Well, there are FEWER grays.
Last week I shared that I would be giving up fear for Lent. As one friend commented, “You can do that?!?” I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.
I thought I’d begin by tackling something I’ve been avoiding for years due to fear. I colored my hair.
Yeah, I know, lame fear. But let me give you some background. The summer after I turned 30 I was stung by two yellow jackets and got to experience full-blown anaphylaxis. After three decades of doing nothing more than whine and dab some baking soda on a bee sting, I was suddenly allergic. More than a little.
Not long after that the devil whispered a little something in my ear. He said that if I could develop a bee-sting allergy, I could develop an allergy to other things as well. Have you READ the allergy warning on the hair coloring box?!?
Warnings: Hair color products may cause allergic reactions, which in rare cases can be severe. Tattoos may increase the risk of allergy to this product. Conduct a skin allergy test 48 hours prior to each application. Even if you have already used coloring products before.
At least I don’t have tattoos. As a result of the above, I haven’t colored my hair in years. But the grays are getting more noticeable. I tried to tell myself I simply wasn’t vain enough to color my hair, but let’s be honest, it was just plain old fear.
So I prayed and I conducted a skin allergy test. And I only imagined ONCE that I was experiencing a weird throat tickle. And after 48 hours (I know, I’m the only person to EVER follow the directions), I colored my hair. And it wasn’t scary at all. Except for the part where it didn’t cover all the gray. Apparently I have stubborn grays. That seems about right.
But you know what was kind of funny? I was excited the morning I woke up and knew I’d be coloring my hair. Part of it was imagining how amazing my hair would look, but a bigger part was that I was no longer ashamed of harboring a silly fear. I gotta say, it felt good. Plus, in spite of a few lingering grays, my hair feels downright luxurious.
You are the only person, in my knowledge, who has actually conducted that test!!
It was pretty underwhelming! And that stuff washes off WAY easier than I thought it would. I mean, it’s supposed to stain, right??
Did you choose the permanent kind or the kind that washes out after 6-8 shampoos. Even the “permanent” kind washes off skin pretty readily while “fresh.” Looks a tad reddish.
Temporary–we’ll work on fear of commitment another time ; )
Fear is an interesting thing. Before going into action as a paramilitary, I was always afraid. There were times I knew I would be hurt – and sometimes badly – but a combination of training and duty made my body do things my heart and mind would have preferred to avoid.
And looking back – I’m still afraid. There is something comforting about the old saw that anyone who’s not afraid is either psychotic – or dead.
Yeah, totally working on more manageable fears than paramilitary action.
I know I totally struggle with whether to color or not. Yes, I have an early white streak. BUT when I color, my curls don’t act right anymore. So it’s kind of a catch-22 for me. I do know I feel somewhat younger with color…but then some days, I don’t care and feel like wearing those white hairs around like a badge! Ah, well. Glad you were brave and took that step! I find the temp color is an easy way to experiment and find the right shade. Problem is, every store I go to has different shades. I can never find the same one twice! Ha.
I know what you mean! I was pretty sure I SHOULDN’T do it for vanity reasons, but using vanity as an excuse to avoid a fear . . . that won’t fly. A streak–now that’s cool. I kind of hoped I’d get the white strip, but no dice–it’s all over.