I’m one of the lucky ones who still has a job, in my case teaching marketing to college students — now entirely online. But we’re going into the second month of staying at home way too much for my sanity.
Probably like you, I’ve spent too much time thinking, worrying & obsessing about health, politics and world peace. To get away from the angst, I’ve lately been reduced to re-reading the thousands-of-pages-long Diana Gabaldon Outlander books. Which I love, don’t get me wrong. But how many times can one re-read these books without feeling you’re burning through your life?
Hair — frivolous AND constructive?
Looking for something both frivolous AND constructive, I decided to focus on my hair. My hair is driving me crazy right now. I got a color touch-up for the part area, which I applied by myself with a rather astonishing lack of professionalism. I don’t see how I could have botched it so much — how hard can it be? But the biggest problem is I can’t get it cut. The longer it gets the more I hate it.
So — what about wigs?
I decided it might be fun to try out a couple of wigs. They’re not expensive these days (one was $30, another $70). How, you may reasonably ask, are wigs constructive? Well… I’ve wondered if I would let my hair go gray once I retired from teaching.
Going gray when you teach is problematic. One professor (a man) decided to retire when one of his students said in class, “But you’re OLD. What do you know?” If you don’t go gray, they still think you’re old — but not as old as if you were gray.
Is this ageism? Yes. Should you be fighting to make sure students know that old doesn’t mean decrepit or stupid. Yes. However, we all pick our battles. I hid my age for some time in this job, until I was very sure that it couldn’t/wouldn’t lose me my job. The last couple of years, I’ve been telling my students my age — 72, now 73 — in just that hope of making them see that old doesn’t mean incompetent. But I haven’t had the guts to both give my age AND go gray.
Besides — I didn’t know how it would look.
So — I got three wigs. Two in my current color and one white. Not gray but white. After all, I spent a couple of years in my 20s where I was platinum blonde — so I figured I’d like it better than gray. BUT… I don’t like me in white hair. The face color doesn’t seem to go well with it. Maybe I need gray eyebrows? It just doesn’t look real.
Any advice would be appreciated!
What have you found with having gray, white or other hair? (Maybe I need a blue or pink streak in the white hair?)
Go with white hair, but probably doesn’t matter because we are all shut in, shut down, and shut out (ha ha) during corona.
Really? OK. But not until I officially retire. Right now I’m doing zoom session after zoom session with students for advising! Don’t want to scare them when they sign in!
1. It’s the wrong color white for your skin tone. You need something with a warmer tone. 1. The white hair pic is the only one where you are not smiling. That is probably no accident, and also makes the pic less attractive. 3. I like the third pic best. The style is mored modern and your smile is terrific, so you probably felt good with that hair.
What’s a warmer white? Isn’t white just white? Or is “eggshell” a warmer white?
Yes, oatmeal or eggshell are warmer whites. Pewter i a warmer gray/white than slate gray. Look for something with a bit of yellow and red in it, rather than blue (SMALL amount of the pigment). Your natural color (when it grows out) is probably terrific for your skin tone.
i love the natural curly one on you. makes you look young. the natural just styled shorter might be good for going to professional meetings or an indulgent evening out, if we ever go again to either. but the longer curly one is perfect for teaching, hitting the grocery store, walking out in the world if you can. but the white haired one is a bust, save it for next tears halloween costume or return it, im also 72 but disabled. loved your perspective.
I LOVE the idea of saving the white one for a Halloween costume! Thank you!