Real Beauty: In Celebration of Gray Hair

When I was a girl, women like my mother never revealed their age because they feared being diminished in what was truly a youth-crazy culture. It followed that most women in the suburb where I lived dyed their hair at the first sign of gray, so my friends and I grew up never knowing what forty or fifty or sixty really looked like, or how beautiful natural gray hair could be.

Before you reach for the nearest bottle of hair-dye or call for your next salon appointment, read this: The idea of “moon hair” may change the way you think about gray.

Things are a little different now than they were when I was growing up. The graying generation is now a significant proportion of the population, with significant buying power. And while we could use that power to buy hair-coloring products, many women of my acquaintance are letting their gray hair show. In fact, two of the most vibrant and beautiful women I know have manes of silver-gray hair, of which they are justly proud. I look at them and think, “If this is what fifty-something and sixty-something look like, that’s fabulous!”

For several years now, I’ve thought of gray hair as “moon hair.” Moon hair is silvery like the moon, and it glints like moonlight. It speaks of all those sleepless nights we spend worrying over beloved children or companion animals or the state of the world. Those of us with moon hairs have earned every single one of them. They are a badge of experience, of caring and courage, and of the wisdom that comes from having lived. Together we form a sisterhood of the moon. Whenever I lie awake at night, I think of all the other women lying awake as the moon shines down on all of us, women who are sending the force of their loving concern to the ones they cherish, earning a few more moon hairs. And I am proud to let mine show.

Read more: Beauty, Body Image

By Cait Johnson, Assistant Producer, Care2 Healthy Living Channels.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

paula D.

12:11PM PDT on May 2, 2012

Not trying to offend anyone, but it seems that men again have the best of both worlds. Even on a tv add for men's hair color, they say that men look distinguished with a little grey. I don't like grey hair on men personally, and sure as heck don't like it on me, either. It IS a shame how society brought us to believe this. And most people aren't lucky enogh to get "moon hair". Lol. It's usually frizzy and unattractive when it shows up, so for now I'll go for the box

send a green star

Atocha B.

9:35PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

Thanks!

Jane B.

4:23PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

"Its usually yellowish or dark steele gray that is very unattractive !"

WHO makes, i.e., CREATES the STANDARD for "UNATTRACTIVE"? This is a discussion group and we all need to question our motives. Is it truly "in the eye of the beholder" or is it
an ingrained "born that way" animal sex urge OR is it what the MEDIA SAYS IT IS?

4:14PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

I don't reveal my true age, not because I "fear" I will be diminished, I KNOW I will be diminished. Our male dominated "society" is even more youth crazed than before. I think women now are letting their hair go gray, not because of "fear" or because they have "money". I think they just don't want to bother being phony any more. What's the point? If you aren't looking for sex or to nail a "husband" who cares? What motivates women (or men for that matter) to do ANYTHING? Women can "celebrate" white hair all they want but I want to see how many MEN celebrate white hair? Where are the 3,000 media images per day of
WOMEN WITH WHITE HAIR AND WRINKLES? Where are all the MEN who want to have sex with women with white hair and wrinkles? This issue isn't about hair dye, it's a social issue.

Michael B.

1:23PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

Very nice, but it's also nice to have variety, personally, I love deep copper colour for a woman's hair.

Angela N.

12:00PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

thanks :)

Camila K.

4:52PM PST on Feb 26, 2012

I love her hair, and hope to go all moonlight when the time comes.

Tim C.

11:07AM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Lynn P.

11:05AM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Most women are not lucky enough to have silky white "moon hair" LOL
Most of them have to dye their gray hair white ! Its usually yellowish or dark steele gray that is very unattractive ! Nor do we earn our lovely gray hair, its comes whether we like it or not ! I have been blonde all my life. I am now 60yrs old and still
blonde and plan to stay that way as long as I can ! When I can no longer maintaine it this way I can only hope that I will have "moon hair " LOL

Sue H.

7:45PM PST on Feb 21, 2012

I've been a member of the sisterhood of moon for quite some time... I haven't really had a problem with it. Every once and awhile, if I see a photo of myself, I have to stop and decide it that really is me though.