#SilverFox or #GrannyHair
I’m now gray.
It took over a year to bleach enough color out, grow enough of my natural out and to overall transform to my natural gray hair. I remember 10 years ago I complained to my colorist about the changing texture of my hair and he responded, “Well, gray hair is wiry.” I took offense. “What possibly can you mean? My hair isn’t gray!” I let the roots grow a bit longer and looked from front to back and from side to side. The reality was indeed that I was 100% gray at forty. He then explained that my almost white “natural” color is why it was so hard for my hair to hold onto the red color I loved. From that point on, I started wondering when I would stop the hair color battle. In June of 2018 as my 49th birthday approached, I decided to stop. Enough was enough. I wanted to be gray by fifty. Then, out of nowhere, gray hair was POPULAR! #grannyhair was trending. The Wall Street Journal style and fashion section did a January 2019 article on the hottest trend in hair. Pinterest reported an 879% jump in searches for going gray from 2017 to 2018. For the first time in my life, I was not behind the curve, but was solidly in the middle of a trend and well on my way to being in style. And, it only took me fifty years. If only the 1980s could see me now.
In all seriousness, I’m actually excited to have something that works well with my laugh lines to show off my age. It is a privilege to grow older and I don’t want to completely hide all of the signs of aging. It is also a privilege to live during the time of Botox, Ultherapy, radiofrequency, lasers and advances in surgery so that I can be selective about which aging features I want to showcase and which I want to continue to hide! I started getting Botox at the age of thirty because I was developing a crease between my eyes from my constantly furrowed brow. I kicked the nail biting habit, but my stern look must be genetic as only a neurotoxin can take it away. I love that Botox helped me look more approachable even before I used it more broadly to prevent the wrinkles related to aging. I also love that I can use filler to bring back some volume to my face and turn up the corner of my lips against the gravitational force pulling them toward a frown. I love being fifty, but maybe that is because I get to choose where it shows and, more importantly, where it doesn’t. #silverfox