Photo Friday - Gray

Her name is Nubbin. She was at my future-son-in-law-next-door's birthday party last weekend and was wearing a diaper! If that's not precious, I don't know what is. Such a sweet old gal.

(Pssst, there's a post below the cut)

It's happening. I'm going gray. It's true. In recent months, I've progressively found and plucked more and more gray hairs from my head (about 4 or 5). The aging part doesn't bother me, it really doesn't. What bothers me is that I have virgin hair and while I knew this day would come, I didn't think it would come quite this soon. I do not want to start having to dye my hair. ::::shudder:::: I don't know why I have such an aversion to it but I just do. I don't like having to do anything, I guess. That's where my immaturity free spirit becomes painfully obvious. It's just that I am very minimalist when it comes to make-up and even more so when it comes to hair products. I keep my fingernails short on purpose and while I enjoy mani-pedi's, I enjoy them for the pampering part. O.P.I. Bubble Bath is my color of choice and has been for years. It's a nice  light, natural color. I wax my eyebrows because although I love Frida, I don't want to appropriate her unibrow and I get the occasional facial and massage because it's relaxing. Even so, my skin is shit and I don't care all that much. I swear I'm not fussy or the least bit prissy when it comes to stuff like that.

All that said, I've plucked like 2 gray hairs in my entire life. One I recall specifically because it was discovered by a new hairdresser while we were trying to get pregnant with Elle. You know the drill. How are you? turns into Are you married? and soon it's Do you have kids? and then it's How many? and How old? and Are you going to have any more? and then the child spacing assvice starts to fly and before you know it, you're dabbing at your eyes with the leopard print nylon smock because I don't know what's taking so long! I don't know what's wrong with us! and then they find a gray hair and state the obvious with their thick Texas twang, Well, honey, no wonder! You're under so much stress, not being able to get pregnant and all. You poor thing! Gee, ya think?

So, while that gray hair bothered me for entirely different reasons, these recent ones are the real deal and did I mention I HAVE VIRGIN HAIR!!!

:::pant, pant, pant:::

Anybody have a paper bag handy?

:::hyperventilating now:::

Comments

[erin rae]

Great Nino. Now I've got Like A Virgin singing on repeat in my head...

As someone's whose hair (nor much else) hasn't been virginal in a really long time, I'm not going to lie. It's a pain in the ass. An expensive pain in the ass. I admit, I kinda like sitting there for hours with my hairdresser, just reading trashy mags, but I could do without. If only it weren't for the mousy-brown-dishwater-I-used-to-be-a-beautiful-blond-until-I-grew-up hair.

There is always another option. My mom, is au natural, to this day. And totally gray. What's funny is that people often compliment her on the fact that it is so ~cool~ to see natural gray hair. Along similar lines, I remember a female pediatrician to this day because of her gorgeous long gray hair. Unusual, but striking. (Though, with only 2 hairs, I think you've got a couple years before a decision really has to be made ;-)

[cursingmama]

My hair dresser (how old does that phrase make me sound?) keeps offering up her gray covering services and I keep refusing. I've decided (for now) that I'm going to age and being gray is the least of my aging issues. After plucking all the gray hair like a mad woman I have decide to only pluck the completely unruly ones now & I'm calm again. Almost zen like!

[chatty cricket]

My father went white at 33. WHITE, and pretty much did it over night. My Mother tells me she can't remember her mother with anything but white hair. It's coming from both sides.

I'm 29 years old, and I already have an impressive number of WHITE hairs. Since having children, the number has increased (har), and though I've tried to color it, generally speaking the color doesn't stick all that well to my white hair. So I switched to highlighting, and even that is a complete pain to keep up.

I've made the decision to continue to highlight until I have enough white hair to justify going au natural. I actually think it looks quite striking, and I'm a little bit vain about the particular color of my white hair. I think it's pretty.

But enough about me. Would you consider going au natural and maintaining your (hair) virginity?

[Erin]

No! Don't pluck! Urban legend/rumor has it that when you pluck grays, they don't grow back. You could go bald! (I tested this one, because for years I would pluck my dad's eyebrows - they were all long and shaggy - and they were mostly gray, and eventually they just thinned out to almost nothing. Now I trim them instead. Why I groom my father's eyebrows is another story altogether.)

