Day 53: Should I cut
and color my gray hair part 2?
My next few blog posts will break from reflecting on married
gaming. Instead, I am soliciting input
from my readers about my hair quandary.
I will tell the story of my own hair journey and ask for input and
advice on whether I should cut off my long glittery/silver locks and dye my
hair an outrageous color?
 |
| All natural waves and gray |
 |
| Flat ironed rogue strip |
Thanks to genetics, I started going gray when I was in my
late teens and I used to color my hair every month because that is what you
do. But in 2012 I started my doctoral
program and to cut family expenses I decided to forego my one beauty
treatment. The 80 dollars cost converts to
a new video game a month and it was easier to stop than you would imagine. I was pleased when a defined streak of gray
appeared that looked much like Rogue from X-men. Over the last 3 years I get regular
commentary on my hair from men and women of all ages. People either hate or love my gray hair.
In 2013 I was in a Vespa collision that shattered my left
wrist and forearm. After surgery and
subsequent recovery I could not wash or style my own hair. I was forced to accept the natural waves and
frizz that can be tamed with a few spritzes introduced by my
mother-in-law. With only one working
hand I still maintained a 4.0 GPA in my doctoral program and fully embraced my
natural hair color and wave.
Fast-forward to now.
I am conflicted between keeping my God-given glitter or going for a Jem-style?
In some small measure I want to feel sexy, and trendy, and truly
outrageous. The superficial voice has
been long over-ruled by my own strong sense of self that thinks I do not have
to buy into social norms of feminine beauty.
A major change on the outside will not make me a better or different
gamer, professor, wife, or person.
PRO GEM HAIR:
Grandma’s Greatest Regret
I have been surprised that so many people in real life are critical of my gray, but online there have been very few people that advocate for a hair change.
Unlike the hubs who loves to spend money and crazy spoils our kiddos I am a frugal person. I worry that my resistance to change is less of feminist principle and more related to my inability to be frivolous and fun when it comes to myself. Even if I change my hair I will never be a girly-girl, I would just be a gamer geek mom with a new haircut.
The loudest opponent of my gray hair is my grandmother. In her prime my grandmother had at least 5
different color beehives, a large collection of hair extensions, and infamously
hid from my grandfather that she was not a real redhead until after their
marriage. She recently shared that one
of her greatest regrets was never having platinum blonde hair. I hate to be
seventy years old and sharing with her same the regret.
But then again maybe I will wish I spent more money on yoga and beer and less on hair color.
