DYEING Old gray hair ain't what it used to be

To dye or not to dye, that is the question.
By MARLA JO FISHER
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
A friend said to me recently: "I think it's great that you're letting your hair go gray."
"What?" I shrieked, and raced to the bathroom mirror, only to realize with horror that she was right.
My waist-length hair -- my only vanity on an otherwise casually groomed and chubby body, was turning silver. My friend was complimenting me on a decision that I hadn't even consciously made.
OK, I admit it's been some time since I've been able to pull out every gray hair I found. I just didn't know that other people noticed.
For at least 20 years, I've enriched Procter & amp; Gamble stockholders by dousing my hair in Clairol Nice 'n Easy Shade No. 110, Natural Light Auburn -- to change mousy brown to sexy auburn.
It's a family tradition. My 70-year-old mom still touches up her hair every few weeks.
But then my life got complicated.
Two years ago at age 47, I adopted two little kids. I became an instant single working mom. Since then, I've had barely enough time to shower, let alone put on hair dye .
Going gray was not intentional. Now I have to decide what to do about it.
Let's face it. Graying hair is a sign of aging. Pigment-producing cells start dying off in your scalp.
Focus on the key word in that phrase.
Dying. Ugh. Doesn't appeal to me.
Awaiting the verdict
Some people think coloring your hair will actually lead you closer to death. Some studies have linked dark hair dyes to an increased risk of cancer, though the verdict is not yet in.
Then, I think about the word gray and its connotations. To a sun addict like me, gray skies are a bad thing. When your face turns gray, it isn't because you just won the lottery. It's because your teenager just wrecked your car.
Other people tout the "look of wisdom" you get as a grayhead.
Hmm. Maybe I'd rather look sexy than wise, though the truth is I look neither.
I sought the advice of Marla Silva, who owns Marla's Mania, a sales business in Monarch Beach, Calif.
Hits the bottle
She went gray in her 20s and had a gorgeous mane of silver hair for decades. Then, she saw a photo of herself with some friends taken on her 50th birthday. Time had caught up with her, and she now looked much older than her chums. Time to hit the bottle.
"My hair is now dark brown," she said. "I feel like I look younger. It matters in the business world."
That's a whole other issue. Many people believe they need to stay youthful-looking for work, because our culture favors the young and they don't want to look stale or outdated.
Then there's Irvine Valley College Professor Lisa Alvarez. She also went gray early, and used to color her long black-and-gray tresses, until it got to be too much bother to constantly touch them up. "I went gray because I was lazy and unorganized," she said. "But the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The only people who want to do anything to my hair want to cut it."