Sammi at 3 days old and me, with 9 months of NO haircolor....
The truth is out...
I found my first white/gray hair at age 13. I was so excited because I thought I was turning blonde, ahhhhhh the innocence of youth. I have been turning prematurely gray since I was in my mid-20's. And now at age 42, I would venture to guess that if I stopped coloring, I would be close to 100% gray. Why is it that men are considered "distinguished" when turning gray, but women are considered old hags or looking like their grandma? It's just not fair, but then life isn't fair.... I'm over it.
Or maybe I'm not...
Which is why I feel compelled to color my hair a more youthful shade of brown. I don't make it to the hairdressers as often as I should; with 2 toddlers and a busy teen my needs often come last. Occasionally I resort to coloring myself at home, but the results are sometimes scary. The last time I screwed up, (last month), I managed to turn my hair an intense copper color. ~~Trust me, it wasn't good... lol...
Another reason why I put off going to the hairdressers is because I have psoriasis. WebMD with AOL Health - Psoriasis Takes Toll on Mind as Well as Skin. I started developing psoriasis after high-school and have sought treatment from many. There is no cure for psoriasis and so I must deal with the flare-ups and be thankful for the remissions. In the past, several Dr's have told me to be happy that it is primarily in my scalp. I have lots of hair that hides this condition. Unfortunately in the past ten years, the psoriasis has started showing on my face. Admittedly, it's harder to deal with, I'm very self conscious when having a flare up. It's difficult because society puts such high regard on a person's appearance. Also, although psoriasis is not a rare condition, people are still mis-informed. Psoriasis is not contagious, it is an inherited disorder. Yup, inherited this from my dad. Got his gene for psoriasis and ugly feet. Thanks Dad.... : ) Gotta take the good with the bad....
So there I am, up there in that picture sharing my secret with the world. Funny story about that picture is that I did attempt to get my hair colored when I was 8 months pregnant with Sammi. I didn't want gray hair in pictures when she was born. I wanted Sammi to look back at the pictures and marvel at how beautiful and youthful her mother was.... So, I took my hugely pregnant-but-still-vain self to the hairdressers. As I sat in the hairdressers chair, I suddenly felt woozey. I wasn't concerned because I had felt this way before, but never passed out. When the hairdresser said, "tilt you head this way" I passed out cold. When I woke up I was surrounded by all the hairdresser's, my husband and the EMT's. To make a long story short, I was carted off to the hospital with half a haircut and no hair color. What a sight! The next day I returned to the now terrorized hairdresser who finished my haircut, but told me to return after the baby was born for the color.
My pictures with Sammi when she was a newborn are everything I didn't want them to be. I'm tired and gray looking. Some may even say I look like her Grandma. But now, looking at these precious pics.... I wouldn't change a thing.
Ok, so maybe I do wish I had brown hair in the picture. :::sigh:::
But the truth is out. Saturday I went to the hairdressers.... Two hours later and :::gasp::: $75.00 poorer, I am happily a brunette again. Yes, the truth is out, but for the next six weeks I will happily live a lie.
19 comments:
You looked great in the pictures. You can't tell you just had a baby. (I a little jealous..hehe)
I always swore that I would never get my haircolored, but at 29 and several strands I hear Ms. Clarol calling....
As long as your happy, that is the most important thing!!
~Heather
Know what? You're beautiful and so is your Sammi. I've had some pretty hilarious episodes with hair color too. LOL *Barb*
hi michelle..left you a msg a day or so ago..now following your journal with glee. You are carrying your age very well..all puns intended! dont sweat the gray...Im a 54 year old dad..daughter 28, son 26, daughter 12, son 6, and son 4...I KNOW GRAY! I CAN STAND THE TRUTH! :)
as for the psoriasis..I to also am a sufferer..hair, forehead, face, especially around upper cheeks and nose..its a pain and bothersome...but other than topical meds and shampoo, what's a guy to do? chase his 6 & 4 year old boys! Wife is 36...I am a stay at home dad, Medically Retired Air Force Medic, who can still, although sometimes barely, keep up with them. If you hear a big sigh of relief in mid-August, it is because they all, including nick (4) are in school...at least until noon in his case. My 12 year old (step Daughter) is going on 18! Feel my pain! all the best, steve.
Isn't hair a funny thing? I went natural after I had Grace--for me, that means I have dull brown hair now, after being gloriously blond for many years. LOL
Truth be told, I tend to think silver hair is attractive on both women AND men. My grandmother had gorgeous silver hair. My mother is slowly going gray and I find myself wishing she would go silver all over. Hel is getting his first grays. Mine are hidden, I'm sure, in this mop of platinum I keep on my head. My sister found gray hairs as young as 13, too. So you're not alone. Live the lie. Tell no one! LOL [But you're still lovely and don't ever forget it! SloMo says so! :D]
You don't look like a grandma AT ALL in that pic! You look like a mom glowing with joy to me! And, the gray hair you do have is the silver gray which is what most women who want to go totally gray would like their hair to be, not the yellow kind of gray it can go. So, it's really not that bad! And, I also suffer from psoriasis, just developed it about 5 years ago, and it's on the soles of my feet and it used to be on my thumbs. Had to get cortizone injections right into my foot at one point (a BUNCH of needles by the way!). It isn't fun at all to have, and many people don't understand that it's like you said hereditary and not catchy. So, girl, I feel your pain!!! Now put a new picture in to make yourself feel better with the gorgeous brunette haircolor!
