The September issue of More magazine has a clever story that examines the role of gray hair. Writer Anne Kreamer, who let her hair turn a silvery gray three years ago, was curious about the perception of gray hair in our culture. So she experimented by setting up two online-dating profiles. Everything was identical, except for the hair color: One profile Photoshopped Kreamer's hair brown, while the other left it naturally gray.
I know what you're thinking: Nobody wanted to date the gray lady. Au contraire, my friends: The gray-haired profile earned more responses than the brown-haired one did. Kreamer thought it could be a fluke, so she "moved" to difference cities online, trying the experiment in places around the country. Over and over, the gray-haired profile trounced the brunette profile.
Kreamer's experiences are further outlined in her new book, Going Gray, in which she examines the effects of gray hair. "We have been brainwashed to think hair dye looks good,” she told the other Gray Lady. “I wanted to open up the conversation and get people to ask themselves why they are doing it.
The story in More does just that, and I'm hoping to pick up Kreamer's book this weekend. I know we're all supposed to think of gray hair as something that needs to be hidden, but I like the idea of flipping that idea over. What might things look like if we started making gray okay?
Miss Sixty
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Current&Elliot
Wow- what a cool idea. I have a couple gray's already (gasp!) so I fervently dye over them and would be hesitant to "let it go" because of how we are taught gray hair isn't attractive by ads and society.
1I don't know what should be wrong with gray hair, it can be as beautiful as every other color when its sleek
2Very interesting! I've never had an issue with gray hair - some of the most beautiful ladies I know have gray hair.
3Sorry, but I'm keeping my grays hidden for now! Later I'll let them out, but I'm just not ready to expose them yet. But I like that people weren't turned off by the grey hair (like ads want you to believe).
4I've seen so many women (and men) lately who's gray/white hair I've really envied. My mom started to dye hers when she first started getting more gray than she like, but she stopped years ago (it's still mostly brown). She didn't want to be like my my grandma has been dying hers forever.
5This book makes teh same point as the article you mentioned on Tuesday (Blondes Have More Fun, TV Anchor Jobs.) Men are allowed to gray naturally and gain respect from that "matured" look. Women often dye their hair blonde when they go gray. Male anchors stay gray because it makes people take them more seriously, women anchors dye their hair to appear less dowdy. Its a double standard, but so is the praise of one book and the criticism of an article addressing the same issue.
6My mom decided to stop dying her hair years ago, and she gets more compliments on her gray hair (it's super-healthy and shiny, too) than she ever did before.
7I think beautiful gray hair is soooo stunning on women. My mom wants to go gray and I might just pick up this book for her. Sounds like a fun read!
8I see where female tv anchors wouldn't leave their hair gray, it tends to wash you out in general....so only with the right skintones could someone pull it off in a studio setting.
9I actually read an article about this in the New York Times this morning, and while the consenus was that, yes, she got more attention on the dating sites with gray hair, they also pointed out that she had posted a frumpy, boring picture of herself with brown hair, and a more attractive photo with gray hair. Apparently, it wasn't the exact same photo. But perhaps I read the article wrong...you could probably look for it on the new york times website.
10I love grey hair--I've hoped my whole life that I'd go grey fairly early because I think it looks great if you keep it healthy!
My aunt went totally grey in her 20s and she was stunning. I think it depends on what you do with it--some people are frumpy no matter what hair colour they have!
11The other day, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Oh, the sun has given me highlights!" Then I looked closer and saw some gray hairs. But it isn't a big deal. I got my first one years ago, but oddly, I still only get a few a year.
12i secretly can't wait to go grey so i can go shocking bright white and still have a fun, piecey haircut. i'm thinking a mad-scientist/academic fashionista look.
13A fully grey look can be so lovely! One of my mother's friends when I was little was fully grey by the time she was 20, and she had the most beautiful hair.
I've been finding a grey hair every now and again since I was, like, 7, but I don't have more than a few. And I cover them up with dye. But I look forward to someday rocking the grey look - probably not for a long time though, as everyone in my family seems to take a long time to go grey.
14I've seen some beautiful women with grey hair. I've been covering mine with dye for a while now. I wish I could go completely grey overnight. It's the in between, mousy time that has us grabbing for the hairdye.
15Think Judi Dench http://in.yimg.com/i/in/promos/oscar/redcarpet/Red-Judi-Dench.jpg
and Helen Mirren http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/specials/beauties07/beauties/helen...
It's all about style, isn't it?
16I love her hair! The cut AND color- naturally platinum.
17My husband has a full head of silver hair (he's 28) and it's HOT! Silver hair and light blue eyes--like Paul Newman!
18My great grandmother's hair turned completely white in her early twenties, and it was gorgeous! Completely silvery white though much lighter than grey.
And my grandmother only gets greys around her ears, but she prefers to dye that as well. I understand why since it's only that area it might look kind of funny. She only uses henna though, which is less harsh and better for her hair, and gives it a lovely color.
19The only problem I see with going naturally gray is that most people don't get that even beautiful silver. A lot of times it's salt and pepper and sometimes even kind of yellow (depending on certain meds) I think that beautiful silver white hair can look stunning but I hate the way most gray hair look
20when i was in high school, our office secretary had the most gorgeous gray hair i have ever seen. actually it was the most gorgeous hair i had ever seen - to the point that i thought that when i went gray i would want to try to look like she did!! and if i couldnt, i would dye my hair to look like her! and my grandfather has the most gorgeous silvery gray hair.
21i think it all depends on how you gray, and how you maintain your hair. but gray can be beautiful!!!
isnt helen mirren fully grey?? she totally works it
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