Alison’s Transition from a Curly Bob to a Silver Pixie
katie goes platinum
I don’t remember when I discovered my first gray hair, but I was probably in my 20s. The first few grays were a novelty, but by my mid-thirties I was covering them every six to eight weeks.
Once I reached my early 40s, there was much more gray, especially around the hairline. I colored every four weeks.
It was a lot of maintenance for a week or two per month of “good” color. I felt like Sisyphus rolling that rock up a hill. As my 50th birthday approached, I began to announce my intention to let my naturally silver hair grow in.
My wonderful husband was completely on board with my decision, which helped, as I gather that is not always the case.
Even my hairdresser came around when I told him what I’d decided, including my intention to get a pixie cut when the halo effect became too obvious.
Within three haircuts, six weeks apart, I was pretty much done. From May (when I stopped dyeing) to this September, I went from a shoulder length curly bob to a tousled pixie and finally to a Jean Seberg as Joan of Arc pixie, which felt the most “me.”
With a pixie cut, upkeep other than frequent cuts is minimal. I use a purple shampoo (Osmo Silverising, recommended by my hairdresser) once a week. After toweling dry, I just smooth my hair into place with Kiehl’s Silk Groom, or I muss it up with some pomade once it’s dry.
I remember years ago, pre-Internet, if there were silver-haired women in advertisements or TV commercials, they were always serene-looking white women with long hair, expensive-looking linen outfits, perfect bone structure and model bodies. They could have been wearing shower caps on their heads and they would have looked great.
As someone whose bone structure is not perfect, who stands 5’ 4” on a good day, I had to take a wild leap into the unknown with this transition.I’m so glad I did!