I’ve been told that I was born with a white hair. It is, on my mother’s side, hereditary that we go white (not grey, but sparkling white) very early in life. By the time I was 20 I had one I could pick out easily. By the time I turned 25 I had a little hydra-like cluster in the baby fine hairs near my temple. As I approached 30 I had “more than 60″, which is when my husband gave up trying to count them for fun. Now that I’m 31 the white hair has literally exploded, and I find myself in an interesting position. The change is happening so quickly now that if you don’t see me for several months at a time, you might literally be shocked by how much white hair I have compared to before.
Hair down, no easily visible white.
Growing up I knew very well that I would go white prematurely. My mother had been dyeing her hair regularly from the time I was a toddler. I don’t, in fact, remember a time when she didn’t dye her hair. From brunette, to redhead, to her current various shades of blonde, our house was no stranger to the dye bottle. It was just a way of life for her, and not something I thought about in any negative way. I have, over the years, dyed my own hair various shades of plum or black. For my wedding I dyed my hair back to my original dark chocolate and had professional wine highlights put in. Frankly, It was awesome. Since then, over three years ago, I have dyed my hair only once or twice, and not at all in the last year. I’ve been curious, you see, about what I will look like with salt and pepper hair.
I have no sense of youth or beauty tied up in my hair. I can thank this healthy attitude to the practical knowledge that it has nothing to do with my actual age, and everything to do with genetics. People have always thought I’m older than I actually am, just because of how I speak and carry myself. Having white hair won’t change that fact. I think having white hair is kinda cool, and it makes what little I do with my hair more interesting by defining the waves and semi-curls in my hair. Don’t let the photo below fool you, there’s an enormous amount of white hair around my face, but for some reason it’s hard to photograph.
Hair up, visible white everywhere the hair is pulled back.
The question now, is what to do, if anything?
Do I care that white hair makes me look older? I don’t know. FAR more important to me is my good skin. Primarily blemish free aside from eczema flare-ups, I have not a single wrinkle. I can guess where my first will appear (a vertical line between my eyebrows), but I am happily line free. Thanks Dad, oily skin does have a plus side! Dyeing my hair will have me passing for a late-twenty-something for a very long time, I think. I’m more concerned that once I start dyeing it now, I’ll have to continue or face the dreaded skunk roots. One of the women I admired in my old guild had the most gorgeous corkscrew curly hair and it was completely steel and white colored.
If you have any white hair, how do you feel about it? Am I alone in being fascinated by this sign of genetic whimsy and social maturity?
January 27th, 2010 7:52 am
I personally see nothing wrong with going gray early. Wear it proudly, as a mark of acccomplishment and maturity.
I’ve always loved the look of long gray hair. It is the re-enactor in me, longing for that style when the day comes.
Amy Darsie´s last blog ..Manic Monday
January 27th, 2010 8:00 am
I found my first gray hair on my 21st birthday. What a rude awakening that was! At this point I don’t have many and I get away with just highlighting my hair to cover them up. I always said I wouldn’t go the color route but as I get more and more gray it does bother me.
Carole´s last blog ..Ten On Tuesday
January 27th, 2010 12:44 pm
I’ve been plucking them, I know, a big no-no. I don’t get many though..thankfully. I’m 29 and I’ve probably plucked about 15 in my lifetime. However, I went to my hairdresser on Saturday for a cut and she found 3. I immediately had her pluck them. And they’re not gray, they’re white. Stark white and coarse. I used to get upset with my mom for plucking hers. She’s 56 now and has a full head of natural dark brown hair. She’s still plucking the occasional white one doesn’t intend to stop until it gets out of control!
January 27th, 2010 1:34 pm
Leave it!
Matt has a lovely sprinkling of white throughout his head and beard, and I love them all. Our friends think it’s weird but honestly, I love looking at them. I think they’re so cool. In my family, the blondes (like me) don’t go white, we go dingy grey. That makes me sad.
Divine Bird Jenny´s last blog ..Coin Girl Would Be Proud
January 27th, 2010 1:56 pm
I’m like Jenny and when my gray starts to grow out, my hair starts looking dingy. I dye every six weeks, if I can stand to wait that long! If my natural hair color was darker, I wouldn’t, but it’s dishwater blonde and with gray in there, it looks ratty. Blech!
elizabeth´s last blog ..emerging from the cocooon
January 27th, 2010 6:36 pm
I got my first white hair in my late teens. By the time I was 25 I had a white streak in front. It looked really cool until more gray and white started showing. When I was 34 someone asked if was going on 40 and the dye bottle became my new best friend. Now I don’t think about it. I have had my hair professionally colored, I’ve done it myself, and now I’m having it done professionally again. I don’t think know if I’ll ever go au natural until my roots go completely white…and maybe not even then.
Harriet´s last blog ..FO Friday: Judith’s Hat and Fingerless Mitts
January 28th, 2010 1:13 pm
I’ve inherited the early gray gene from my Mom. My 2 sisters did not. At 19, I started getting a gray here & there. I’ve been dying it ever since. The past couple years I’ve made several attempts to grow out my hair & let it go natural. I keep seeing women who have all gray hair, silver really, & they look vibrant & awesome. I just can’t seem to get past the “skunk stripe down the center of my head” phase. Always cave & dye it again. My Mom still dyes her hair.
I think you’d be fabulous with all white/gray hair.
Kim´s last blog ..Eye Candy Friday: Wiawaka Edition
January 29th, 2010 2:49 pm
I have had grey hairs since around 18 years old. I have no wrinkles now at 44 and figure if I can look younger, why not dye my hair and keep the “young” look going. One day I am sure I will tire of the whole thing and let it go, but for now, dye I am.
Oily skin is a beautiful thing later in life, isn’t it?
Donna´s last blog ..A GREAT Weekend