Why do we color our hair to cover the gray?
And, for me, now at 53 – it’s every three weeks. I’ve taken to doing it myself to minimize the expense and the time (sitting at a hair salon for hours is a nightmare for me). I hate the idea of going grey, especially us, women. And I fall into the category of women who want to stave off the ‘looking older’ thing. I make no apologies for it. But, I do get that making myself ‘invisible as an older woman’ can add to the problem.
What Problem?
Ashton Applewhite in this NYTimes piece states:
“When a group is invisible, so are the issues that affect it. Suppose the world saw how many we are, and how beautiful, I mused. Suppose we morphed together, in solidarity: the Year of Letting Our Hair Go Gray! It would be transformative!”
In this piece, Ashton comes to realize that demanding we all go grey is no different than demanding we all women don’t. Each of us has the right to age in our own way; without shame. Maybe trying to ‘pass for younger’ is a ridiculous endeavor but engaging in activities that make you feel your best – whatever that means for you, should be embraced and supported. For me it means I will continue to color my hair. At least for now. And, if and when that changes; that’s ok too.
Borrowing From The Article; Our Desire For All The Women In Our #KuelLife Community:
“We have a choice: we can keep digging the hole deeper, or we can throw away the damn shovel. And we can move, if we have the will and the desire and the vision, from competing to collaborating. We can turn it from a conversation about scarcity and loss to one about empowerment and equity. And we can take that change out into the world. The women’s movement taught us to claim our power; a pro-aging movement will teach us to hold onto it.”
