Commenting about a topic for women? Unless about something uniquely female like female apparel, female anatomy or sexual matters, I'm not sure what that would be.

Do I color? No. Would I admit it if I did? Of course. I'm a regular, unpretentious guy who learned long ago that with looks like mine, there's nothing to be vain about. WYSIWYG.

The only thing I shave is my face. Not daily, but almost daily. (There need to be some extra perks of being retired). And I've never colored my hair, I think it's fine for those who do although with the reactions it sometimes leads to with extreme choices as discussed above. Don't get me started on the hideous things that seem to be popular today that some women do with their nails, thinking it compliments their appearance. Not!

moonie, no issue at all. No harm, no foul.

I've got to say, I find men's hair coloring ridiculous--it always looks very obvious to me. Sorry if I've offended! I'm too lazy to color my hair and I don't trust the chemicals.

Well, now. I'm one of those who can be shocked at new styles when they first come to my attention, and when they are at the point of just a few people trying to do something really different. So the first time I saw a woman with fire engine red hair I did not care for it. However, the previously odd comes to seem normal to me after a while. Given that it must have been 35-40 years since I started seeing crayola colors on hair, I'm accustomed to it. Lately I've seen some blues and greens that I really like.

If tomorrow I see someone whose face is dotted with yellow clay, I'll probably be shocked and wonder where they could possibly be employed looking like that. But after some years of seeing yellow clay dotted faces, it will seem normal to me and I might find myself wondering with admiration at how they make such intricate dot patterns.

Tastes change.

My usual (male) reaction to extreme hair styles and colors (and clothing), especially if older females are concerned

I do not believe that males in general think this way about women in general, or older women in particular. You are not, fortunately, representative of all males. In fact, colorful fashion for both genders is found throughout the world in persons of all ages.

People do use dress and color that they love, and others look and enjoy. For example, the Queen sometimes has unusual hats, she is beloved by many who enjoy seeing her fashion including the bright colored suits with hat to match. No one make smarmy remarks about her self esteem.

You all just keep on doing what makes you happy! Enjoy that colorful hair, it causes no harm to others.

I coloured my hair for charity nearly two years ago and like it so much I've kept it that way. It's purple, blue and teal. The colours suit me and most of my clothes are in that palette as well. DH loves it and pretty well everywhere I go at least one person (and they're all ages and both genders) compliments me on the colour.

I disagree that it's a sign of unhappiness or low self esteem (or even "look at me")- for me it's an extension of my personality- it says "I'm a fun and friendly person who is happy to please myself and not worry about what others think". To be honest, I forget I have coloured hair 99% of the time because I can't see it :-)

One clarification, I've never heard a negative male comment about colorful women's clothing but I have heard lots about about extreme clothing and hair, that's what I said if my words were unclear. Nor, while on the topic, have I ever heard a negative male comment about very revealing and sexy, even if bordering on inappropriate, female clothing although I've heard plenty of negative female comments of that nature.

Lucille, your opinion is 100% correct because it's your opinion. Same is true for mine. I've no doubt heard far more male to male talk about females than you have. You believe what you think but haven't heard and I can talk about what I have heard, or however it sorts out.

Wish I could see all that hair! I have straight very light blond, fine hair. Too chicken to do anything with color since my late teens.

Iris, what are you afraid of?

Since inflection is impossible to read, I mean nothing by my question but curiosity. And if I (or anyone here...and I get the feeling that I'm not overstepping my bounds by speaking for others:)) can encourage you to take a daring step, however small, just say the word....

Life is so short...

Penny, the color experiences in my youth all looked pretty terrible. At least with my natural color I can hardly tell f here s some white or gray mixing in by now. I am not going to the hairdresser very often, maybe 3 times a year, so maintaining a different color also seems like a lot of extra work.

New term for me, what's a "real man"?

Ooh raven, I love that color. I don't think I could pull it off though with my office. :(

I second that color, although I would mix it up with teal as it's my favorite..

From what I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) when you strip color from your hair, (as you need to when going lighter), your hair will feel thicker, Raven. I think this is why so many women, as their hair gets naturally thinner, get perms or body waves. The curl helps, but it's the chemical "damage" that makes a difference, also.

I know my hair can take a lot, so if it was thin, I would color it. This is my little teal streak. When the color naturally fades, I don't have to redo it because of how much white I have. Not sure I could do a whole head as I cut and color myself and am really lazy :)...Too lazy to want to impress anyone else, that's for sure :)

Penny, that is cool!

Very pretty Penny. I like the mixture you posted also.

Penny, your hair is just beautiful!

Would like to add I like the hair in the other picture, too. I think it might be a problem in some jobs or job interviews. While it wouldn’t bother me to have a doctor, bank teller, server or whatever with colored hair (as long as it looks clean in a brushed non oily way) I do know people thinking it is not professional.

