Elsa Angel Rose
IT TAKES THICK SKIN TO GO GREY
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Having grey hair is for the thick-skinned, and not for the weak-minded. “My first grey hair appeared in my teens. Over the next few decades, I coloured it religiously. By the time I turned 40, I was having to touch up my roots every 15 days. At some point, I got fed up with the routine and decided to stop colouring. It took two attempts before I stuck with the process, and I’m so glad I did,” said Chryselle Dias, an Independent joumalist from Panjim. Having naturally grey hair didn’t make life any easier for Chryselle.
“The transition was not easy because our society is not comfortable with people who are different. Grey hair is okay for ‘seniors’, but when someone younger does it, you get a lot of comments, unsolicited feedback and suggestions. You need to have a thick skin and trust in the process,” said Chryselle. Underneath all the colouring that Chyselle did to cover her natural hair, it was all gorgeous silver and white (Of course, depending on the light). “I would advise younger people who are starting to grey to try it out if they want to. I believe that we should do whatever gives us the confidence to face the day. Whether that means coloured hair or silver is a very personal choice,” said Chryselle.
WHEN SOCIETY EXPECTS YOU TO COVER YOUR GREYS
Every trip to the salon has turned into a convincing session for Nalini Elvino de Sousa, a documentary filmmaker and educator from Panjim, as she’s encouraged to colour her hair and keep it anything but grey. “When I go to the hairdresser’s from time to time to cut my hair, that question always comes up, and I have to explain with a smile that I am not interested before they start showing me 101 new products,” said Nalini.
Hairdressers often don’t feel that grey hair
deserves appreciation, and being authentic and true to oneself is out of the question. “I don’t ever remember a hairdresser saying, ‘Nice grey hair, you should keep it. Maybe it’s the culture? Maybe people go to salons often to dye their hair? Either way, it’s something that is far away on my to-do list,” shared Nalini. She added, “I like my hair as it is. It has never crossed my mind to change it. My friends say I look young, so I guess my whites help explain that I am not so young. I have always been one hundred percent sure that I wanted to keep my hair the way it is.”
FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE GREYS
For Cecille Lee Rodriguez, there are many upsides to keeping her hair grey and just the way it is, including all the love she receives for keeping it real, saving time by not having to spend hours colouring it, and the opportunity to be taken more seriously, especially in the political field. “Firstly, I do not have to spend a lot of time, like 45 minutes or 1 hour, with colour on my hair. Secondly, I save on the expenses of hair colour or going to the parlour and getting it done. Thirdly, being in the political field, I think that when you have your grey, you are taken a bit more seriously. People say that your silver lining looks amazing on you and that you are carrying it so well, shared Cecille.
For the activist and dance academy founder, grey hair means the acceptance of herself in the truest form. “If people accept you the way you are, then you genuinely know who the people are that appreciate you, care about you, and do not see your outer self, but your inner self. And you genuinely know that sometimes, grey matters in your life, shared Cecille. Her online family has also been immensely supportive of her and has taken inspiration from her. “When I made a video about my grey hair, about 95% of the people said, ‘Cecille, we love your greys. That’s naturally you, and you’re accepting yourself so well. I wish we had the courage to do it. A lot of people are inspired and are also trying to do the same, to try it out and see,” shared Cecille.
GREY HAIR AS THE ULTIMATE CONFIDENCE BOOSTER
“What I like about having grey hair and a beard is the attention I get from everybody. The first thing they ask is where I get my hair coloured, or whether I colour my hair. And I reply, ‘It’s all natural. This way, I get a lot of confidence. I never wanted to colour my hair. Nowadays, it is a trend; everybody goes and colours their hair. So I’m lucky God blessed me with this beautiful grey hair and beard,” shared Milin M Tendulkar, an entrepreneur, model, actor and social worker from Bardez.
Milin initially had short hair, but he started growing it out and has kept it that way ever since, partly because his modelling career was beginning to take off, and partly because of his love for being original and staying true to himself. “I always wanted to be original and natural. I have never tried colouring my hair before. I think grey is the new ‘colour’ now. This is what style looks like,” said Milin. For the entreprenuer, his grey hair and beard is the ultimate confidence booster. Wearing it all grey gets him all sorts of heartwarming reactions from people. Milin shared, “People come and ask me, tell me, ‘That colour, I want to put that colour. Reactions are always positive. And it gives me more confidence to keep looking good, amazing, and stylish.”
