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| Go gray | 41% | 2125 votes | Total: 5122 votes | |
| Dye it | 59% | 2997 votes |
Go gray
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Add to FavoritesSultry and sophisticated. You may not realize it but I am talking about how gray hair will soon be viewed. Gray hair used to be seen as a problem because it reminded people that were aging. Nowadays we all live much longer and the likelihood of most of us turning gray is greater because of it.
As the world veers more towards an environmentally green future new designs and innovations are being made to accommodate the new , ecological views of the people. Architecture and the ways in-which we produce energy to fuel our homes are all changing and so will fashion. This is because fashion dictates where money flows by picking up on trends and having the vision to see above the crowd to where we will all be headed next. The money and trends of the future will be green and not gray.
Dying hair uses nasty chemicals. They are unpleasant and cannot be good for the environment and possibly could be detrimental to health over time.
Chemicals can also leave your hair brittle and dry. This means that it is prone to breakage, as well as loosing it's shine at the same time.
Many advert campaigns now feature the more mature model, usually with flowing locks of gray hair. These models, far from looking decrepit, look fresh, confident and even sexy. As more and more of these adverts flood the market gray will be the color to sport along with more natural, easy going hairstyles that evoke a feeling of freedom.
Whether you personally choose to dye your hair or to leave nature to have it's way will depend on your own personal style, and whether you are turning gray in a subtle way or not. Some of us will see our hair turn into a mass of silvery white, while for others their journey into grey hair will be marred by a dramatic clashing of black and white patches.
While this look can suit some folks, others just don't feel right this way. The most important point about whether you dye your hair or not is that what you do is your choice alone and that you are happy with the result. An empowered woman is one who feels free to make up her own mind and who will not be bamboozled into doing as she is told! However, it is important to know that it is just as fashionable and beautiful to have gray hair as it is to have hair with color.
Now we no longer think of gray as the hair color of people close to the end of life and more as the hair color of those who are mature and sophisticated gray has gained a good reputation. I myself look forward to seeing what nature has in store for my hair as I march through time, and intend to remain stylish no matter what my hair color turns out to be.
Learn more about this author, Bridget Webber.
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Dye it
There is an old adage that says, 'gray hair is nature's way of softening your features'. It's a lovely sentiment, but what about those of us who gray early? Do your features really need softening?
Graying early has several causes, such as heredity or outside trauma. In my salon, the percentage of my clients with gray hair is roughly 80%. Of that, 60% are younger than 50.
What does this say?
In our never-ending quest to fight the aging process, we'll do just about anything to brighten, tighten, and camouflage. Open any women's magazine and try to count the number of ads for skin care lines specifically targeted for anti-aging. Nearly every line has an entire system of products to remove wrinkles and dark spots, and to exfoliate and rejuvenate.
Where does hair color fit in this trend?
Think of someone you know who has grayed early. She may have gorgeous white hair, but what color are her eyes? Is she wearing pumps or tennis shoes? Without haircolor, all of our attention is focused on the color of her hair.
Try it yourself; notice women in the grocery store, the mall, etc., who have gray hair. Could you tell the color of her eyes? What clothing she was wearing? It's likely that her hair overpowers most of her other features.
A little color can instantly transform us, and there are several options to use-
1. Temporary, semi-permanent, or demi-permanent colors are a great way to introduce color without commitment. They blend gray hair, rather than cover it completely. Because they don't actually change the hair's natural color, they won't lighten the hair. . Think about a piece of wood covered with stain; you can still see the variegations of the wood itself. You don't have to worry about regrowth maintenance since your natural color is still intact.
2. Permanent color is the one to choose if you want your gray to be completely covered. Ammonia in the color lightens the hair, and the hydrogen peroxide (the developer) provides the oxygen needed to develop the color molecules. If we take another piece of wood and paint it instead of stain it, you know that paint is going to completely cover the wood; all you'll see is the color applied.
3. The third choice is highlighting. Highlighting is a great way to camouflage the gray. Your colorist can add nearly any color and amount you can dream of. Going platinum isn't the only result of highlighting. It can be super-subtle, only a level or two lighter than your natural color. If the highlights are soft, scattered, and not far from your natural color, regrowth maintenance is quite low.
With all the options available to us, we can easily slip away from that gray and, as an added benefit, our hair texture will soften and become shinier, leaving people to wonder,does she or doesn't she?'.
I'll never tell...
Learn more about this author, Rhonda Piraino.
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