When I decided earlier this year to quit coloring my hair, I was OK with that. And now that I’m honestly salt and pepper in the head hair department, I am still OK with it; in fact I like it and have had quite a few totally unsolicited compliments. It was a big adjustment, going from red head to grey in a matter of weeks, because “The Red Head” was always part of my identity and FIY I am female, so appearance definitely counts. But approaching my mid-50s, I felt that being more authentic was not a bad thing.
But I have joked to friends that a single grey pubic hair would have me running for the hills, or going back to shaving, or dyeing, or something. Thankfully that hasn’t happened yet in case anyone is wondering.
But grey eyebrow hairs? Holy shit, I hadn’t even considered that. I’m way overdue for eyebrow waxing, so yesterday I decided to tackle the above-eye foliage with tweezers. And found, right off the bat, a long, sturdy, silver, OMG solid silver, eyebrow hair. On close inspection, I found several more. I’ve eliminated them and feel safe for the moment, but this will probably not end well.
In the last 24 hours I have started paying attention to the eyebrow hair color of middle-aged women and I am not totally happy about this new development. Grey head hair can be cool. Gray eyebrow hair is never cool. They can be dyed, right?
There’s makeup you can put on them that makes them a darker brown color. I’m not sure if it was originally intended for people with graying eyebrows, like you, or people with really light eyebrows that you can barely see, like me.
ISTR hearing that they can be dyed, but it’s kind of a risky thing to do yourself, getting the chemicals in hair dye that close to your eyes. Might be better to let a pro do it.
Facial hair seems to go grey before head hair. Men know that they usually find grey hairs in beards, mustaches, or sideburns before they see them on the top of their head.
Some people turn gray from the top down, others from the bottom up. At 66, I have a gray goatee, but only a few gray on top. On the other hand, my partner, 46, has totally black facial hair (when he has it) and salt-and-pepper on the top.
Worse than gray eyebrow hairs are gray nasal hairs. They appear to be glowing.
You might even want to rethink that plucking strategy lest they fail to grow back at all.
Check you local salons for an esthetician (sp?) who can dye your brows. It’s not expensive, it’s fast, and it lasts about 4 weeks. Then again, if yours are truly going silver, the makeup (similar to mascara) may offer better coverage.
Good for you for going natural, though. I’m considering it, but don’t have much silver yet, just a blah grey.
I have one too! Just one. I named it Bruce. I pluck him from time to time but always feel bad, as if I’m getting rid of the one old friend among the thousands of youngsters. He’s currently chilling on the end of my eyebrow and I’m debating plucking him again.
I’m 25 and show no signs of greying, save for one scraggly grey hair on my head and Bruce.
Indeed. I had a few grays on the top of my head starting to show up before my facial hair even filled out all the way. I am currently 36 and I have never let it grow out but with a few days scruff I haven’t noticed any grays. I also passed the “first gray pube” marker a few years ago. Hearing somebody in their 50s fretting over the thought of getting one has me pissed off at my genes a little bit.
I don’t mind the grey eyebrow hairs that much any more…but every once in a while one of them suddenly grows about 3 inches and sticks out at an odd angle, making me look like a Mad Scientist. I could do without that.
I have a few eyebrow hairs that aren’t grey - they are glow in the dark white. They are also thicker than the rest of the hair, so they really stand out. It also seems they grow in overnight; they won’t be noticeable at all, then all of a sudden “HELLO”.
They seem to have deeper roots, too. Makes my eyes water to pluck the little bastards.
My father had magnificent eyebrows, you could practically braid them. I’ve noticed mine are getting longer, with wayward inch-long eyebrow hairs taking off at odd angles. He also had a healthy crop of ear- and nose-hair in his later years. I hope I haven’t inherited that.
I ought to get more diligent about getting mine waxed and trimmed regularly. Le sigh.
Interesting OP- I saw my first grey eyebrow hair about four days ago. It now matches the single grey chest hair I’ve had since I was about 25 and the single grey head hair I’ve had for about five years. Some nose hairs have been grey for about two years now.
Often the grey hairs are a different texture, as well as being thicker. Many of my grey hairs are extra curly or kinky or are bent at odd angles here and there. Such rebels are plucked from wherever and sternly lectured. If that follicle persists in putting out rebel hairs, it gets zapped.
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