42 – Yes, these grey hairs are original; you can test by…..

Everyone has the desire to look young even if he has become the senior citizen and looking good with his salt-and-pepper hair as for people it is troublesome to dye hair every month.  Perhaps they don’t like the smell of the chemicals in the hair dye too.

Long back, I had decided to stop colouring my grey hair and let it grow out but I did not realize that it would attract so much attract or support appreciation.

There are around hundred members of Senior Citizen Forum and hardly there three retirees who still thought they too have continued to dye their hair as they felt white hair made her look older.

The fashion gurus and hairstylists say, head of white hair no longer carries the negative connotation of ageing. The French and American designers in the past have styled their models with silver hair. Besides, the grey hair has also been spotted on the Very Important Persons – VIPs – Donald Trump, President of America and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and certain celebrities and VOPs – Very Ordinary Persons.

I know of many people who are not bothered about going grey. Even the females spend hours in the salon chair bleaching their hair to achieve the perfect tone of silver-grey. Hundreds of people are also posting photos of themselves rocking the look with grey hair on social media.

I recall the recent incident when my grey hair becomes a source of attraction and on my visit to the immigration counter at the airport, the security officer asked me to get your purse also scanned and come again.

The officer across the counter, while pursuing my visa papers for Singapore, asked me casually, “Are these grey  original?”  I said in a casual way and smiling tone, you can test by pulling it. On this, he passed on the gestures with the blinking of one eye with a smile on his face and said, I too will stop dying to look like you.

Frankly speaking, the trend of global population ageing is also changing societal mindsets and redefining social norms on beauty, fashion and being cool. When we consider older members of society as valuable assets to workplaces, families and the nation at large, they grey hair are seen as natural and beautiful.

I have never been particularly worried about what people might say. I am not really bothered about my looks because I feel that character is more important.  I don’t even style my hair when I go out – sometimes I let it become unruly because I like it.

I had a number of old friends telling me to colour my grey hair, as they do to look young. Even one of them said, you too will give a young look. But I was not offended by his comments and just told him that it was troublesome to keep colouring it and to avoid the side effects of chemical colours.

Anyhow, I think having grown or white hair makes one look wise and dignified and now, more youngsters offer their seat to me when I travel on the train or the bus.  For me, this is yet another perk of having ahead of white hair. It is just a

reminder that while growing old is inevitable, feeling old is optional.