Last night, I hopped in bed with the October issue of In Style magazine and oh my lord, the 32-page hair special was divine. Chris McMillan (Jennifer Aniston’s hair stylist) used the curling iron technique, except he clamped the hair mid-shaft before curling, leaving the ends free. Very interesting – I will need to try that soon.
I must get to work on tomorrow’s participants (both are undeniably fabulous ladies), but I wanted to conduct an informal poll in the meantime. In Style conducted a survey of more than 2,200 women about their hair. Granted, the 2,200 women were In Style readers, who are probably more invested in their personal upkeep than the general public.
Yet, I was still shocked to see that of these 2,200 women, 78% colored their hair. Wow! That number seemed astronomical to me (probably because I’m in the 22% category).
Does that ring true with you? Tell me, do you currently color your hair, whether it be highlights, permanent or semi-permanent color?
Voting is closed.
nabbalicious
September 19, 2007 at 6:50 amI’ll take option number three: I used to, but stopped. I’ll only do it when I start getting so much gray hair that plucking it out is no longer a viable option. Which is why I started highlighting. As soon as I did, the gray stopped. Grr.
Jennie
September 19, 2007 at 7:02 amIf it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t let color anywhere near my hair if it naturally came in a lovely shade of Whoorl :)
Jenifer
September 19, 2007 at 7:22 amI highlight and I love it. But, I’ve done everything from blue (in high school) to red (Ronald McDonald – it matched my college cap and gown) to normal with highlights.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/1344226447_bb6c1ab5f4.jpg?v=0
I give you photo proof because I love it and it still stays shiny.
chirky
September 19, 2007 at 7:25 amMy hair is virginal and shiny. Love.
Heidi
September 19, 2007 at 7:27 amI wish I didn’t have to color my hair. I held off as long as a could; it’s those damn greys that make me do it. It’s not easy to accept looking “older” when you aren’t. I’m fine with being 30…I’m no okay with my mom’s grey on my 30 year old head.
Beth
September 19, 2007 at 7:28 amI wish I wasn’t compelled to color, but seeing as how I found my first grey hair at 25 (“How’d I get Noxema in my hair up there?” I wondered, then pulled it out and freaked!), I’m now in the permanent highlighting cycle, until such time as I’m mostly grey, then I’ll grow it all out and be natural again.
But I hope that doesn’t occur for a long, long, long time.
erin rae
September 19, 2007 at 7:38 amI’m a determined highlighter….
But if I had a great color of natural hair, I wouldn’t. As it is, I went from a beautiful blond child to a dirty blond teen to just dirty mouse brown color.
And now it’s been so long I’m not entirely sure what it would look like natural!
sizzle
September 19, 2007 at 7:42 ami would have been completely gray at 30 if it weren’t for the miracle of hair dye.
Audrey
September 19, 2007 at 7:52 amI do highlights (“partial foil”), but I actually have an appt. for Saturday to get back to my natural color. The reason I started this vicious cycle is that my hair naturally bleaches out so much in the summer that it looks awful with the roots if I don’t color them back to my natural “winter color.” I’m hopeful that, as I spend much less time outside and I’m much better about wearing a hat these days, this will be the last of my coloring until I begin to go gray – which better be a LONG way off!!
PS I’m searching for the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum you recommended and can’t wait to try it!
metalia
September 19, 2007 at 7:59 amWith the exception of an unfortunate Sun-In incident in 10th grade, I’ve never colored/highlighted my hair. (Although the thought of having deep auburn/red hair has long been a secret dream of mine. Sadly, I don’t think I can pull it off.)
RA
September 19, 2007 at 8:07 amWhen I was in college, I got my hair cut at a hair-cutting school (I don’t know the real name for that. Styling school? Cosmetology?) because it was seven whole dollars to run the risk of having a student cut your hair. I was a poor student with resilient hair, what can I say? Anyway, one time, I had this girl who combed through my hair and shrieked, “Ohmigod!!! VIRGIN HAIR!” And seriously, people turned around to see the oddity.
abbersnail
September 19, 2007 at 8:11 amI used to be in possession of naturally golden blonde hair. Alas, now that I live in San Fran (home of gray skies), my hair has gotten a little mousy. Thus, highlights! And really, they make me look like myself, at least to me!
Gretchen
September 19, 2007 at 8:19 amI wish I didn’t color, but when you find your first gray hairs at 17 (seriously, 17, what have I done to offend the universe???) it’s hard not to end up dyeing. Most of mine are in a fairly isolated patch on my crown, but it’s not a true “streak.” A true streak *might* be kinda cool and edgy if you could avoid the Cruella DeVille look, but mine isn’t consolidated enough for even a Bride of Frakenstein look…
Sarah
September 19, 2007 at 8:38 amI color my hair and have ever since high school and I love constantly changing my hair color. I am always changing my hair color because I love changing things up and trying something new. I love red until it turns brassy and then I usually switch to a dark brown then I get highlights, then some low lights, then try natural for awhile, and then dark again. Sometimes I color it to look natural and other times to be dramatic, no pink, but chocolate-vanilla swirl. I also don’t pretend that my hair is natural and at 28 I was starting to get some grey hair, but that might be a new look if I can give it some time. Oh, and my hair is so fine that I love my hair colored because though it is damaged, it is thicker with more body.
Not The Mama
September 19, 2007 at 8:43 amLike the other bemoaning the luck of being prematurely grey, I have finally decided to start coloring my hair. At 27, I’m starting to be noticeably grey, rather than just finding stray grey hairs here and there, so I need to do something. But I’m clueless about what I need/want. I recently purchased my first box color and did it myself. I’m reasonably happy with the result — the grey is hidden and no one seems to have noticed, which was my goal. But it looks strange and flat to me. All one color rather than the natural highlights I’m used to. So I need to start having it professionally done. I’m just a little too overwhelmed to think about it seriously.