When I hit 70 I hope I am ready to quit pretending..but I am not there yet. I think it also depends on the way you "gray". Mine is not attractive and I really find it bothers me that people do not know I am/was a natural red head. I used to have to deal with a lot of ribbing about it. It is part of my identity. My dearly departed MIL had the most beautiful WHITE hair. I never knew her any other way but her sons sure have fun stories of the few years she fought the battle. If mine were white--not ick gray I might let it go some day but it isn't. I hoped it would go brown but that didn't happen either. I just got back from Sally and have my Gray Magic..the box says 10 drops per oz. Yayagirl said only 4. I will start slow with the four.

I am getting close to 50 and the biggest change I've noticed is my feet. I keep them well moisturized and do my nails same as always, but the foot itself looks bonier and thinner-skinned and just old. My toes even look longer. I wear sandals 9 months a year so this is hitting me where it hurts. I have had good luck with my skin, which I attribute to wearing SPF 15 every day since age 24 and not smoking. I just started to get a line between my eyebrows this year, even though I am a big scowl-er due and squint-er due to poor vision. I do wish I paid more attention to my manicure, but I don't. I buff smooth every Sunday night and leave it at that unless I am going to a special event. I think updating eyeglasses and shoes is important for me to feel my best. I am hunting for new frames now and always on the lookout for comfy shoes that don't read "old". Some funky/casual styles that gals with smaller feet can get away with look like orthopedic shoes on my size 10s. Others' responses remind me that I need to drink more water and sweat sometimes. My DDs are makeup hobbyists and they really like TooFaced, but it hadn't occurred to me to try it. Hearing that the lipstick lasts may send me rummaging through their stashes--pale lips are my genetics and I hate them!

When I decided to stop coloring my hair was because of a "cool hair" compliment. I had gone to a Federal agency to conduct a mediation and had to park in a pay parking lot. The mediation was in the summer and last nearly all day, it was successful. Regardless, as I was walking to my car, the young (probably HS senior) attendant told me that he loved the purple color of my hair and he thought it was cool. I thanked him. Inside I was humiliated. I decided right then that I would quit coloring my hair. Evidently the pigment needed to darken hair (my natural hair color was a dark brown) was red or purple. Regardless, even though the young attendant thought I was a cool grandma, I decided it was not cool for me. Still laugh about this.

There will come a day when I stop coloring my hair, but that day is not here! I am not old enough for what I fear is my natural color. I think it may be white. My grandmother and her sister's hair was white as long as I can remember. They didn't really gray - they pretty much went to white. My sister went gray a couple of years ago and she is 3 years younger than me. I think her hair is probably grayer than mine and still has some dark in it. But still, there have been a few times when people who don't know the both of us, think SHE is the older sister. My hair is dark brown. It's been professionally colored, I think, 3 times. All disasters. My hair is evidently porous and you CANNOT use the dark brown color I used to have on my hair. Every time I've had it done, it's been shoe polish BLACK. I have colored my own hair with box color for years. My hairdresser can't believe it and says it looks better than she could do. I do occasionally have it highlighted, but because I use dark blond color on my hair, I can even color myself with highlights. Mt. Nutrisse is a good one. It has an oil additive which makes my hair feel great and lots of shine (which dark hair needs). I have used a gloss when my hair color has looked a bit faded but don't routinely use one. I only color my roots and I will use almond oil or a deep conditioner (on dry hair) on the ends of my hair to keep color from grabbing. I massage the color into the whole head of hair the last 5 - 10 minutes, usually not leaving it on a full 10 minutes. Good luck!