I wish there was a thanks button, here. Thank you.

There's not a thanks button, but there is a delete "button". Which several people, I believe Lucille included, seem to have used to delete their comments. I read several comments quickly in passing and then later when I had more time, I returned to comment on them and they were no longer there.

Elmer, sometimes I find that comments "disappear" for me. But the next day, they sometimes come back. Forum glitch, I guess.

Personally, I never delete comments.

It was pointed out to me, here, that this is a public forum and folks can do or say what they want. Regardless of the feelings of others.

;)

"It was pointed out to me here that you have no control, here, over what others do or say."

That's right. Just like in the real world.

It's true, but there are times when it doesn't hurt to remember that it's easier to be rude if you're anonymous. I think that's very sad. My own feelings are not to say something if you wouldn't say it face to face....

Since you are reading as I type :) You will notice that I changed my wording for clarification immediately. I'm sorry for causing confusion but my meaning is the same.

Anyway. Apologies for my part in the slight threadjack, Lucille...

Lucille, bravo! Natural red-head here... hated it when I was younger, and now fully embrace it. Red is not unique where I live, but it's not common either. In the sunlight I practically glow like radiation! BTW, men love it. I do get compliments on it from both men and women, all ages. Curly, too, and yes, I've embraced that, but tamed the frizz ; )

FYI, red dye/paint of any kind, tends to fade faster than other colors. In very layperson's terms, the pigment in red is large, thus red tends not to absorb easily into woods (takes a longer time to dry), and is easier to wash out (hair dye is one example). Red is also a difficult color to remove in hair or anything else - again, those big pigments. If you decide to go another color, let it fade, as removing it (striping) is very hard on the hair follicles.

I'd always wanted purple in my hair, but have decided I'll stick with red. In my 'younger' days, my DH, then BF, would have been supportive, but I think he'd not have preferred it. Just being honest here.

In Elmer's defense: In my personal experience, most men I know don't care for un-natural hair color such as purple, blue, pink, burgundy, or green. Not to say all men, just my experience. Men tend to love blondes, for reasons I've yet to understand, long hair (I've no idea why unless it's a 'youth thing'), and hair color (whether dyed or not) in natural colors. Not all men, just seems to be the opinion of most men I know. That is not to say one should allow this to dictate how you dress, what color your hair is. What makes you happy is the important thing.

2ManyDiversions

I bet your hair is gorgeous! After reading about red hair color I saw several references to using special shampoos for color treated hair so I have ordered some by Redken.

Those shampoos work pretty well. I find that those with red pigments can extend your color some. (I was all different colors in my twenties). I believe Pantene makes one.

I'm now researching shower head filters as my hair was tremendously shiny and less yellow when we were away recently. I'm wondering if water quality affects how long color lasts...?

elmer, if it helps, not everything a woman does is for a man. teehee

ducking and running now

penny, too many people get hurt feelings simply because someone disagrees with them or offers a view different from their own. I agree that should be done politely but some take any disagreement as being impolite. That's wrong. If the only comments welcomed are those in agreement and support, imagine how boring any conversation would be.

If you want an example of what that would be like, simply listen to our #1 public sycophant VP Pence talk about Trump.

Of course, rob. But not all personal actions and decisions remain personal and the reaction of others is usually out of one's control, even if predictable. And sometimes the reactions of others and/or consequences need to be considered and not rationalized away.

No reason to duck and cover.

pennydesign, yes, I think water does make a difference... we have hard water, and when on vacation in areas with soft water it's noticeable softer, shinier! I also notice if I use the same shampoo and conditioner for a while my hair dulls, so I change to a clarifying shampoo for a couple washes... My Mom, also a red head, dyed her hair as it turned gray (red heads go dark gray, then silver-white. Some skip the dark part). But I think the shampoos she tried were harsher back in those day, as the pigmented ones made her hair dull, so she stopped using them.

Uh... my DH is also a redhead, although his is turning very light now... I adopted a sweet little dog (poodle) who is also a red. I think I'm biased : - )

Lucille, stay away from clarifying shampoos until right before the next appointment, they'll pale your red! But when it's dyed again, they'll make it 'pop' and take. And prepare yourself, you're bound to get comments - the good kind : )

rob333, and most things men do are not for women... : )

{ducking and running faster than rob333!}

2ManyDiversions, I just ordered a cheapo filter from Amazon to test. I hope this works for me as I miss the shiny, swingy hair of my youth! Ah, the things we didn't appreciate when they were plentiful!

On a related(ish) topic...I wish there was a review section here...

ETA: agree about the clarifying shampoo...

