Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m writing this blog post during a thunder storm and I’m enjoying the atmosphere. It’s such a peaceful feeling to work on something when it’s dark and rainy outside, and it is dark and rainy. I woke up thinking it was four AM, but it was quarter to eight. I was just a tiny bit disappointed I didn’t have another four hours to leisurely lie in bed.
Photo credit: MiquelGP54 via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-ND
Today I’d like to talk about a trend I’ve been noticing that’s running amuck among our teens. The trend is dying their hair gray. Oh My God! Are you freaking kidding me! GRAY hair?
I’ve noticed this in my high school and I’ve confirmed it with my hair dresser, she tells me it’s true. I find this incredibly ironic. In a society that values youth above anything, we have our young people making themselves look older by dying their hair gray. What’s up with that? Are they making a statement? I don’t know. I’m going to investigate further and find out, though. I want to tell these girls to enjoy their hair while they can. Take care of it. Because old age and illness can change that glorious mane in a heartbeat.
Hair dye companies are loving this, though. They’re making money hand over fist. In fact, in 2015 Clairol made 11.55 million dollars in their Hair Product sales alone. https://www.statista.com/statistics/346513/us-supermarkets-hair-growth-product-dollar-sales/
Photo credit: Buster Benson via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA
It makes me wonder what the cosmetic industry makes every year by making women feel like they’re not enough until they use this latest mascara, or rouge, or foundation…or all three.
Loreal made an operating profit of 4.338 billion euros last year. All I can say is, “Wow.” Don’t believe me? Check out this link: http://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news/2015-annual-results-1047.htm
Photo credit: Akira Ohgaki via Visualhunt / CC BY
These companies are profiting off of women’s low self-esteem. We need to turn this around. We’re much more than pretty faces. We have hearts and souls, thoughts and feelings. We’re so much more than our packaging. Wouldn’t you agree?
I know one way to turn this around and that’s to stop buying their products, but I don’t believe this will ever happen until we raise women up. We need to teach our daughters, nieces, and cousins they’re much more than a pretty face. They’re nurturers, fighters, competitors, artists, and dreamers. We need to be embracing these qualities and encouraging all girls to develop them as they grow. Then these companies will lose their hold on us and we won’t be slaves to the latest trends.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. I’d love to hear from you! Any thoughts on this new trend? How can we undo the message that cosmetics companies send us every day? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
This trend really has to make you laugh. The gray haired (myself) are paying to get color and the young are paying for gray. I don’t think anyone is ever satisfied with the way they look and you are right, the cosmetic industry is the only one happy.
I know. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who sees this! You’re right, Bernadette, we have to learn that we’re enough just as we are and you’re also right about the cosmetic industry being the only one that’s happy. We need to change that somehow.
I’ve always called gray hair: strands of enlightenment. Perhaps the kids are just getting wiser? LOL! Trends are trends, I wouldn’t worry about it, kids experiment, find their way eventually. Great post, Lisa! Cheers!
Thanks for stopping by Sharon. You’re so right. Kids do find their way eventually. 🙂
Got to laugh, haven’t you? I mean, I can see why they’d dye their hair red or blue or green to make a statement, to be different, but grey? That’s not being ‘different’, that’s making yourself the same as your grandad.
I hear you Suzanna! It is a good chuckle, isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Trends are trends and come and go, People are always looking for ways to look different. I stopped by from Bernadette’s blog. I like your blog.
True. You make a good point. I just find it ironic that the rest of us are trying to look younger and teens are aging themselves by dying their hair gray. Thanks for stopping by, I’m glad you like my blog. 🙂
😉
I was surprised to see this trend!!
I know! I was too!
Eh, trends happen. People are always going to dye their hair, regardless of whatever colour is currently in vogue. While there is a serious societal self-esteem issue, especially among women, that beauty companies love to exploit, this feels like more of a self-expression thing than an insecurity thing, given how grey hair does tend to be associated with age. If there’s a possibility it might make older women feel more comfortable rocking their natural hair colour, I’d call it a win.
Ahhh…Interesting perspective and something I hadn’t considered. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Ann Elise!