It was late and dim in the bathroom as I was applying the latest miracle cream. My goal once again was to try to rid the sun damage and faint brown spots that have slowly started forming on my face. As the ancient soffit lights shown down on the top of my head, they almost formed a soft spotlight around the newest visitor in my bathroom. At first I thought, “wow, the sun has really lightened my hair”, but then I realized that A. I haven’t been in the sun, and B. These were a little shorter. Once I singled in on the one hair that seemed a little out of place, I saw that light color extended all the way to my root. This wasn’t a soft, silky, bleached blonde strand either….it was wiry and short.
My first gray hair.
Wait what? MY FIRST GRAY HAIR?!
I initially was furious. It was with great pride that I boasted to my husband (who is older than me by a decade), and friends, that still in my late 30’s, I had yet to find a gray peeking in between my chestnut roots. I even ask my hair goddess (aka Wendy) every six weeks, “any grays yet?”. Her answer until now has always been no.
So I of course I did what most women would do, plucked it immediately out of my head, and snapped a pic of the offensive gray. I then texted it to my husband who was on the road (followed by many expletives), and then went back to inspecting my scalp when I found another…and proceeded to take yet another picture.
After the initial shock wore off I laughed to myself. This of course was inevitable. After over seven years of fertility treatments, five years of sleep deprivation, threenager tantrums, and other parenting stress…I’ve earned these two itty bitty gray hairs. They are the stripes of motherhood and age, and represent the new found wisdom that comes when your responsibilities become bigger than yourself. Though I’ve been living in the realm of thirty for a handful of years, I’ve never actual felt old…until now. For some reason this validated the harsh realization, that I’m officially a grown up. And even worse, I can now call myself middle aged.
The next morning I called my mom, a hairdresser, who didn’t turn gray until her 40’s, and broke the news. She giggled and then proceeded to lecture me on my wayward ways. According to her you aren’t supposed to pull out the little gray bugger. (Have you heard this wives tale?) So if you find yourself in this same position…like Special Agent Oso, there are the three special steps for dealing with your first gray hair.
- Feel the Anger…Then Yell At It! – How could you invade my beautiful head? Why do you want to torture me? I am not old, just tired! Please go away and tell all your friends to hibernate for another decade.
- Pluck It – According to my mom, if you pull out a gray hair two more will grow back in its place. After thorough research (aka google) I assessed that it is ok to pluck the offensive gray. Only one hair grows in per follicle, however if you pluck too many hairs you could damage the follicle, which in turn could cause no hair to grow back at all. So if you don’t want to go bald, pull with caution.
- Make an Appointment to Get Your Hair Colored Immediately – Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars. While I’m not a huge advocate of cosmetic surgery, I do love a good color and bleach treatment. So go cover up those roots and get back to your beautiful self!
You may however not feel the same as I did. You may welcome the aging process, embrace it, and let your gray locks flow and flourish. I however will not be growing old gracefully…yet. Maybe the next decade will bring more acceptance, but for now I’m hanging on to youth as tightly as possible.
I’ll keep those three special steps in mind lol. So…tell me about this beautiful face cream….
I used two actually…I’m a die hard rodan & fields night cream girl, I’m trying it for the brown spots too. Nerium works wonders as well…I’m a face potion junkie!
Sadly, I grayed early and found my first at 18 years old! I know, thankfully though the rest didn’t come until after I had my first, who mind you didn’t sleep for a year and a half through the night. But still, I color religiously now and even though I earned them, I sure as hell don’t want to look at them 😉
AMEN! I’m with you!!
NOOOOO! That’s awful!
This is hilarious. I was, like, 25 with no kids when I found my first gray, so you should be happy!! I don’t have enough of them to color my hair yet, though. I always said I would never color my hair unless I went prematurely gray. I’m sure that day is coming soon.
Hahaha, I love this. Especially the special agent Oso steps. Be happy that your gray hairs were on your head and not on your CHIN, like MINE! Thanks genetics!
