I started graying when I was 15. It didn't really show until I was in my 20's. I had white streaks coming off my temples. When I did my hair up I looked like Queen Amidala. So I started coloring it. At one point I went light blonde. I do not recommend this. The amount of processing it takes to turn dark brown hair light blond just kills your hair.
It is most common for brunettes to gray early, so a prematurely graying redhead is a little unusual. I am wondering if those hairs are blonde instead of gray.
I was able to grow out my color by gradually adding darker and darker lowlights until I approached my natural color. This was a very time-consuming process, and I got impatient and cut all my hair off in a supershort style. My philosophy of hair is...it grows. So why not experiment? I don't mind short hair.
Right now I am living in Saudi Arabia, where women's salons are few and far between, so I am growing my gray hair long. This apparently is an unusual choice.
I will admit that some people look at gray hair and that is all they see. I am 41, and the hair around my face is completely gray with some streaks almost white, but in the back it is still dark brown. I have had people think I am in my 50's. I have had a 60 year old say, "When you get to be our age..."
But I have had many more people say, "I wish I could let my gray show."
I am very fortunate in that the gray in my hair is a sparkling silver. So I would partially base your decision on what your gray looks like.
The other part you can think about, especially if you gray prematurely, is that no one will ever really be sure of how old you are. Gray hair for us is not a sign of aging, so we don't worry about it. It's just who we are. And other people will accept that it is just who you are. So you can become whatever age you act.
$ A en`$ re %,$`b " ,bp $(% $-)!%! -$ -4b .$
|