’s. I can still get away with it but I would rather wear a great white shirt now or a simple dress and use jewelry and scarves as my body decor.
I believe your as young as you feel and so I keep exercising and eating well and enjoying life to the fullest.Being slender I can get away with more too.
You look great and I am enjoying reading your blog.
Happy Birthday!
Comments are closed.