George Clooney

What do George Clooney, Richard Gere, Chris Pine and Ryan Reynolds have in common? Well, they all either had grey hair even when they were in their mid to late 30s (like Richard Gere and George Clooney) or they’ve started to look grey now whereas they did not some five or six years ago. To be fair, when Clooney appeared on ER he had dark hair. Richard Gere, on the other hand, has never been seen with anything but grey hair. It’s almost as if his first head of hair was just silver. And he didn’t look bad, nor did he look old. He just looked like a man in his 20s with a silver head of hair.

So is having silver locks that bad? I ask because every hair colour product talks primarily about the degree to which grey coverage it can achieve. It talks more about that than merely changing the colour of your hair from a black to brunet or blond.  Silver hair does not have to mean you’re old and it certainly does not have to mean that you have let go of your appearance. And most importantly, it certainly does not mean that you’ve sort of gone off the rails. In fact, the latter thinking is quite prevalent in some countries where dark hair and loads of makeup means that you care about your appearance and are quite sane. However, in other countries, there are many other reasons people might think you’re not all there. Not combing your hair, which might so obviously need it, before leaving your house might signal to some that you couldn’t care less. Or just walking out in your bed clothes (like pyjamas or a nightie) could also be considered as a sign that there could be something wrong in your life. People who are depressed or mentally distressed might do these things.

But if all other appearances seem to be normal, such as proper outside attire, a perfectly combed hair and a clean face, but the hair is silvering, or has become silver, then why the judgement? Who are we to judge? And why is it any of our business? It’s not. As long as the person is behaving normally and going about their affairs, we should mind our own business. Why should anyone be pressured by bystanders in shopping malls, shops and streets because of the colour of our hair? Society and social media puts too much pressure on people anyway, especially females, to look a certain way. And if they don’t then they are judged about their lives or about their personal status. They are labelled as either not all there, a grandma or just someone who doesn’t seem to care about the way they look.

Silvering hair should be embraced. But I think some people seem to forget that grey hair is not just something that affects a certain race or class of people. It’s natural and happens to everyone no matter who they are or what they do. Moreover, there are so many ways to make your silver locks look great and, if you don’t believe me, just Google ‘celebrities with silver hair’ and the results will astound you. In fact, celebrities have made their silver locks look so good that you forget that their hair is actually grey. What’s more these celebrities are not just in their 70s and 80s but in their late 40s and 50s as well and some are not even grandparents but with small children, which is very heartening.

Remember, colouring your hair costs money, regardless of whether you buy an off the shelf kit or visit an expensive salon. It also takes time to apply and it’s a downright messy process. Who hasn’t accidentally splattered the mix on their carpet or furniture? Or has had the mix streaking down their foreheads or the back of their necks? It is utter madness...but a great business for the makers of these colouring products. My advice to anyone who is thinking of going natural is to make it look the best you can. Style it as you would if it were any other colour. It will catch on one day.