I have some friends in NC who are my outdoorsy role models. They have all been very active in Outward Bound, and the dad of the family is nicknamed The Gray Wolf. (Is gray spelled "gray" or "grey"?) It's a really cool nickname, and it fits him because he has super keen forest/outdoor survivor skills, and he's become a handsome gray-headed man over the years. I like gray on him, but not on me.
 
For a little over a year, I've been noticing not just the graying of America, but the graying of Beth. At first, the little gray devil shot up with fury. It glared at me in the mirror as a crazy white squiggle sprouting out of my head. I yanked that sucker hard, but not before also taking a few innocent darker haired bystanders. Ouch! And then the gray pack, brought out reinforcements. Sometimes they hide out, but then, when I least expect it, normally in bright light, they show themselves again. I estimate that about 20-40 of them have camped out on my head.
 
My new first plan of attack:
Get some John Frieda color shampoo which might help shadow the gray team. If that doesn't work, I'll make like Bill Monroe and pluck--but if I fear that this might be too painful, and this plan could leave me with bald patches.
 
My last result:
Dye it.
 
I've been warned many times by hairdressers, grandmothers, co-workers, strangers, etc. about the evils of hair dying. How in the world do you dye red hair? And how will I answer the question, "Is that your natural hair color?" Will I say, "No."? Oh, the horror!
 
And it's one more expense I don't need in my life. Hair coloring can be time consuming, and I could put that money to good use like supporting missionaries...or my Starbucks/Target habit (just being honest).
 
Have a Happy Little Friday, and if you have any advice for a redhead in gray distress, let me know.


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3 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Whatever you do - don't do your own dye job. :( I've had horrible results that way. However, I have found a few hairdressers who have done a great job matching my color. That way I can still say it IS my natural haircolor, thank you. :) Good luck!

  1. ... on 6:06 PM  
  2. AyDubb said...

    Here's my grandma's advice (and mine, too!): EMBRACE it. Gray hair means you've been here long enough to have gone through some things and learned some lessons as a result of those things. Separates the rookies from the semi-pros, as it were. (That last part is mine, not my grandma's.)

    P.S. Welcome back!

  3. ... on 4:04 AM  
  4. Me said...

    I soooo hear you! My hubby assures me that I see my gray hairs before anyone else does, but I can see their plot to take over . . . just a few hairs at a time! And I don't have red hair, but I have thick hair, and I've seen my mom's hair (a similar, but slightly more wiry texture than mine) turn bright orange too many times from trying the dye! So, I think when plucking would take too many hairs, I will just have to learn to love my gray hairs!

  5. ... on 12:13 PM