I know that Lady Clairol always says, "Only her hairdresser knows for sure," but today I am going to come clean: My golden brown locks, ahem, I mean my brown hair is a result of a very scientific equation:
Hair dye + A lot of work + Pure stubbornness = brown hairs
I know that right now many of you are gasping with shock that I have revealed this intensely private secret, but for the good of all womankind, I am coming forward to tell my truth. Here is that truth:
Avoiding grey hair is a LOT of work. Oh yeah--and MONEY. (My husband would want me to tell you that part, too.)
I always knew I would go grey young. My mom did, and her mom did before her. Now, let me first state that I am not avoiding looking like my mom--because she has BEAUTIFUL hair. She has always gotten compliments on her strikingly beautiful salt and pepper hair in her 30s and 40s, and on her lovely mostly white hair now.
I am (cough cough) an older mom of young children. I didn't get started having children until I was 30. That's actually when I started coloring my hair--at 30. I didn't want to be a salt-and-pepper-haired mama of a newborn (That seemed to me an annoying outward symbol of how long our baby journey had taken.) Back then, I started using a hair rinse. I was using this magical stuff:
For 7 years, this stuff worked like a charm for me! When I first started buying it, it was about $6.50, and lasted a good 8 weeks. So, for about $42.25 per year, I was able to avoid the grey. In my opinion, money well-spent!
However, after 7 years, delivering 2 children, and some seriously mixed up hormone issues--my hair was a WRECK. I'll never forget the night 3 summers ago when I first noticed I was losing hair at an alarming rate. It was even more alarming when I asked my hairdresser at my next appointment, "Can you tell I am losing a lot of hair?" And she answered, "Yeah, I can." WOW, that was a wake-up call!!! Horrible nightmare wake-up call for any girl.
In addition to my thinning hair, all of the new hair growing in was frizzy and unruly at the crown. In short, my hair was a real mess.
At that point, I don't know which was worse--the terrible hair situation, or the terrible way I felt inside about it.
Okay, let's get this out of this way: I know, I KNOW hair is such a trivial issue when compared to real problems. I can also promise this was not my worst problem at the time, either. Not by any means! But, I can tell you, that maybe my hair was the problem that I could do something about.
Being able to do something about a problem that weighs heavy on your heart is empowering and freeing! I know--because I made an appointment with my hairdresser, and asked her to help me. Well, help my hair.
Help, she did! (Little shout-out to Charity--You're amazing!) She suggested 3 things:
1. Professional haircolor
2. A good haircut
3. Some salon-grade shampoo and conditioner
She gave me lots of scientific reasons for each of those 3 things, and how they would help my hair regain some health. I knew that going the professional haircolor route was expensive and time-consuming, but in all honesty, that's just what I needed to do emotionally for myself.
Emotionally, I felt better instantly. Being able to do something to solve a problem really is empowering. My hair wasn't "fixed" in 1 appointment. I noticed a little smoother texture right away, but I still struggled with frizzy hair for a good year.
The kicker is that now I spend a LOT more time and money on my hair--all in the name of avoiding going grey. I don't want to tell you (shh, or my husband) exactly how much I spend, because my daddy always told me it was bad manners to discuss money (I'm adding the part, "Especially when it jeopardizes your chance at continuing in your current course of action!")
I can tell you that paying for my "hair issues" is a sacrifice, and one that I am willing to make right now. The question I ask myself is, "How long will I continue avoiding the grey?"
Right now, I am probably 40% grey. I stretch the time between my hair color appointments as far as possible--7 weeks. However, because of my rapid hair growth, I really need to have it colored every 3 1/2 weeks. It's a real shame to spend so much money having it colored, to have it looking terrible half the time. For that reason, I touch up the grey roots at home in-between...using good ole Clairol Natural Instincts once again!
I went from spending 45 minutes and $6.50 every 8 weeks, to spending 3 1/2 hours and--well, a lot more $$. (Only her hairdresser knows!!!)
So, the question remains...How long do I sacrifice the time and expense of avoiding the grey?
What do you think?
