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.
liz
September 19, 2007 at 8:46 amI think you’ll find that a high percentage of blondes color their hair to try and recapture the beautiful color they had as a child. I consider that my natural hair color even though I was 12 the last time hair that color actually grew out of my head. I’m still a blondy-blonde at the age of 46 even though my natural color now would be a mix of mousy, ashy blonde and gray. My friends with dark hair have come much later to hair color and not until they had more gray than they could pull out.
Kami
September 19, 2007 at 8:51 amI colour my hair but believe me I held off as long as I could… then the grey started (I’m 33!) and the highlighting started and now it’s excalated to full colours.
But the shine and the managablity of a good colour is priceless!
:-)
Olivia
September 19, 2007 at 9:15 amFor the purpose of your poll I voted No, but I used to color for a few years. I got tired of the upkeep though. Interestingly, I get more compliments for my natural hair color then I ever did with the faux stuff.
I do think the In-Style poll, and yours, are fairly accurate. You can’t watch a make-over show without the person having their hair colored at least a little. For hair stylests it seems to be requisite.
jonniker
September 19, 2007 at 9:21 amI unapologetically color my whole head different shades of blond, brown and red, for no other reason that my natural hair color is really … well, my God, it’s awful.
Shelly
September 19, 2007 at 9:39 amDelurking to comment–I held off until age 38, as long as I could, but after 3 kids in less than 4 years, the greys were taking over. Although my family is blessed with beautiful gray hair if I do say so myself I was not ready to be gray. So yes, I’ve been coloring my hair for 6 months but had never done it chemically before!
Natalie 42
September 19, 2007 at 10:08 amI colored a lot in high school. Back then it was red. I used to get stopped in the mall so people could tell me how much I looked like Sydney from Melrose Place. I heard it at least twice a week, it was the craziest thing.
(AAAAAnyways…)
I stopped coloring after high school and didn’t touch it for years. I’m talking a decade. Then one day I just decided to go dark…DARK dark. (I’m already a brunette but….ya know, DARK.)
So anyhoo, I do color my hair but I only color it about once or twice a year mostly b/c I don’t want to damage my hair too much. My natural color ends up blending with the colored hair once it’s faded a bit so it works out.
cocodrie
September 19, 2007 at 11:48 amMy hair has been as virginal as the pure driven snow for the last 10 years. That statistic is somewhat shocking to me, I gotta admit.
Lori
September 19, 2007 at 11:10 amI belong in the category of…I have a couple of times and I will again once I get bored (or grey).
gorillabuns
September 19, 2007 at 11:12 ami’m all about frying the crap out of my hair.
~Sheryl
September 19, 2007 at 11:40 amI found my first grey at the ripe old age of 16. Prior to that, the summer pool would always lighten my hair. I honestly am not sure what color my hair would be if I didn’t color it. In my late teens it was a blonde (highlighting accident), then (before it was cool) I colored it red with a henna rinse. Well that didn’t last long, as henna is a bitch when you have a ton o’ hair. Now it just goes through a few different shades of red (light, to auburn, to dark). I mix my own color and the grey keeps it looking natural looking (if you can beleive it) because the grey colors differernt and gives it a natural highlight. Yep, every 6 weeks or so for the last 20 years.
When I think I’m old enough I will let the natural white come thru – my Mom’s hair is absolutely gorgeous.
Liss
September 19, 2007 at 11:41 amI have colored in the past, but at a certain point I realized that my natural medium brown is truly the best shade for me. Sometimes I get a clear glaze treatment for extra shine and body. I’ll probably start getting a brunette glaze when those first greys start to multiply…
janet
September 19, 2007 at 11:43 ammy hair is virginal, but then again, I did not inherit long legs, a slender tummy, narrow hips, or nicely shaped fingernails, so I feel like I DESERVE my blonde tresses, dammit! :)
Schnozz
September 19, 2007 at 11:44 amHey! Hey! Clamping, but leaving the ends free, and then twisting! I do that!
Don’t ask me why I get so excited about this. But the technique WAS responsible for the recently photographed Best Hair Day Ever. It’s a great technique! People should try it!
(swigs more caffeine, runs around in circles, falls down)
I’ll be fine. Carry on.
Angella
September 19, 2007 at 11:54 amI have been colouring my hair since my early twenties. Because I have SO MUCH GREY.
Oh, the money I could save if it weren’t for those nasty grey hairs. I’d pluck them, but then I’d be bald, and that would not be pretty.
:)
Leah
September 19, 2007 at 12:24 pmI’m also curious to know how many of the dyers are blonde. You might say I’m kind of protective of my natural color in the face of IMPOSTERS. Just kidding. Kind of.