I found my first gray at 20. Actually, my boss found it. They're a nice shiny silver, and I kind of like them. They make me look older (like almost my age. I'm constantly mistaken for the nanny). I'm planning (right now) to let them go au naturel. My mom dyes, and it just looks ridiculous for a woman her age and a grandmother of two.

Celebrate the evolution of your woman-ness! Show the world the true you! Don't dye! (Geez, this is a long post. Sorry!)

[christie]

I don't have virgin hair, but I found out, the hard way,that my natural color, brown, is the color that looks the best on me. I don't have the kind of look that just any hair color works on. So, I dread coloring it again. I think I might go with the highlighting as long as I can when I start finding grays. But, I love that silver/ white look some older women have too. As for you Nino, my mom had hair color similar to yours, and managed to keep it looking beautifully dark,(usually), for along, long time, and she is really low maintenance. I think you got a while though. :)

[Tracy]

Well, I am proud to announce that I don't have a single gray hair on my head. And why, you ask? Because I'M NOT A VIRGIN! Ya' know, when you pay for the highlights every 6-8 weeks it's hard to have time to find a gray! Although that gives me plenty of time to find those pesky roots! I long to go back to the days that I didn't have to pay to be a blonde.

BTW... LOVE the Nubbin pic. And be glad that dog was wearing a diaper. Although she usually only wears it inside!

Oh, and your hair is so beautiful, dark and luxurious I wouldn't worry yet.

Love ya -- your future sister-in-law

[Jennifer]

I was fifteen when i found my first gray hair-I've had the ocasional WHITE hair since birth...as does the baby now. So maybe it's not age? As for the color part-don't do it if you are freaking out. And remember they make temporary six week hair color. Now I have to go call my stylist and schedule my highlights. I do it cause I get bored, lol.

[Surfergirl]

love the cute wizened old doggie :) my husband--who's not even 30, has a lot of grey strays and i always kid him i could make a fortune if he pays me a dollar (or even 50cents) to pluck per gray strand. but no--he's so proud of it. he says its a sign of wisdom. pfft.
don't worry. im sure your hair is still beautiful!

[Kay]

Awww ... I feel for you ... though I can't say I understand since I'm still a couple of light years away from that "first" but I think I would feel the same way ... don't worry .. .who knows, you might like the whole dye-ing thing ...

[Colleen]

First off, picturing that scene in the salon made me both tense and laughing at the same time. Funny! I, too, am finding those annoying white hairs in my hair. I have found that the problem with plucking them is having new, short white hairs that stand straight up on your head like Alfalfa! BOING! Look at me! I am white! Frankly, that's worse than the long white ones mixed in with my strawberry blonde hair. I, too, fear coloring my hair. For me, it's the fear that it will look like I color my hair. My hair has so many shades of red, blonde and brown in it, it would take a scientist to get the right formula! But, my sister has similar hair, is five years my senior, and seems to be coloring hers without it being obvious. Guess I need to get the number of her stylist.....some day. Not brave enough to take the plunge yet.

[Jerri Ann]

I feel your pain, I found an entire patch of gray and made myself an appointment for a highlight pronto! I go Tuesday....that won't come fast enough for me to be able to quit seeing this patch!

[holly]

I haven't dyed my hair in years!!! I've been growing my hair to donate it to locks of love and I cannot dye my hair. It's been about 4 years, no big deal. I love my gray, it's so shiny and bright. It feels liberating for me to leave my hair age naturally. I may change my tune once it all turns that lovely snowy colour, but for now, I love it. Men don't fret over this, why should we?

[Leta]

Hmmm, not sure about how to respond to this dilemma. I get not wanting the gray. I've only found one so far. But I dye my hair all the time. I enjoy having a different temporary look every few weeks. I always say I'll never know if I'm going gray or not because I already dye my hair all the time. I enjoy the 2 hours at the salon, reading magazines and having drinks brought to me, chatting with my stylist. I get it dyed about every 12 weeks or so. I'm pretty low maintenance as well, so this is one of the few things I do maintain regularly.

[noah]

thats a good pic. nice job. like Photo Friday? try PHOTO SUNDAY at: http://wetsox.org/noah/photosunday/