Another problem going into your 50s is your hair colour (we’ll talk more about style later on). Do you just let the grey come out or do you try to hide it? And if you go down the hiding it road does that go on forever or do you get to a point when you think “enough”? It’s a hard one. And it’s especially difficult if, like me, you’ve been dyeing your hair for decades. In fact my Dad once asked me if my eldest daughter was going to end up with hair the same colour as mine and I replied “I don’t know, I’ve got no idea what colour my hair is”. Nothing to be proud of, I know.
The problem has always been that I was born and continued to have white blonde hair until I got to about 7 or 8. It then turned into a rather alarming mousy colour. I realise mousy hair isn’t alarming to most people (exactly the opposite really) but it just wasn’t, and still isn’t, me, with or without the greying roots. As soon as I was old enough, and rich enough, I started dyeing my hair and 30+ years later a regular trip to the hairdressers is still part of my must-do list. I did try dyeing it myself but after a couple of unfortunate incidents with strange colours (ranging to a rather interesting shade of orange) I decided that I had to have it done professionally. Now I have six weekly visits, every other time she does touches up the roots and the big trip to have some highlights as well. I’m not fooling anyone (I know) but it makes me feel better.
Despite my commitment (mainly financial it has to be admitted) I have often toyed with the idea of getting rid of the colour. So what stops me? If I did it I would have to go for the complete look, I think that’s less ageing than grey roots slowly meandering down your hair as the colour grows out. I suppose it’s no different to the mouse thing really, it just doesn’t feel like me. I have to keep telling myself that in a few years, which will pass at breakneck speed, I shall be 60 but I think it’s that I still don’t really believe myself. I still think of myself as a blonde (albeit a bottle blonde) not a grey-haired old lady. Yes I know grey doesn’t necessarily mean old (I had a friend who went grey in her 30s so has never had this dilemma) but it would make me feel old and I suppose that’s what I am trying to avoid. I had a very good friend who sadly died three years ago aged nearly 80 and she had never stopped dyeing her hair. She was blonde until the last, all done over her kitchen sink for all her adult life. She was the life and soul etc and I couldn’t have imagined her ever being grey. Perhaps that’s how I see myself which means the dyeing will continue. At least for now.
fiftyplusanditsallover 