In addition to not washing my hair, my other time savers are Aquaphor (makeup remover, eye cream), olive oil (cleanser/moisturizer), and PM Leave-in conditioner (skin lotion, hair, shave cream). Together they do it all. My skin looks better than it ever did buying lotions and potions at Sephora and so does my pocketbook.
But redheads are the most low-maintenance. They just try to dye their hair a beautiful raven black, cry when it turns out green, cut it all off, and get on with their day.
@highjump: Or jumping out of the chair after dinner and calling their sons "Little Jem" for the first time in years when they're the first of the boys to volunteer to go off to war. ;-)
Also, there's a specific "type" of person who is more likely to dye their hair blonde. This "type" would also be more likely to care about their appearance.
Edit cuz I don't want to bump: Sorry for sounding like I was making a generalization! I thought about including a disclaimer but figured it wasn't needed. It was one of those "all poodles are dogs but not all dogs are poodles" comments. I know lots of people dye their hair lots of different colors (including blonde), but I think there are certain types of women who are more likely to dye their hair blonde than brunette and who would care more about their appearance and that might skew the numbers.
It could have to do with hairwashing. Many of us blondes/lighter brown types have finer hair that cannot hide any oil to speak of, so daily hairwashing happens.
@acookieaday: as a result of another long thread about hair earlier this year, I - owner of fine, light brown hair - quit washing my hair every day. I get it wet in the shower, but only shampoo/condition every third day. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. Just try it, and you'll see your overall grease factor diminish dramatically.
@dreamweave: Ugh. I used to wash my hair every other day, but I'm going to have to go down to every day because I cut it short. The grease shows immediately! I'm blonde, but I've never had this problem before. My hair refuses to cooperate with anything ever.
@dreamweave: I'm totally with you about the not washing your hair everyday thing. But as someone who has been both blonde, and brunette (and black), I find that brown hair is A LOT easier to do this with. Brown hair on a non-wash day looks... about the same. Maybe it shows a BIT of grease. But when you're blonde and haven't washed? Your hair is a different colour pretty much! I try and stretch it out as long as I can because I know it's good for my hair but, by the 2nd or 3rd day? I look like I just came in from a rainstorm.
@thecameralovesyou: That reminds me of my freshman-year roommate. She took showers twice a week. Her hair was actually blonde and curly, but by the time she took a shower, it looked brown and straight. All that oil! It was disgusting! (And don't get my started on her foot stank).
I always say that when I get older, I want a full head of long, silvery hair. Women with hair like that look so beautiful and wise.
But I also worry that it's one of those "grass is greener" deals, and that when it really comes time to go gray, I'll be like every other woman in my family and frantically dying my hair to cover up even the tiniest wisps of gray.
Hair dye containing coal tar derivatives used over many years have shown a slight indirect correllation with some patients who suffered certain forms of non-Hodgkins lymphomas, so do read the label if you want fake hair that badly.
I am so not the kind of person this article is talking about. In high school, my friend once discovered a very small collection of a few gray strands at the back of my head, under many layers of hair. Completely invisible unless you looked for it.
i can't wait to go gray! i plan to just own it, i've watched my mom try to hide it ever more unsuccessfully over the years and i've been begging her to just let it go gray, she is stunningly beautiful and she would probably even look better.
i love love love women who have long gray hair. i dont know what it is, but i find it so beautiful. ive been dyeing my hair black for years, but that's because its's blonde, so i have no idea if i have any grays or not.
Oh, thank goodness this topic came up. Now maybe the collective brilliance that is Jezebel can help me solve my dilemma. I started dying my hair over 6 years ago, not because of the grey, but because my natural hair color had darkened from blonde to a nasty ash brown. A close examination of my roots at this point reveals that my natural color is an awesome salt-and-pepper with white streaks at the temples. I'd let my gray grow out, but I have carefully cultivated the length of my hair, and am loath to cut it. Also, I am looking for a job and think it's a bad idea to go on interviews with half-grown-out color. What can I do? I want to give up coloring ($$$$!!!!!), keep my length, and avoid the awkward in-between stage. Please help!