Hugs and love, Lisa
I'm glad I'm not the only one out there with a 16 year old and a baby! Samantha is 16 and Joel is 10 months. It's been quite an experience having a baby at the age of 41.
When I first seen this pic, it brought a tear to my eye. I wish I had a pic like this one of me and my babies. I didn't even notice the grey, just the happiness. I have a 14 year old and a 3yr old and 7 month old and sometimes don't think I'm gonna make it through another day but I do. Then in the morning when my 3 year old comes running down the steps and says mommy I'm awake, I love you, I'm ready to start the day. Have fun and enjoy!
I just found your journal. It is wonderful!
I too have had many disasters with hair dye... all when pregnant. LOL. I decided to go blonde when pregnant with my third... well... it was a scary sight.
I love your journal. And FTR...You do not look like a grandma!
~Jaime
http://journals.aol.com/chasenkids/CHASENKIDS/
I have gray hair. I am 29. :::sigh::: I bought my first box of hair color, not because I wanted a fun color...but I wanted COLOR. Oh well, life goes on.
My brother has psoriasis on his scalp also. Unfortunately for boys, they have a harder time covering it up. I hope he can find a combination of creams to take care of it. He is in middle school. Imagine the torture he goes through daily.
HI..I FOUND YOUR JOURNAL ON THE TOP 100 LIST TODAY...I REALLY ENJOYED IT!
KATHI
http://journals.aol.com/kdwsunshine/ADayInTheLifeOfMe
I started getting grey hair when I was 13 as well. I've been coloring my hair ever since. So much so I'm lucky I still have any. :) I've never actually seen someone else admit to the graying at 13, I thought I was the only unlucky one. Great journal! Kel
For several years I used the excuse " I have two teens and a toddler" for every thing! People thought it was the cutest thing. It is amazing how people just assume that I planned on having children 14 years apart or that I had re-married. Now after 25 years of marriage I have 2 children leaving for college and 1 starting kindergarten. What a group of mixed emotions I am experiencing. Most of my friends are starting to deal with the empty nest syndrome and celebrating and I have to deal with the same strange feelings yet I also deal with the feelings that "baby" is starting school. Talking about strange emotions! Most of the time I feel soooo alone because noone else is experiencing what I am. Noone seems to understand. It is all still a joke to my family and friends and I guess I have lead them to believe that. But you know what inside I am just a bundle of mixed up emotions waiting to burst. Most of my 6 year olds friends' parents are way younger that I am with young children. It is hard to relate. The other friends don't have a young child at home, so it is hard for them to relate. You know that I would not have changed a thing in my life, that is what makes my life so unique, however, I truly wish I could find more like me so we can lean on each other and cry on each other's shoulder. LIfe is good, God is good, but sometimes it would just be nice to know that more people are just like you and want to share the excitement, the fears, the frustrations etc.
I loved your journal Michelle and enjoyed reading it. I can relate to having two young kids at a mature age. I am 45 and have a 9 year old and a 4 year old. I also have gray hair and have to color. My kids don't seem to mind that mommy has gray hair. It's always someone else' kid who notice. I had one of my students tell me my kids were not mine because I was too old. Lucky for him he was an "innocent" child. I enjoy my kids very much and I would not change a thing......only my hair color. One thing they do is keep me young spiritually and physically. Now I can teach them the ways of the world.
Ahhh. I think it's a great picture!!
It's a picture of love. Can't get any better than that. :)
You don't look like her grandma. I think natural gray is beautiful. Yes, even in women. But I can understand the desire to having a 'certain look'. Sammi looks so teeny-tiny...awwww. Let's see pics of your 75-dollar hair. Oh and your inherited feet. :P
Aww...I think it's a sweet picture! Beautiful! I've been living a lie for the past 9 or 10 years as a blonde. :) Really, I have dark-reddish (some-weird-funky color that I can't describe...and I'm a hair stylist!) lol-
To me, wearing hair color is no more than wearing lipstick or nail polish. Be proud of it, and enjoy!
Probably, just smelling the chemicals made you pass out. Ugh! When I was pregnant with Stephen, I'd stand and cut hair for a while, excuse myself to go throw up - -come back and cut a while, etc... It was awful! I couldn't do a chemical process at all by the time I was 6 months pregnant. I have since found out that it is unsafe for the the mother to be exposed to such.
I enjoyed this entry! great photo!
,
regardless of the hair color the photo is beautiful....both of you :-)
~jerseygirl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl
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