Thank you all for your kind words. I'm so glad you like it.
To be honest, I loved my silver hair very much. It was easy to maintain and my hair and scalp were so much healthier without harsh chemicals. I'll probably go back to it at some point. But there were some drawbacks too. Over the years, I received many comments that bothered me, made me feel old and invisible, and eroded my confidence.
Younger colleagues at work constantly asked when I was retiring and were shocked when I told them I still have 10 years left to work. Coworkers in their 30s compared me to their mothers. Strangers asked if my teenage daughter was my granddaughter or if my older-than-me friend was my daughter. I even got senior tickets and discounts without asking.
I know that getting older is a privilege and that young people often don't know better. I don’t mind looking my age, but it seemed I looked much older than that. Just when I'd shake off one comment, a new one would come along. However, that’s not why I started coloring my hair again.
When my thyroid started acting up in 2022, I lost about 70% of my hair in just a few weeks. Very thin, almost translucent long white hair was not my best look. Fortunately, my thyroid got under control fairly quickly and my hair started to grow back thicker than ever. But this new baby hair had a different texture; it was coarse and frizzy. With so much of it, it looked like I was growing out a pixie cut. My hairstylist suggested that coloring might help with the texture, and because I was so unhappy with my hair, I agreed to try.
First, I used temporary color, then permanent. At first, I didn’t like it at all. It took months to get used to being blonde and the color wasn’t quite right for me. It didn’t look natural and wasn’t a good match with my skin tone. But it did help with the frizz and coarse texture. I was almost ready to give up being blonde and go back to silver when I found this new hairstylist.
So I will keep coloring for now. And I haven’t gotten one senior ticket or disparaging comment since
