Should I lighten my naturally very dark hair as I get older?

by Susan
(MA)

Hello, My hair as a child was a very dark brown/black that has darkened as I have gotten older. My mother (who has never colored her hair) still has black hair and looks very young for her age (she is 73). I am currently 40, with fair skin that is (so far) wrinkle free, but I wonder if I should go for a slightly lighter look (chocolate to dark brown maybe)to preserve a youthful look. Any advice appreciated.
Thank you! Susan

Comments for
Should I lighten my naturally very dark hair as I get older?

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 21, 2009

Please Don't!
by: Anonymous

Please don't color your hair. As you start to become silver (I hate the term 'grey') the colors will compliment each other beautifully. If your mother still has mostly dark hair, you probably will also. I have a friend that has very dark brown hair, she started to lighten it and now it is all blond. It looks really bad for her coloring. So please, let the natural highlights take place and don't mess with mother nature.

Jun 21, 2009

Aging hair and skin tone
by: Anonymous

I agree that you shouldn't have a problem keeping your natural color. The problem arises when someone with very dark hair starts to go gray (or silver) and they color their hair back to the dark color of their youth. Skin tone actually changes as hair grays and the darker dyed color ends up looking way too harsh and unnatural. I have to assume that your skin tone will remain unchanged if your hair doesn't turn silver or gray since I believe it is based on the same process...we lose color from our hair and our skin tone because of a natural process that our body goes through with aging and everyone does it at a different rate, etc.

Jun 22, 2009

should i lighten my hair
by: Anonymous

i think that you should play with what youve got!! not to cover grey,but to just enhance what your mother gave you. by all means hilite! not to blonde, but just a couple of shades lighter, like natural highlights should look. do only on top and temples to start. i believe you will wonder what took you so long to do it. subtle is always best.