Fifty-one shades of grey

If you are reading this, and think you are in for an all-revealing book review, I hate to disillusion you! The topics of embracement, love and romance will come up, but not in the fictional way!

Most of us reading this article are probably at an age where we actually don’t have to spend hundreds of rands and an eternity at the hairdresser or in our own bathrooms trying to rid ourselves of the grey. The grey just comes naturally! If you are not a lover of grey hair, take heart – it may be fleeting or possibly a social statement, but grey hair has become the hot new fashion trend in 2012! Some of us may well have embraced our mature age and grown grey gracefully, others may be battling to ban the grey on a regular basis.

You may be sceptical, you may be curious. However, there are growing numbers of young women who are paying good money for a gunmetal mane and wear it with pride and attitude! A-listers and renegade type celebrities such as Kate Moss and Pixie Geldof believe that grey is the hot and romantic way to go, with the look providing a heightened contrast to their youth and beauty.

While the majority of older women have a fit and reach out for the hair dye the minute a grey hair sprouts, silver foxes such as Helen Mirren, Judy Dench, Diane Keaton and Jamie Lee Curtis sport stylish and trendy hairstyles in numerous shades of grey, ranging from light, almost blonde to purple and blue, proving that going grey is anything but “granny”.

Grey hair was first a fashion statement back in the 18^th century. The rich and famous would oil and powder their hair in various shades of grey and white. Oil made the powder stick, but the powder shed when one moved. And so the person concerned was thought to have dandruff! Marie Antoinette was an early champion of the powdered bouffant-style coiffure. Wig powder, made from flour, was used liberally in her legendary powdered and towering bouffant hairstyle which was not popular with the lower classes who could not afford simple bread, due to the de-regulation of wheat prices! It is ironic that we are told that Marie Antoinete’s hair turned grey due to the stress and fear the night before her execution!

Are you one of those folk who spend a fortune trying to hide your grey roots to mask the signs of ageing? Or are you ready to grow old gracefully! Do you think that grey hair make you look older? Is having grey hair a deal-breaker when it comes to single women getting dates? Do we feel compelled to colour our hair in an attempt to appear more energetic and youthful? Should we not be embracing our maturity, our accomplishments and our strengths and welcome this new trend of grey chic hair?

We are not leaving the gentlemen out of this conversation. Jane had this to say “The haircut is critical. Guys with long grey hair look older and sometimes ridiculous. Guys with short grey hair, styled well, look distinguished and well-groomed”. Dave had this to say “Grey hair on a confident woman is beautiful and sexy.”

And because we work at YEI and discounts and benefits are very important to us, let’s look at some benefits of being a grey-head, and we look forward to your contributions:

• We don’t get asked for ID or pensioners cards at the businesses who offer a pensioner discount!
• You’re allowed to be cranky. In fact, people expect it from you. Use the power!
• People give up their seats for you on public transport.

And if you are the stage where you believe it’s time to let your hair go grey, here are some tips:

• Visit a hairdresser and together plan how you can gradually grow out your grey hair. Options include low-lights to add definition and blend in the roots;
• Apply a lighter semi-permanent colour to your hair until the grey grows out a little;
• Cut your hair into a short, choppy, layered and trendy style – this will disguise (to a point) the different hair colours.
• Consider changing your make-up, using vibrant make-up shades to flatter your new colour and energise your look.
• Use conditioner regularly as grey hair is often brittle and prone to dryness.
• Buy products specifically designed for grey hair.