The Beauty of Salt and Pepper Hair Colour
Nobody ever forgets their first… well to be more specific here, their first silvery strands peeking out during the most awkward of occasions; maybe on an anniversary date with that special someone or on a formal interview with future colleagues, where they are supposed to look able, fit and technically young with a head full of jet-black hair.
Whatever the setting, the first reaction to grey hair is always disturbing — you are shocked to the core, but in retrospection — you should have seen it coming, either because of the genetics that runs in your family or the number of times you might have visited the salon to ruin your hair with bleach. Whatever the underlying reason, the rebelliousness of 'the grey roots' is still admirable, since it's non-conformist, and stubborn, with a mind of its own. Something we aspire to be, but sadly can't since 'every-day-life' encourages a more toned-down version of ourselves.
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Speaking of greys again, even a few years back, most of us would have rushed to the salon immediately, to cover those unruly greys. Nowadays, a growing number of men and women are choosing to stay as natural as God had intended. "I don't have to worry about spending tons of cash or wasting valuable time, to get a 'brand new look' that I am not comfortable with."
"Instead, today, I am in awe of my greys. They are as much part of me as any other feature," said Sabrina Nizam, mother of two and Senior Manager at a local NGO, Friendship.
The good news about grey hair is that it's not a local affair; global celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Harris, and Gwyneth Paltrow have also taken salt and pepper to new heights with their appreciation and devoted following.
"At first, I was cautious. And there wasn't a single person, except my husband, who didn't question my decision of going grey," explained Nizam, in reference to the remarks she had once received from her peers. "But then again, once I got into the habit of seeing myself, in greys, I never felt more free and powerful. I am extremely thankful for my decision of sticking through."
Things are slightly different on 'the men's' front though; the world loves an ageing man and hence, greys are appreciated rather than reproached. And adages like ageing like fine wine makes things more imbalanced between the sexes.
Md Imran Hossain, Head of Business, Moin Group and also the spouse to Sabrina Nizam, found our verdicts entertaining. He chimed in, saying, "Well, let's not make it as simplistic as it sounds for men! Men have their doubts as well, even if we don't want to accept it."
"To me personally, confidence in oneself, comes with self-acceptance, and it is the best gift that anyone can give themselves, and hence salt and pepper styling, is both positive and uplifting."
Tasnuva Ahmed, Director, COO, Ashtha IT couldn't agree any less. "I am the kind of person who is always excited about birthdays. A year added means a year more of maturity and adulthood!
"I began to flaunt greys in my early thirties, right after the birth of my son. While that may be a little early for some, I liked my greys right away, since it constantly reminded me of the beauty of motherhood. I am also the kind of person who never uses a filter to take photos. I love all the physical changes happening to me; these are proof that I have matured with grace. My advice to the world would be, don't try to stop what you can't change. Be positive about everything and the rest will eventually fall into place.
With this special photoshoot, we wanted to promote body positivity and encourage people who made silver hair aka grey's their new calling cards, and our belief is that increased representation would help in making grey hair a natural part of ageing. It will make greys more empowering, anticipated, easy to accept and 'absolutely nothing' to lose sleep over.
It's high time the shift was made. Respect to going grey.
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