Going Gray - Week 8

It's been a while since I wrote about my battle with the bottle -- the bottle of hair dye, that it -- so I thought I'd post an update, along with a photo. GASP! You're probably wondering, what are you thinking?!! Sometimes, I wonder that myself. To learn more about what's motivating, click here.

So far, only one person I know has commented (at least to my face) about my silver roots, and that's because I told her a while ago I was doing this. Everyone else is too polite, it seems.

I'm not sure how I plan to transition, though. I don't mind cutting my hair shorter, but the pixie cut is out of the question. The only reason I'm hanging on to the length now is because I've been pulling it back into a ponytail or bun in an effort to camouflage the skunk stripe (as if!). Maybe a few well-placed ultra-light highlights will help?

One plus: my sensitive, rosacea-prone skin is doing much, much better since I've stopped coloring my hair. Go figure.

Hmmm....Wavering (slightly)

Okay, I'm getting a tad annoyed with my inch worth of silver. Yet, I still plan to hang in there. Here's a site that I find inspiring:

Going Gray Looking Great

It's based on the book of the same name by Diana Jewell.

Going Gray - Why?

So why am I'm considering letting my hair go gray (not to be confused with "letting myself go")?


The primary reason is the time and inconvenience. It takes about an hour and a half to achieve my hair color (aka faux color). That includes getting all the stuff out, clearing a work space, mixing the color and developer, applying the color to the new growth, waiting, rinsing, deep conditioning, waiting, rinsing, then cleaning up my mess.

For a while it was fun to take 90 minutes to pamper myself. During processing time and conditioning time, I'd read a magazine, catch up on a TIVO's episode of "Bones." But more and more frequently, it feels like a chore. Yeah, like I need another one of those: I'm a mom of 3, you know. It stopped being something I liked to do, and became something I dread doing. Just another item on my "to do" list.

Another reason my perception of gray hair is changing. Jamie Lee Curtis, Helen Mirren (okay sometimes she's pale blonde, but I know I've seen white), model Cindy Joseph rock the pearl/silver/gray/pewter.

Then there's Jill. We took a class together. She had short blonde hair. Looked fine, but not WOW! Jill became ill and missed a few weeks of class (she's fine now). When she returned to class, she was sporting an ultra-short, ultra-chic, ultra SILVER crop. Truly a WOW! moment for Jill. She looks amazing. She certainly doesn't look older or washed out. If anything, the silver hair with her somewhat tan skin makes her look more vibrant now.

There's also Mallory, a young, local artist. When I met Mallory 2-3 years ago, I immediately fixated on her hair. Light brown cut into a sleek bob, with quite the white patch in the front framing her face (natural to boot!). I thought to myself, man, if I have gone gray like that, I would have never dyed my hair. If I had to guess, Mallory is probably 30 today.

There's also the curiosity factor. I've had medium to dark brown hair my entire life. I wonder what my gray would look like: mostly dark with some gray, pewter, silver, white? A little or a lot? I have to admit to secretly hoping mine will be silver - a lot of it! I want to see what I'd look like with "light" hair. I know I could never pull off "blonde" but I bet I'd rock silver!

Finally, I believe there's nothing wrong with looking one's age. At 46, time marches on. If I had to choose between looking good and looking young, I would choose good. No one is going to mistake me for a 30 year old, and that's okay. I'd rather shift my efforts from maintaining brunette hair, to focusing on eating right, exercising and enjoying myself.

So the simple answer to "why?" is Why not?

I'm going gray! - Intro

Those of you who know me in person are probably thinking, "so, what's new? You've been going gray and trying to hide it for years" Well, that may be....

However, I'm seriously considering giving up the bottle. The bottle of haircolor, that is. Until recently, I've been using a semi-permanent hair color to cover my roots (usually Natural Instincts, or ION demi permanent), but being semi-permanent, it fades quickly. More and more so, it seems. Plus my hair grows pretty fast so viola! Nearly a half inch of silver roots after 2 to 3 weeks. (Permanent color is a no-no for me. I'll explain in a future post.)

Since I've started flirting with the idea of growing au naturel, my Gray-dar is in full swing. Suddenly I'm noticing some beautiful heads of silvery hair -- and not all are attached to the elderly.

Can I - will I - really do it? I'd like to think so, but eh, I'm fickle. Stay tuned. And yes, there will be photos. Scary, scary photos! :-D

My first foray into 'cosmetic' procedures...

Having reached "a certain age" I decided to splurge on Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for my rosacea. Fine lines and wrinkles, I don't mind. Combine them with red blotchy skin, visible broken capillaries and occasional breakouts and forget it!


For the past couple of years, my dermatologist has been suggesting the IPL treatement when I'd visit her to have individual capillaries zapped away (by tracing along the capillary with a superfine, heated needle - an ouchie, by the way). About once a year, I'd pick up a packed of info and price list from her, but I never took the plunge.


It's not the procedure itself, but rather the price (approx. $400 for the whole face) that put me off. But I've been working part time for a little over a year now, saving some 'mad money' and decided to splurge.

I had my first IPL treatment on April 28. The procedure itself wasn't too painful. A cool aloe gel was applied to my face, and I put on protective eye ware. Next, a "wand" was moved along my face for a couple of test spots. Once the technician determined the best setting, she went to work. The wand itself is cold, but the IPL feels like tiny pin pricks (or ant bites minus the after-pain) every half inch or so.

It took about a half hour to do my entire face. A hydrocortisone cream was applied and I was sent on my way (makeup can be immediately applied). I was told that the effect is cumulative, meaning that the inner layers are heated by the pulsed light. As older layers are sloughed off, the new skin will be more even in tone, and hopefully, the capillaries (my biggest concern) will diminish. The full effect wouldn't be seen for at least two weeks.

So what did I think after Treatment #1? The capillaries along my chin were significantly reduced. Tiny red moles turned dark brown then vanished days later. I was still red, but not all over. The full impact didn't strike me until I was applying my mineral makeup three weeks later. I realized the shade that was perfect for two years is suddenly too yellow and too dark. Off to buy new GloMinerals foundation.

Stay tuned...