Flowers and bee

Flowers and bee

Sunday, January 27, 2008

To Go Gray or Not To Go Gray - That Is the Question

Does she dye her hair or doesn't she? That question was asked in an old advertisement for hair coloring. It is not a life and death social issue, but it matters to many people, many of them women. How much is our hair color tied into our self esteem and our vision of ourselves? Is it just one more fashion statement or an example of how our society values age? Or are we just fighting the aging process with all our might? Anne Kreamer brings up these issues and many more in Going Gray: What I Learned About Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity and Everything Else That Really Matters.

Kreamer starts her quest with her own hair. She sees a picture of herself taken by a friend and is appalled by how bad she looks with her dyed hair. She thought it made her look younger but instead she finds it makes her unnatural and she is tired of the constant upkeep it requires. As she makes her decision to go natural, she investigates society's view point of gray hair - from advertising, to Hollywood, the business world, politics and beyond.

Kreamer writes well, and as a result, this is a thought provoking book. So should one go gray? It becomes a very very personal choice. A great read.

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