Vain Worries: Gray Hair

Gray skies are fine.  Gray hair is not!

By Carolyn Roberson - Wednesday 31 Aug 2011

In 1963, my mother was window-shopping in downtown Montgomery, Alabama when approached by another woman. The woman asked my mother had I been adopted from an Asian country, to which my mother explained I had not, but my European Hispanic roots provided me with the fair complexion, black hair, and black eyes.

The most striking color combination, in my opinion, is blue eyes, and blond hair. While I have been asked if I was actually blond before, because of my “stereotypical blond mentality,” I loved being black haired, and black eyed. My favorite black haired beauties are Natalie Wood, and Audrey Hepburn.

While looking through the family photo albums, which is one of my favorite pastimes, I noticed my Daddy was black haired and black eyed. Although, growing up, I remember him with very little hair, and copper eyes, I often wondered if it was a lighting issue, or aging that confused me as to his true hair/eye color combination. Now I know!

Over the years, my thick, jet-black hair has transformed into salt and pepper, and now mostly thin and gray. My jet-black eyes, which completely concealed the pupil, are now copper. It was age that transformed my dad, and now me.

Vain worry number one has set in! What should I do with my hair? My once creamy white complexion is now yellow-ish and dull with some sun damage. My gray hair is a beautiful silver color, like my grandmother’s, but patience prohibits me from allowing it to completely transform itself into a Paula Deen-style hair do. Attempts to self-color my hair have left it with some streaks of brassiness overlaying the salt and pepper. Visits to color stylists have left me with purple hair—yes purple—or some other unsatisfying color!

What a stark contrast, going from black to silver hair. And the warm copper eyes, and yellow, sun-damaged skin seems to clash with the coolness of the silver. What’s a vain woman to do?