Our family goes gray late, and so I haven’t yet thought seriously about coloring my hair. I have maybe eight or 10 visible grays, not enough to do anything about, if that’s what I decide to do. Oh, who am I kidding? I will totally color my hair when he time comes. I can already tell I won’t have the beautiful silver grays so much as the pale wiry yellowish grays that defy a flat iron.
My girls (who are 7) have been pestering me to put a streak in their hair for years now. Their little friend has had one (pink, then green) since pre-K, and honestly, I didn’t see a reason to say no. It’s hair, not a tattoo. It can and will be undone with the passage of time. I’m not one of those people who believes dying your hair an unconventional color is a like gateway drug to satanic worship. And I didn’t like spraying that toxic temporary stuff we used every so often. So with their dad’s OK, I took them over to Supercuts this weekend. The results, above. They are thrilled.
I did notice the complete lack of desire on my part to dabble, which is not surprising. I’ve never felt the urge to before, and at 43, none was forthcoming. The girls didn’t even ask what color I wanted to try, and neither did the stylists. Not that long ago, I might have found that mildly offensive, as in, What, I’m so obviously Formerly that fuschia bangs are not an option for me? Now, not even a pang. That’s probably more telling than anything having to do with hair.
February 7, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Love your attitude, Steph! Let them express themselves while they can—before they have the pressure of needing to impress college interviewers and potential employers. Totally harmless! And super fun! xo
February 8, 2011 at 8:43 am
Don’t tell the girls, but I didn’t even notice the streaks until I read the story! Sshhhh! My niece (now 24) asked her step-mom to do that, and she did, and her mom FREAKED out about it. Guess what? It grew out!! (The niece is now a hairstylist!!!)
March 1, 2011 at 9:00 am
Wahoo! Lovin the streaks! My twelve yr old got some pretty blonde hi-lites and a single fuchsia pink hair extension and the difference in her self esteem is really amazing. She is into all the trendy clothes, but this was something unique that no one else had done and her whole personality shifted – in a good way. Self expression is a great tool to express yourself and who doesn’t need self expression more than our kids and what girl doesn’t feel better after getting their hair done! (story behind this is my daughter went with me to get my haircut and colored. I have a GREAT haircut hottie friend and she used left over hi-lite goop to give her a few hi-lites in her long hair to frame her face. She had the hot pink extensions as a Valentines Day special – $3 for a single streak and it was put up over her ear under the top layer so it peaked out from below.)