Social expectations to appear young lead people to colour their grey hair. Women, more than men, face such pressures. But some women have broken free from such expectations and have let their hair continue to grey.
Happiest Health talks to five women who are comfortable with their grey hair and own that salt-and-pepper look.
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Causes of premature grey hair
Hair turns grey due to reduced production of melanin (the pigment responsible for the colour of hair), says Dr Neha Dubey, a dermatologist from Gurugram. She lists some reasons for premature greying:
- Genetic factors
- Chronic stress
- Thyroid disorder
- Vitamin B-12 deficiency
- Poor nutritional intake
- Smoking
Stigma around grey hair in women
Jacqueline Cullum, a 51-year-old mental health social worker from Texas, tells Happiest Health that while men with grey hair are seen as distinguished, women are perceived as old. “My mother is 73 and still colouring her hair,” says Cullum.
A study published in the International Journal of Arts and Commerce mentions that the cultural ideals of youth and beauty puts pressure on women to remain young during their middle and older years.
Dr Archana Prabhakar, 38, who works at a digital healthcare company in Bengaluru, greyed prematurely at 25. She stopped colouring her hair around six years ago. “Every time I go to the parlour, I am advised to colour my hair. Many people [think that I’m] older than my age. The social stigma is that the greys don’t really mean you’re wise. It just means that you’re old,” she says.
Hair colouring is expensive
Dr Poonam Wadhwani, a dermatologist from Mumbai, says that if people start colouring their grey hair, they need to go for a touch-up every four to six weeks.
Amy Yee Chong, a 45-year-old self-motivation mentor and mother from Melbourne, has been colouring her hair since she had premature grey hair at sixteen. “When COVID-19 struck, I stopped colouring. My hair felt natural, and it just felt like the right thing to do. Besides, I was saving $16 on a box of dye every three weeks!” says Amy.
Say goodbye to rough hair
The same is the case with Karen Wilson, 48, a medical secretary at a hospital based in Essex, UK. She had been colouring her grey hair for twenty years, but it doesn’t bother her now. “I realized during the pandemic how fed up I was of hiding my white stripe every three weeks. Besides, colouring had damaged my hair texture. So, I decided to embrace my greys,” says Wilson.
Dr Wadhwani says, “Hair dyes contain chemicals like hydrogen peroxide which destroys hair cuticles. It results in dry, frizzy, and brittle hair.”
Grey is the new black
A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology says that perception of hair colour varies with changing fashions and media icons. With recent trends of celebrities and influencers colouring their hair grey, the perception about grey hair is changing.
Wilson admits that lately, people choosing to colour their hair silver or grey makes her feel less different. “Women going grey have reassured me and normalized the process,” she says.
Busting stigmas
Wilson says that owning her grey hair makes her feel liberated. It took her courage to be out in public with a white patch in her red hair.
Sharron Miles Gilty, 54, a professional hairstylist from Chicago, began colouring her hair from her 30s. “I was not confident of how I would look after I stop colouring,” she says. “But my grey hair has encouraged me to empower other women while giving me the power to accept myself.”
Takeaways
- Premature greying could be due to genes, chronic stress, thyroid disorder, Vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic stress, poor nutritional intake or smoking.
- While colouring hair is a matter of choice, some women are comfortable with their grey hair and embrace the salt and pepper look.
- Doctors mention that some chemicals used in hair dyes can trigger allergic reaction in some.
