shades of grey

Afternoon eKa CIRCLE,

It’s looking rather grey outside my hotel window today, yet I can appreciate the change of season.  It got me thinking of sharing about a rather personal transformation I started while visiting Europe last year.

I have dyed my hair since I was sixteen. I cannot really say I have ever been fearful of change or necessarily a slave to being a follower. Yet we all are to some degree albeit subconsciously if not consciously with society and cultural norms.  I have been particularly brave with my hair, my photo albums tell the ridiculous journey of fashions hits and disasters. You can almost pick the year and decade by my hairstyles; no lie. I mean in my mind, hair is transient- it grows back! I’ve encountered many regrets and laughs yet the morphing process to me was a call of self expression; one often with boldness and courage. I have witnessed many tears in hair salons. I am not that girl.

While visiting Spain last year it struck me the striking difference in the natural beauty of mature women as compared to Australia. I don’t say this with criticism by any means; yet to see women that weren’t plumped with fillers and trying to halt their youth somewhere in their mid twenties was wonderful. Exuding natural confidence by just being themselves was powerful and refreshing.  In particular I noticed the amount of very modern women with long grey hair and to be frank it was breathtakingly beautiful to me. I like most people have the stereotypical granny in my mind if I think of grey.

You know what it’s like any of you ladies that travel for a length of time. Does one risk a touch up with a hairdresser that we don’t know or do we just “deal” with it on return. Touch up sprays, pulled back ponytails, hats or scarves work well for a time. On this trip I just plain decided that I wanted to make the transition and do it boldy. “A rather lengthy trip would give me a head start” I told myself ensuring that I didn’t chicken out. Admittedly it is a little easier from blonde to grey; yet it is still confronting when you go to a mirror in a brightly lit room. There were a few fearful moments lets be honest.

My question today is why do women feel this way? When it is perfectly acceptable and considered quite appealing when a man turns “salt and pepper?” It is elevated to an almost “sex symbol” status, why then the contrast for women? Hypocrisy at its finest. Could it be that the illusion of eternal youth was pushed upon us as a marketing ploy to continue selling extremely expensive and toxic beauty “products?” Who profits with the ‘spoon fed”  social vanity norms?  And yet now 2020 in a ridiculous twist our gorgeous younger generation of women are paying huge amounts of money to achieve the silver look as a fashion statement. If you can’t see that the world has turned upside down then I don’t know what to say? That ‘old’ grass is always greener syndrome. Human beings are truly laughable.

Not only is dying ones hair toxic. Most dyes contain ammonia and peroxide and countless other ingredients that not only damage the scalp and hair follicle; It is costly and extremely toxic to our waterways and marine life as well. I can certainly testify that my scalp still struggles with the damage caused by years of peroxide to this day. In fact the “not” dying my hair has had an initial adverse reaction as my scalp begged for its normal monthly fix of chemicals like a junkie withdrawing. Has anyone else experienced this? I would love to hear your solutions.

Is it scary to embrace grey? HELL YES!!! Not going to lie. The pressure especially in a creative industry and a society that often sees the older woman as invisible is incredibly confronting. Or am I the one applying that pressure with a touch of cognitive dissonance  from decades of brainwashing?  I would like to intentionally choose to be a catalyst for change in this direction and I know I am not alone. To be quietly confident in who you are and how you present yourself should be the goal. Feeling society’s pressure to conform should never be our desire. This sheep like mentality has gotten us into an awful fix in just a few short generations. Environmentally, socially and financially.

Am I there yet? Not yet? A few highlights and some grey rinse helps soften the blow. Some women are super brave and do the buzz cut. I salute you soldiers of confidence. Can I commit to this- we shall see? I am halfway there as a woman with long hair.

Once those wisdom wires appear you can always change your looks with hair chalk, natural product rinses and hennas that rinse out. I would love love love the eKa community to post about natural products they have made or tried.

I dream of the day wisdom wires are respected once again. Hold your head with quiet confidence that the white hair glows and actually lifts your vibration to the next level- I mean look at Moses. Good vibrations wisdom wires with sleek style are the goal. No-one can  outdress confidence.

love & light

M + E