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To Dye Or Not To Dye?

=93To dye or not to dye?=94 ... that is the question. At least that was the question I began asking myself a decade ago as I grew weary of dyeing my grey-streaked hair. Back then, upon presenting my dilemma to my hairdresser I chose to follow his self-serving advice, =93You=92ll have plenty of time to go grey!=94

Giving up the quest for a glamorous, youthful look was especially difficult for me as I had been the fashion queen; owning fashion boutiques, doing image consulting and writing a fashion column for ten years. I had felt pity for my sister-in-law years ago, when she decided not to dye her hair. At that time I vowed to never =93let myself go,=94 and remain as youthful and glamorous as human powers would permit.

Held Hostage to the Beauty Industry

Yet, rather suddenly, more years of dying my hair passed and I found myself resenting being held hostage every six weeks to grey roots, chemicals soaking my scalp, dark stains along my hairline, and fumes in my eyes and lungs.

More and more I begrudged the societal message clouting us: =93Women lose their value, beauty and worth as they age and must do their utmost to hide the fact.=94 Proof of this message drives the multi- billion dollar beauty/anti-aging industry which goads us into defying nature and negating the beauty, vitality, sexuality and worth of aging, grey-haired women.

Now it is commonplace to perpetually dye greying hair; surgically nip, tuck and lift aging faces; Botox worrisome wrinkles away; lyposuction fat off thighs; enlarge small breasts; pluck =93inappropriate=94 hairs (then draw eyebrows back on!); wear make-up with toxic ingredients; and keep wearing current clothing that was in style when

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Reply to
gaintion
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Yes, to dye or not to dye is a fun question here in world of quilting. I have not hand dyed fabric, but I have painted some ... it was such fun, I should try it again. So, who dyes their fabric? PAT in VA/USA

............blah, blah, blah and the commercial link: CUT.........

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

My own experience was a huge relief. I could swim without worrying that the dye would either come out in the pool water - or turn my hair green with the chlorine. I didn't need to gauge all special events within the cycle of dyeing. I didn't have to worry about how orange the grey roots looked at the crown of my head where I couldn't see it. My skin was getting paler and the grey really suited the skin colour. I had a really nice cut, as the coloured bit grew out, and I was extremely pleased with the effect when it was all done. I did get bothered when my eyebrows fell out; but then, hearing about micro-pigmentation, I went ahead and had them done by a professional in the art. So, I am totally done with caring how I look! but it is only a once a year treatment (not inks, but iron oxides which are already in ones body). A lot of my hair is now pure white. The rest is rather stripey. If I ever went to functions etc, I might try to do something about that - white highlights perhaps, but I am not going to bother now, as there are no posh do's to go to! Bare Minerals make up doesn't contain noxious substances! . In message , snipped-for-privacy@126.com writes

Reply to
Patti

Dang. I was sure this was going to be about hand dyeing. Definitely dye fabric. I can't be bothered to dye my hair. :)

Reply to
Kathy Applebaum

When my hair fell out after chemo I was assured that it would come back thicker and it would probably be brown rather than my natural grey. It certainly did come back thicker, but unfortunately still my usual grey. But I decided then that the world would have to take me as I am, so I haven't dyed for over 2 years now. Sometimes I think it might be nice but everyone has got used to the "real" me and it seems like a whole lot of time and trouble when I could be sewing instead. I never did lose my eyebrows though.

Heather in West Oz

Reply to
Heather in WestOz

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