It is a hairstyle catalog of a wonderful gray hair woman. Introducing gray hair photos by age, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. When did you move? The reason is? Such transition episodes are a must-read for everyone from those in transition to those who have completed. *Age is at the time of interview in 2019
Table of contents
- Mr. Yamanaka in his 40s “Meeting friends is the best harvest”
- Ms. Nishio in her 50s “I discovered that her gray hair looks pretty nice too.”
- Mr. Oyagi in his 50s “Now it’s fun to grow gray hair”
- Mr. Yamamoto, in his 50s, “I started to take care of myself.”
- Mr. Matsuhashi in his 50s “Gray hair has broadened my horizons”
- 60s Ms. Machida “I want to enjoy my femininity more”
- Mr. Miyao in his 60s “I think gray hair is an adventure”
- Mr. Yasukui, in his 70s, “Fashion has become more fun.”
Mr. Yamanaka in his 40s “Meeting friends is the best harvest”
When did you switch to gray hair ?
――This is the summer of your 42nd year.
Why did you have gray hair?
――When I went to study abroad in the United States in my teens, my host mother was a hairdresser, and she dyed me fashionable. I was naturally prone to gray hair, so I started dyeing my hair before I turned 30.
In my 30s, my life was really centered on dyeing gray hair. Every time I have an event, I’m like, “I counted backwards and it’s three days ago, so I have to dye it” (laughs).
At that time, I was working as a tour conductor, and even on a two-week tour around Italy, I was desperately dyeing my clothes in my hotel room. At that time, I suddenly thought, “What should I do if a customer has an important inquiry during this time? How long will I continue dyeing my hair?”
After that, when I tried to stop dyeing my gray hair once in my 30s, I gave up due to my husband’s objection. But as she entered her 40s, her bleaching agent caused a rash on her scalp, and she finally transitioned to her coveted gray hair.
What’s good about having gray hair?
――I’m really glad that my hair and scalp became healthy, and that I was able to save time and money spent on dyeing my gray hair.
In addition, while publishing the know-how and concerns of transitioning to gray hair on my blog, more and more friends gathered and I started to preside over a meeting called “Gray Hair Tokyo”. It may be the best harvest that I met gray- haired friends with various ages and backbones .
It’s a gathering of women with positive gray hair and a positive way of life, so please take a look at the homepage of “Gray Hair TOKYO” .
Ms. Nishio in her 50s “I discovered that her gray hair looks pretty nice too.”
When did you transition to gray hair?
――It is the winter of 2017.
Why did you have gray hair?
――When I was young, I had a tendency to have noticeable white hair, but at that time, it was my standard to have long hair and dye it brown. At first I used a hair manicure, and then I dyed my hair… When I changed to short hair just before I turned 40, I dyed it at a beauty salon about once every 1.5 months.
In 2017, my parents were not feeling well, and I continued to go back and forth between my hometown of Osaka and Tokyo. I took a break from work for a while, and there was a period when I couldn’t care about myself at all. One day, when I looked in the mirror, I was surprised to find myself with more gray hair.
But… unexpectedly, I made a new discovery, “I’m pretty good with gray hair , are n’t I?”
What’s good about having gray hair?
――You can save time and money spent on dyeing your gray hair, and your hair is healthier!
I have short hair and a perm, so I don’t go to the beauty salon very often, but when I was dyeing my hair, it took me 3 hours, but now it’s less than half the time, so it’s definitely easier. .
Also, gray hair is popular with people around you! I’m also happy that bright-colored fashion and accessories look better than before.
Mr. Oyagi in his 50s “Now it’s fun to grow gray hair”
When did you transition to gray hair?
――From around 2016, I wanted to switch to gray hair. In October 2018, I started adding weaving (highlights) to make my gray and black hair blend together at the beauty salon in order to fully transition to gray hair.
Why did you switch to gray hair?
――Even if I dyed my hair, my gray hair would grow back immediately, and I hated having to think about when to dye it next time. If I kept dyeing my hair, it would get thinner and less, and my skin would start to stand out. Back then, gray hairs don’t grow! (laughs)
What’s good about having gray hair?
――Right now, I want my gray hair to grow longer, and I enjoy growing it out. It’s a very healthy thing to be happy with your physiology. I think it was stressful because hating gray hair itself is denying yourself.
Now that I am free from stress, I feel that my hair is growing healthy and growing well.
Mr. Yamamoto, in his 50s, “I started to take care of myself.”
When did you transition to gray hair?
――It is December 2018.
Why did you switch to gray hair?
――Since I started dyeing my hair at the age of 20, I have dyed my hair at home twice a month. When I entered my 40s, I began to feel a tingling sensation in my scalp, and I repeatedly decided to give up on “discontinuing”. Don’t be discouraged, this time.
Good things about having gray hair
――So you don’t have to worry about dyeing your gray hair. No matter how careful you are when you dye your clothes at home, the solvent will splatter on your mirrors, floors, sinks, and bathrooms. Speaking of disappointment when I found it… And it all comes down to the fact that there is no time to clean up while praying, “Fall down!”
