What's wrong with grey hair?!
Growing old gracefully…
This post has nothing to do with Berlin, cheesecakes or sausages, but it is something I would like to discuss. Twice this week, people have mentioned to me how awful going grey is.
I am 31. There is nothing I can do about this fact and I’m actually completely unbothered about it. So what that I’m older than Jason and so what that I’m unmarried and don’t have children yet. I am not as young as I once was, but every single one of us grows older every single second. I’m the same as every single other person on this planet.
Last week I met up with a school-friend I hadn’t seen in a while. “Thank goodness you have grey hairs now too” is the first thing she said to me. A colleague at work jumped in the lift with me and inspected a few grey hairs in the mirror saying “OMG I’m getting old and I need to dye my hair now too”. We are all exactly the same age.
I actually found my first grey hair when I was just 17 years old. At the time I was horrified – not even an adult – and pulled it out immediately. In the last few years and especially the last year, I have noticed quite a few of them popping up on my head. I have coloured my hair, which covered them all up, but I did it because I liked having red hair. I haven’t dyed my hair since March and I don’t plan on doing it any time soon. It’s terribly expensive and doesn’t last more than a couple of weeks anyway.
I remember when my mum was almost 50 years old, I asked her what it was like to be so old. “It’s amazing – not everyone gets to 50 years old. Being half-a century old is something that should be celebrated!” That was typical of my mum, always looking on the bright side. She went grey very early, but embraced it and looked fab. Grey was even in fashion a short while ago, with everyone desperately trying to dye their hair in 50 different shades of grey.
I feel like the world tries to punish us for growing old. When I finally found Jason’s first grey hair I was happy that he too was growing old. After all, we don’t all get lucky enough to live until we go grey and wrinkly, but I for one am looking forward to it!
8 Comments
DublinGal
nice post! I think there is also a double standard. I see lots of men with plenty of greys in their 30s and it doesn’t bother them at all whereas women with grey hairs feel pressure to dye them! Older grey men are fondly called “silver foxes” as a compliment for instance whereas woman are meant to hide any signs of aging. I’ve been dying my hair the last few years, mainly to cover greys, and yes it is expensive and a pain. I’ve gotten a little more laid back recently though and don’t care as much if my roots show and I try to stretch out the hairdresser visits!
Vanessa Abel
I totally agree – it’s always the women who feel they have to spend money and time “sorting themselves out” to make themselves look younger. However a male friend of mine was the one in the lift with me, complaining of his grey hairs – so the beauty industry is turning towards men now too – lots of money to be made there too…
My last visit to the hairdressers for highlights literally took over four hours. I was bored out of my mind and it felt like such a waste of a sunny spring day. I like to look pretty too, but I think as people grow old they grow beautiful – hopefully we will too 😉
Thanks for the comment xx
Maggie
I have grey hair, which I confess I do hate, it does make me feel frumpy, I am not worried or upset that I have grey and now I am 54 I can say that I have had grey hair for over 25years, so I am a bit fed up with it, so I feel ok that I highlight my hair to make me feel less frumpy, not old. Good on you Vanessa lovely blog..xxx
Vanessa Abel
I have such dark hair, I remember as a girl trying to dye my hair blue – let’s just say I totally failed… I’m looking forward to going grey so I can finally dye my hair blue 😉
You absolutely ALWAYS look fabulous Maggie!! I hope we’re as fabulous as you and Tony one day xx
Christie Dietz (Eating Wiesbaden)
Totally agree. I’ve not got any grey hairs on my head yet but I’m embracing every wrinkle… I just don’t understand this horror that people have about getting old. I’m almost 36 (no idea how that happened) and really couldn’t give a monkey’s about “fine lines” (they’re bloody WRINKLES) or grey hairs – the only thing that bothers me is that I can’t get up without saying “ooh me knees”. My mum turned properly white overnight at my age and she looked – and still looks – amazing 🙂
Vanessa Abel
I love the way white hair looks on ladies and I see wrinkles as a sign of having done something in your life. I guess if you have none you probably never went out in the sunshine and spent hours putting on creams instead of partying 😉
My knees are still working but my back… well… let’s just say we are all growing older, but having fun along the way 🙂
Christie Dietz (Eating Wiesbaden)
Haha… these wrinkles have been newly christened, the Party Lines 😀
Vanessa Abel
My new favourite word – perfect – haha!!