More depressing than finding those first white hairs is shedding full-length ones. I've been getting white hairs since I was 21. I credit the gene that causes early graying to my father, who grayed quite early. I used to studiously pull out my white hairs, and they are truly white not gray, but I've long since given up on that. There are just too many of them to waste time hunting them down. Of course, if a white hair happens to make itself too noticeable, it will be plucked out in an instant, but that is a different scenario.
Those of you with blond or lighter-colored hair are quite lucky because your hair tends not to gray as quickly, and even if it does, the color-contrast is so minimal that your gray and white hairs are probably unnoticeable. Not so with darker-shades of hair. Fortunately, while I have more white hair than I'd like, most of my hair remains its original color, so you wouldn't really know about all my white hairs except that I'm blogging it for the world to read.
To get back to the beginning, however, it was utterly depressing for me realize that I was shedding white hairs along with my brown ones. It was as traumatic as finding the first white hair. Not only did the shed hair exist, but it existed long enough to grow to a foot or so in length, live a full hair lifespan, and be shed naturally just as a colored hair. Ugh.
If you think I'm exaggerating or being a bit melodramatic, you probably haven't been "blessed" with your first white or gray hair yet. Just wait. Someday you'll understand.
7 comments:
I started finding gray hairs when I was about 27 and they've been increasing in numbers despite my plucking. I too am jealous of those with lighter hair that hides the gray. No hiding them in my mess of dark hair. Even worse, so far they are all congregating in the same area. I could someday have a big Bonnie Raitt-like swatch of gray hair in one area of my head.
Not cool.
I've found that gray/white hairs are 'sturdier' than colored hairs. Invariably, when I think I have my hair contained and all ready for the outside world, I see 1 or 2 sturdy white hairs standing straight up from my part, daring me to pluck them out. And I do. These wretched hairs resist curling, but then there is the rare hair that has decided that since it can't be colored and straight, it will be white and VERY curly. On a head full of straight, straight hair,these occasionally white, curly hairs face early removal. :)
(p.s. Dad says "Sorry")
Tell dad it's no big deal. I don't hold it against him or anything :)
I have found a few as well. It's such a weird thing! Actually, I am totally in denial. I see them and I am like "this is not my head, this is not my hair".... ;)
You are not alone. I have a little patch of gray hairs, right where my hair parts!! So they are totally visible. They have been gradually increasing in number since I noticed them a few years ago. I used to pull them out, until they got to be too many, now I color my hair! Argh!
Ladies - I just recently started reading about how changes in the environment are bringing out hormonal imbalances that can cause early graying (and none of you are old enough to be graying). If any of you are interested, let me know and I'll send you the list of books that talk about what you can do. I know the hair thing is minor, but if you have any other symptoms, it's probably worth checking out. (I have found the suggestions pretty helpful so far).
v - that is fascinating. I would be interested in reading about that.
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