Penny, your hair is gorgeous!! I'm so jealous. Lucille, I think you have inspired me. I just got my hair cut short, but not short enough so I'm going back in a few weeks. I think I'll add some pops of color in my brown hair. I have had my hair long for a long time, wore it back in a pony tail. With this shorter do, I actually have to style it. I figure if I get it short enough, all I will have to do is add product. Now I have to curl it otherwise it lays flat. Maybe a lovely red, just highlights to start. I'm chicken.

I wish there was a review section here... as do I. I rely on Amazon verified purchases reviews for a lot of things, but am finding myself often coming to GW to see what others think of things. And people are so detailed here!

Sleeperblues, I'll be your cheerleader. It's hair. It grows. The odds are, though, that you'll absolutely love it...I adored my highlights as there's not much maintenance...they just grow lesser...so you can have them re-done whenever you feel like it, (to a degree, of course).

My daughter (when I get overly influenced by those who use silly, nonsensical words like "age-appropriate") just says, "You do you, mom". And I go back to being content with who I am.

ETA: post a pic. Or a pic of what you're hair looks like now....we'll encourage :) And thank you for the compliment.

Belated comment - Iris, you're right. unnatural hair colors are often inappropriate and elicit negative reactions in professional or white collar work environments. In the same way that someone wouldn't wear casual, torn or dirty clothes to such a job or job interview nor have extreme clothes or hair styles.

2ManyDiversions

Thanks I had heard that about not using clarifying shampoos, the Redken shampoo should be here tomorrow.

I have been getting positive compliments fro people who know me. Except my son who came over for lunch yesterday commented on how good the food was but didn't even notice my hair.

There is definitely a give-a-mouse-a-cookie thing, I've been doing more exercise and have lost 5 pounds on the low carb switch, I know it is mostly water but my outlook it noticeably cheerier.

For those who are thinking of popping into spring with a pop of color, it's just color, if it doesn't suit you, you can change back. But who knows, you may end up happy and cheerful.

In the past I've done some bleaches and color changes, this is the first time I had it done by a hairstylist, it was definitely worth it.

@pennydesign, FYI, when you bleach or strip pigment from your hair to go lighter, your hair will feel thinner, not thicker (unless you then replace that pigment with another pigment). It will also make your hair less strong and more prone to breakage, split ends, etc. If you dye your hair a darker color without removing any pigment, you are adding pigment to your natural pigment, which will make your hair feel thicker. I know many colorists who recommend dyeing hair a shade darker or even using a dye the same shade as your natural color if you don't want to change the color, simply to provide body.

I have medium blonde hair naturally, which I highlight, and those bleached pieces are definitely more prone to damage than the rest of my hair. However, I went red once (a medium auburn color), and since I was only adding pigment in that case, it definitely made my hair feel thicker.

Penny, you asked for it. I’m a horrible selfie taker. I would love suggestions of what color to use!

> Nor, while on the topic, have I ever heard a negative male comment about very revealing and sexy, even if bordering on inappropriate, .....

No sh*t, Sherlock. Haha!

Oh pretty! I can't do the selfie thing either...especially in a mirror....

I had a friend with hair that looked like yours and she went for the bolder streaks. It was reminiscent of a kind of 50's look. Totally knocked my socks off...So NO SUBTLETY FOR YOU! Go for the bold, blond streaks...

Sorry for the pic size...

sleeperblues, very pretty, sleeper! And yep, your hair looks recently cut... it's so healthy looking. You already have a reddish-gold natural highlighting going on, I'd go for something less bold then penny suggests (but that's just me nowadays, I used to have 1/2" short hair back in the punk days), and perhaps have some gold or lighter reddish highlights put in? You could start with something subdued, and always add more or go lighter. Nice thing about highlights rather than overall color... you can let it grow out longer without looking like it needs to be 'done' again!

ETA: penny, your friend's hair is great! I did that (with blonde) for a while but my hair was longer. I thought it'd look odd with red, but it made my red look darker and so wasn't strange looking... or I didn't think it was ; )

Thanks for the compliments, ladies. I don't think I should start with the bold look, Penny. I like 2many's idea better. Although I love her hair, and I love the cut.

Oh sorry. Photo is just an example of what her hair looked like.

Sleeperblues, you'll come around to the adventurous side ;)

Maybe! I’ll post pics when I go in. It will be the week of February 12, right before my Mini vacation

You might also enjoy "peekaboo" highlights. You can google images the term.

Great for if you don't want roots to show...And not much of a commitment at all, as you will see (I tend to do mine this way for exactly that reason)

Be careful what you wish for,lol. I guess the good Lord listened when I wanted a change in hair color. I have noticed over the past month or so that quite a few hairs are growing in silver.

However, I actually like certain shades of white/silver hair and think that nicely cut and cared for silver is quite nice looking.

Your highlights look great!