I still remember the day that the name Silver Sirens came to me. It all began with my slight irritation with images of the silver fox dashing about in a convertible with a younger woman on his arm. Why were all the narratives about ageing men so positive and aspirational? Why could it not be the same for us?
I love the ocean and am in it as much as possible so the vision of a fleet of confident, vibrant, and vital women with beautiful silver locks emerging from the sea, appealed to me. The idea of them hearing the siren call for change conveyed the message at the heart of Silver Sirens.
I wanted to send the message to women who chose to, that greying hair is part of the natural changes our bodies go through so let's embrace it and resist the pressure to hide or cover it up! It was a call to action of sorts!
I've wanted to go grey for the past 10 years. My younger sister is more grey than me and when I visit London, my eyes jealously caress her salt and pepper dreadlocks. If you can't beat them, join them so I am committed to my silver braids.
The Science of Gray Hair by the Combined Health Systems Center for Healthy Ageing explains that as we age, the number of melanocytes (cells that produce melanin) decreases, leading to a decrease in pigment production. This results in the hair turning gray or white. The article also mentions that genetics play a role in determining the rate at which hair turns grey.
It states that certain factors like stress, smoking, and nutritional deficiencies can accelerate the graying process. The article concludes by highlighting that while there is ongoing research on preventing or reversing gray hair, currently, there are no proven solutions.
The science of greying aside, the debate of whether to go grey or not is fierce! In the Guardian's article Glad to be grey: How Women Changed the debate on Hair Colour, Scarlett Conlon discusses how women have transformed the societal perception of grey hair.
It highlights the trend of women embracing their natural grey hair colour, and challenging the traditional belief that women should dye their hair to look younger.
The article explores the reasons behind this shift, including the influence of social media and celebrities who proudly display their grey hair. It also addresses the impact of this movement on the beauty industry, with more products catering to grey hair now available. The article concludes by emphasising that women are redefining beauty standards and embracing their authenticity by embracing their natural hair colour.
Of course, Silver Sirens is made of women of all hair colours and I believe in our self-expression plus our right to age on our terms.
My sister would never dye her hair, yet our mother dyed hers until the COVID lockdown.
The debate about whether to dye or not to dye continues!