Oh no!! I won’t tell you where else I’ve found them…
Ha ha ha you are funny! I have had gray hairs for 10 years and I am 29 now. They are getting a little more “obvious” now so I may have to take some serious action soon.
Anyway, I am new to blogging and I wanted to say I admire your sleek website design. It is soon clean and simple.
Have a fantastic week!
What? 19? That’s a travesty!!! (I won’t divulge my age…yet!)
Due to a thyroid condition I started greying in my late teens. Although I took after my mom’s family so when it isn’t dyed red it’s a soft fine and super white straight hairs instead of grey. We call it silver. 🙂 I usually keep them nicely under control with a red dye job. 🙂
I got my first gray hair when i was 18! And , 34 going to 35, i have lots of strand of shimmer! To be precise i have a few black hair among my white! Since i am breastfeeding i could not dye them. So, i decided to go gray! The first months i looked like someone painted the top of my head with a brush, but now that almost all my hair length is white, i am loving it!
I want to see a pic!
I just found my first gray hair a couple of weeks ago. Yep I plucked the crap out it and it’s friend that was growing beside it.
They multiple like gremlins…little buggers!
I started seeing those wiry short hairs popping right out of the top of my head this year. They were really, really unwelcome. Hoping the dye jobs I do now every 2 months will not leave me bald as well.
Consider yourself lucky… I have been dealing with grey hairs since my mid-20’s!!!! Now if I don’t keep up with my coloring appts, we have a serious problem! ha!
Is that a compliment?! (kidding!)
Aw, I’m going to have to keep these tips in mind. I don’t color my hair, so I’m a little afraid of what is going to happen when I start going gray. I have no idea what color to do! ah! I really loved the title of this post by the way. That’s a great way to think about it.
Found my first hair the week before I got married 10 years ago, but it seemed to be a one off. Two years ago after a bad reaction to an antibiotic that made 1/4 of my hair fall out, the hair that returned all came back grey. I am now more grey than my sisters 7 and 15 years older than me. Oh well, good excuse to go back to blonde in the future as my mum says.
that blasted drug! You look marvelous!
I’ve had gray hairs since I was 25. They’re still underneath and can’t really be seen, but how long can I go on like this? My two sisters already have to dye. I can’t afford it!
There was wine involved in the discovery of the grey hair Merlot!!!! Now it is 200.00 every 6 weeks….. Ugh!!!!!!!
I’m starting to get some grays and I love them. I once worked with a woman who let her hair go all gray and she was stunning. Grays are a sign of wisdom and beauty…
Happy Saturday Sharefest
I started getting gray hairs early, just like my mom. I always said I would let the gray hairs grow but now that they are so abundant I honestly can’t stand the sight of them! I must say that they are showing up more frequently as Jack is getting older.
Shock and awe! What took you so long to get your first grey?! I started getting my grey hairs at 18! 18?! Life can be so cruel sometimes.
Enjoy the dye job. I do my own… I would be broke if I had to get it professionally done. There’s a lot of grey in there.
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Yeah I am broke, but I still have to get it done! 18???? NOT FAIR!
I started getting grey at 30 ……so a bit early but I blame the kids lol 🙂 I did henna dye for awhile but you know I earned those glittery strands so now I just proudly display them! Thanks for linking with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Yep, grey hair! I have had some for a while, but that is because my grandfather and mother greyed early! Thank goodness for a great hair stylist and color! The only problem is that it is more obvious in my dark colored locks! I think the blondies can hide it a little better! Thank you for stopping by Snickerdoodle. Hope to see you again – grey hairs and all! 🙂
There is something almost bitterly painful about wrinkles and gray hair. I just started noticing mine six months ago. Now I am diligent to check my hair and be sure I see my hair dresser or even buy a box of dye at the store. I know women who embrace their gray hair and let it go that way. Me, I am not one of those women and never want to look “old”!
Happy Monday!
Me too! I will not grow old gracefully…yet!