A Healthy Shade of Gray

What does gray hair have to do with healthcare? Well, good health has a lot to do with your state of mind and stress levels. “Going gray,” or becoming the age where your hair starts to turn gray like those “older” people you used to think were so much older than you, can be a very stressful time. With evidence of your own mortality staring you in the face, you can start to feel like part of you is already dying. That beautiful brown (or blond or chestnut or ebony) hair is starting to give up its color and is now several shades of gray. First the hair, then the body and then, the mind. It’s all downhill from there.

This aging milestone can be especially stressful if you’re in the job market. There is real discrimination against older workers. If you’re in your 40’s, 50’s or 60’s and lost a job, you know how tough it is to get through an interview with a job offer. You can be fit and trim with hardly a wrinkle, but gray hair will give you away at first glance.

There’s another side to this hair-change stress. Trying to look young when you are getting older can be stressful as well. There is a lot of information—secrets—to looking and feeling younger. TV, magazines, books and the Internet says it’s easy. Hours in the gym, eating healthy foods, yoga, meditation, eating “superfoods,” going vegan, therapy, massage. All this activity just to try to turn back the clock can be expensive, exhausting, and make you a little crazy. 

An article in the New York Times, “She’s Done With Washing It Away,” tells the story of a 57-year-old journalist and movie critic’s decision to stop coloring her hair. Just how much her hair color had to do with age perception was revealed when she decided to go to the movies. She bought a ticket from the distracted ticket seller, and noticed later when she counted her change that the seller had given her the senior rate. No need to ask. The gray hair shouted “senior.” A mixed blessing.

The author was in a unique position of not having to get another job at 57. That in itself is a super-stress reliever.  How many people find themselves in their 50’s and 60’s without the financial means to be able to retire? Jumping from job to job, changing careers or taking breaks to start a business can wreak havoc on a resume and do more damage to a job search than a touch of gray. Careful planning, a good financial advisor and making smart career moves can get you to the point where you can say goodbye to the nine-to-five hassle and take a slower, gentler, less-stressful path.

Another reason she stopped coloring her hair was money. If you’re retired, you need to watch your finances. A trip to the colorist can cost hundreds of dollars (hers was $800!), and much more depending on the stylist and location. While you may be slowing down, your hair keeps growing. Those gray roots bring you back for more color every six weeks or so. That money can buy groceries, pay some bills or just pay for a night out at the movies and a little relaxation.

So stop stressing and worrying about it. It’s fashionable to go gray. Lots of movie stars and others from politics, the arts, and business professionals are going gray. Being your real self is liberating. No secrets to hide. No roles to play. As the author says, you’re still yourself, only grayer.  

Photo Source: Ambro / Freedigitalphotos.net