Until now, I had no interest in myself or beauty. But after switching to gray hair, I take care of myself so that I can stay healthy, clean, and feel good, and I’m tackling things that I was hesitant to do with a positive mindset.
Mr. Matsuhashi in his 50s “Gray hair has broadened my horizons”
When did you stop dyeing your hair?
――It is April 2016. It started when I got sick.
Why did you have gray hair?
――Three years ago, I developed myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, a disease that causes pain throughout the body.
I’ve been dyeing my gray hair since I was in my 30s, but the pain all over my body is so bad that I can’t even go to a beauty salon, let alone dye it myself. To be honest, I became sensitive to chemicals due to the effects of my illness, and I had no choice but to have gray hair.
While I was transitioning to gray hair, I kept it very short and tried not to stand out as much as possible.
What’s good about having gray hair?
――I was relieved from the stress of dyeing my gray hair once a month, and I felt at ease. I became able to objectively look at the way my gray hair grows is interesting. I became able to affirm myself, saying, “This is fine.” spread out.
Interestingly, when I stopped dyeing my gray hair, my scalp got healthier, and my hairline became darker. I think my hair is healthier and my thinning hair is gone.
60s Ms. Machida “I want to enjoy my femininity more”
When did you switch to gray hair?
――I’ve always wanted to stop dyeing my hair since I turned 60, but I couldn’t find the right timing for 4 years due to opposition from those around me. We stopped for a 9 day cruise trip in July 2018. There are parties on cruises where you can dress up, and I really want to enjoy my trip without worrying about my gray hair. After this trip, I decided not to dye my hair anymore.
Why did you have gray hair?
――As your lifework, you have been involved in a restaurant that offers natural food. If possible, I would like to live mainly with organic products, but I felt contradicted that I had to dye my gray hair once a month, which is a very irritating chemical.
After that, my scalp started to feel tingling and painful, so I dyed my hair at home with henna and Halmek (at that time: Ikiiki) ” glossy hair “, and changed to herb dyeing at the beauty salon.
However, even after I dyed it, the white areas immediately stood out, and I didn’t like the feeling that people were staring at me.
Eventually, I began to feel uncomfortable with the work of hiding the stretched part. And with 65 years old just around the corner, it’s enough (laughs). I made a declaration to stop dyeing my friends and family.
What’s good about having gray hair?
――It was only after I had gray hair that I came to accept wrinkles and blemishes on my face as a matter of course. Also, my taste in fashion has changed. I’m tall, and when I was dyeing, I often chose cool clothes, but recently I’ve been choosing more gorgeous colors and cute skirts.
From now on, I think it’s okay to enjoy my femininity more.
Mr. Miyao in his 60s “I think gray hair is an adventure”
When did you stop dyeing your hair?
–the year of 2000. It’s about the time when the amount of gray hair is about 1/3 of the whole.
Why did you have gray hair?
――I always had a complex when my gray hair started to stand out in high school. I was told, “People whose hair turns gray earlier than others, their hair turns black when they get older,” but that was a big lie (laughs).
As I watched my hair grow more gray year by year, I started to think, “I’m living with gray hair, so I’m going to try to match it with gray hair instead of black hair next time.” I decided to stop dyeing my gray hair with the intention of cheering on my ever-changing life.
What’s good about having gray hair?
――When I was dyeing my gray hair, I was disappointed to see glimpses of gray hair on my hairline in about two weeks. But after switching to gray hair, it’s black hair instead of gray hair! I don’t feel bad (laughs).
When I went to New York, the receptionist at an art museum complimented me, saying, “What gorgeous hair!” I can’t believe the day will come when I will be praised for my gray hair, which I thought was a “minus” until now!
“How to accept the ‘negative things and things’ and convert them into positive things to live…”. I feel that having gray hair is one of the adventures of getting older.
Mr. Yasukui, in his 70s, “Fashion has become more fun.”
When did you stop dyeing your hair?
――You started turning gray in your 50s, later than the people around you. It gradually increased in my 60s, and I stopped dyeing it in September 2018.
Why did you have gray hair?
――The original purpose was to change the fashion style. Since I was little, my girlfriend’s mother made me dress up, so I like fashion.
The impression of fashion is decided in total from hair to feet, right? Until now, I’ve changed my hairstyle so much that I’ve conquered all of them except for the mohawk. It felt like the only thing I could change was the color. I tried to stop bleaching my hair.
What’s good about having gray hair?
――I’m happiest when the clothes that suit me have changed and I’ve been able to enjoy myself in a different way. It feels good to be praised by her husband as well.
But for me, changing my hair color is just one way to enjoy fashion. Right now, I ‘m enjoying being fashionable with short gray hair and a kimono , but in a few years I might dye my hair black again (laughs).
The current gray hair boom, in which the concept that “gray hair is dyed” is being destroyed, gives us a kind of confidence that “it’s okay to be as it is” and “I’m not afraid of getting older.” I think.
Interview and text = Mika Kobayashi, Fumi Torii, Hisae Takegami (Halmek WEB editorial department), photography = Akio Nakamura, hair and make-up.
