Wisdom, Hair Dye and Marketing
Creating the Color of our Thoughts

Article by Sharon Hooper

Hair Dye! My suspicions about aging and hair color were confirmed by an August, 2006, Time Magazine interview with writer and director, Nora Ephron.

For the past decade I have observed my own impressions about "how old" people look, and concluded that my decision was often based on hair color. Ephron's opinion on the topic stated "...In the big cities now, people don't go gray. And that gives people the illusion that you're younger than you are...Hair dye...is the most powerful weapon older women have against the youth culture..." Hmm…as a personal motivation coach, should I adopt her attitudes about hair color?

Will the color of your hair motivate you to reach new heights?

Okay, so my byline for United Press International is "Wisdom's Journey". You may wonder how "wisdom" and "hair dye" merge on a similar platform, but there are facts and mythologies that support my speculation.

Hair, in general, is associated symbolically with "life force and can be a sign of holiness, strength, royal power, freedom, virility, virginity or permissiveness," according to "The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols" by O'Connell and Airey.

Paintings from centuries ago show women frequently portrayed with abundant, lengthy golden tresses symbolizing their maidenhood. Mary Magdalene was often shown with long, loose (brunette) hair as a symbol of her chastity. Think about poor old Samson, who lost his strength when Delilah cut his hair. Did you ever see a picture of Samson with gray hair?

Several weeks ago my friend Gale was getting ready to travel to Italy for her 50th birthday and was going to stay at the same hotel as she had on her 40th celebration. On her "to-do" list was "coloring my hair." Another buddy asked me if she changed her hair color to blonde, would she have more fun? (Seriously!) And yet another woman remarked at a meeting that she knew she would get more real estate business if she looked younger and so was going to color her gray hair to a reddish-brunette. As a personal success coach, I sometimes chuckle at the unusual questions and comments that come my way.

Gale returned, and my first question to her was if the color of her hair had made any difference on this Italian journey. She reflected that her young attitude and style matched the 20 and 30-somethings, and that gray hair probably would have prevented ready acceptability by the younger passengers she traveled with. She didn't feel any different at 50 than at 40 and decided that graceful aging really is mind over matter — and having the proper hair color.

"She didn't feel any different at 50 than at 40 and decided that graceful aging really is mind over matter — and having the proper hair color. "

Deciding to probe further, I asked five friends to give me their first thought on the subject of "wisdom and hair dye." Three immediately said, "gray hair ages you" and two responded with "blondes have more fun." Wow, I thought, the marketing gurus have sure done a job on us.

There's no escaping this color thing... I've detected nuances of behavior around women with gray hair vs. the brunettes, blondes and redheads. Do people think gray-haired women are more frail? Frequently, before I colored my hair, I was asked if I needed help with anything. And men started opening doors for me. What I really hated the most was being called "ma'am"! When did that start? I think it crept up on me insidiously, gray hair by gray hair.

There are important questions to ponder when one decides to embark on this serious body fur transformation, and one must include a lifetime of wisdom to answer them correctly. Like, how old, chronologically, do you have to be before you dye your hair? Will your family and friends shake their heads sadly and think you're trying to turn back the clock? (Easy answer... of course you are!) How much will this cost? (For me — $10 every six weeks; for others who go to beauty parlors — $75 or more for the same thing) Will a facelift be next? (I'm still saving!) But most importantly, will I be happier?! So here's what a lifetime of insights say to me.

It honestly doesn't matter what color our hair is. To me, gray hair does denote true wisdom, a gathering of life's greatest aha's — and it's a delightful shade. As years go by, circumstances and choices influence our living arrangements, state of mind and style. Each is subtly altered by the other in a never ending cycle of fleeting decades. Marketers might tell us that our lives will be dull and unfulfilled without the right hair color. However, we do create our own festival of life, and the color of our thoughts dictates the joy or the misery we choose to live with.

That said — and having the utmost respect for the beautiful gray of peoples' hair — I hope others can hear wisdom beneath my brunette/reddish mane, because shades of gray hair, for whatever reason, are simply not fitting my own lifestyle at the moment. So please excuse my parting, as it really is time for another rinse!

YES - You Can Create The Life You Want!

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