@Neopatra: Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid some awkward grow out phase.
But, there may be ways to help ease it. If you're lighter in the front, try getting highlights wherever the hair is lightest so that when you start letting it grow out it won't be such a harsh contrast.
Eventually you'll have to deal with grow out, and the easiest way to deal with it is getting regular hair cuts. Sorry!
I have streaky white and gray hair. I'm 30. It's been this way since I was about 22.
I once got stopped in a store by a woman who was APPALLED at my gray hair. She grilled me about my stress levels and nutrition. I pointed to my mother, whose hair is much whiter and silvery, and said "genetics". She kept pressing. I walked away.
It's not the only time.
I've also had the opposite. People asking me how I did it, like it's dyed this way. People who have been very complimentary because it is unusual. People who can't believe I'm as old as I say even with it.
Frankly, I don't care. I'm not superior or inferior due to my hair. I dye parts of it pink and purple or blue, because white hair soaks up fake colors like you wouldn't believe. It's fun. Sometimes I put a dark streak in to contrast with the white. I'm lucky, it's a very healthy, soft, non-wiry white. It can be "wild", but it's not coarse.
I mean, it's odd sometimes. I still think of myself as having darker hair. But it's just hair.
@tiredfairy: I'd love to see what your hair colour looks like, it sounds really interesting. Oh and what kind of rude asshole pulls you up and gives you a talking to about your hair?
@coconanas: I had it happen too, and I only have a single streak of grey. I think middle aged women who are terrified of aging themselves see younger women who could do something "easy" like dye it and they think they are doing you a favor by telling you that "you would look SOOO much better OMG." When really they are just being an ass and making you feel weird.
@tiredfairy: Your hair sounds cool. And also, people suck. Who are these inconsiderate assholes who feel comfortable criticizing perfect strangers to their faces? I could NEVER imagine doing such a thing.
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On the upside, I never had to bleach it when I wanted to go pink!
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Please tell me you were refering to Anne of Green Gables..otherwise...my nerd is showing.
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Must got sob now.
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Well, then, I guess those without carpet take REALLY long showers.
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Edit cuz I don't want to bump: Sorry for sounding like I was making a generalization! I thought about including a disclaimer but figured it wasn't needed. It was one of those "all poodles are dogs but not all dogs are poodles" comments. I know lots of people dye their hair lots of different colors (including blonde), but I think there are certain types of women who are more likely to dye their hair blonde than brunette and who would care more about their appearance and that might skew the numbers.
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Yes, it's disgusting/awesome.
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But I also worry that it's one of those "grass is greener" deals, and that when it really comes time to go gray, I'll be like every other woman in my family and frantically dying my hair to cover up even the tiniest wisps of gray.
How sad that we all fear aging as much as we do.
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I made her pull them out for me.
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But, there may be ways to help ease it. If you're lighter in the front, try getting highlights wherever the hair is lightest so that when you start letting it grow out it won't be such a harsh contrast.
Eventually you'll have to deal with grow out, and the easiest way to deal with it is getting regular hair cuts. Sorry!
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07/13/09
I once got stopped in a store by a woman who was APPALLED at my gray hair. She grilled me about my stress levels and nutrition. I pointed to my mother, whose hair is much whiter and silvery, and said "genetics". She kept pressing. I walked away.
It's not the only time.
I've also had the opposite. People asking me how I did it, like it's dyed this way. People who have been very complimentary because it is unusual. People who can't believe I'm as old as I say even with it.
Frankly, I don't care. I'm not superior or inferior due to my hair. I dye parts of it pink and purple or blue, because white hair soaks up fake colors like you wouldn't believe. It's fun. Sometimes I put a dark streak in to contrast with the white. I'm lucky, it's a very healthy, soft, non-wiry white. It can be "wild", but it's not coarse.
I mean, it's odd sometimes. I still think of myself as having darker hair. But it's just hair.
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