Wednesday, April 6, 2011

My Retirement - Skunked

"Thinking"  about making more decisions and doing OK

Hair Raising!

Recently I was speaking by phone to a good friend who I have not seen in awhile.  She has been through quite a bit in the past few years but always has a positive, sunny disposition.  She does not let things get her down and is always a delight to be around (I am so poetic).  She told me something that surprised me though and I was not sure how to react.  She let her hair go natural which is (horrors of horrors) grey.  She told me she was tired of dying her hair only to have a white stripe from the roots down the middle of her head a few weeks later.  Bravo to her, what an independent, free thinker she is, but how do you do that?  Do you let the white grow out till you are half and half?  She sent me a picture of her on a cruise and she looked absolutely beautiful.  She was cute, classy and had a stunning Farrah Faucet look going. Grey can be cool!

I remember when my Mom decided to quit the bottle (color, that is) and told us she was going back to her natural shade, which at age 70 was grey/white.  I became despondent and tried to talk her out of doing that as seeing my beloved mother looking her age was a sign to me of her mortality.  Although she had many health problems, she was such a vital, funny lady whose spirit was forever-young.  I kept trying to talk her into a temporary light-brown rinse, but she did not want my advice and was comfortable with her decision. I found that the white hair did not strip her of her joie de vivre and she lived to the ripe old age of 85 and she was beautiful.

So now I'm thinking, maybe it is time for a new look for me.  I have been a redhead since I turned 18, which is a lifetime ago.  There have been many incarnations of this red - dark, medium, light, streaked, faded, bright, dull and now, like my friend expressed, skunked.  Colors that I have used for years are not taking well to my new texture (old hair) and I seem to have a pink glow about me and then three weeks later, the white stripe is visible.  For a few years I went to a hairdresser for coloring but when the bill became $200 (with tip), I could not justify it anymore.  I also don't like sitting around in a salon for hours and then lying to the hairdresser and saying I love it when I can't wait to run out to my car and comb out the "do" they gave me.  I have to admit though that I was usually pleased with the color, so maybe I can find a less expensive salon and bite the bullet and pay a professional.  I'm thinking of going blond or doing highlights as that blends better with the roots. Besides, I am thinking red may not be age appropriate for me anymore.  I can't do the natural look though, because although my friend looked like a glamorous movie star, I would look more like the late Estelle Getty from the Golden Girls.  My mind is not ready for that.

 

8 comments:

  1. You are beautiful no matter what color your hair is - just try to avoid blue.

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  2. Gave up on the colour when I turned 50....I was grey at 35. I just can't be bothered running back to the salon evey 4 weeks for a touchup and spending all that time and money just to look like an old lady who colours her hair. Be brave....you can do it.

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  3. Not ready to do that. My body might be there now, but my mind is not. I might die grey, but my spirit will be red!

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  4. I agree with Heather....avoid the blue hair! We are entering an age where we can relax and just be....think of the money you will save!!! xoxo

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  5. Oh to have such a dilemma on "what color should my hair be". I feel your pain.

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  6. andy - your comment cracked me up!

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  7. Ah! hair! such a touchy subject n'est pas?
    Mine (naturally) is ashy, yucky, icky something...so I highlight. It does happen to grow like gangbusters, so I do have to see my hairdresser fairly regularly. Just recently, I've noticed considerable greying at my temples, but it blends in quite well with the blonde, so not to worry (for now). What I would like is for my entire man to go silver-grey, then I'd definitely do the wild and woolly long-haired grey a la Judy Collins!

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  8. Hey girlfriend - you are as young as you feel! I think in honor of your newfound retirement that you DESERVE a change - so go for it! Be brave - I agree with one of your other friends - any color EXCEPT BLUE!!

    Vicki

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