Celebrating Silver: How to Embrace the Natural Beauty of Aging

As soon as you hit your 30’s, we’re taught to believe that it’s all downhill from there.

I am being tongue-in-cheek, but it’s not far from what we are taught growing up. The aging process is something that has increasingly become a worrisome and even taboo subject in today’s society. We’re influenced to avoid wrinkles and cover-up our grays.

Gradually, mainstream society, which is so image-conscious, has pushed forward the belief that aging isn’t so much to be embraced as it is to be ashamed of – and I am ashamed to even write that.

The Mainstream Media Has it Wrong

This shame is promoted by the endless anti-aging products on the market. From creams to serums, masks to collagen supplements, Botox to surgery.

Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with these products or methods. It is the right of every man and woman to look and feel their best; to keep themselves in good health, to have happy, glowing skin and to just feel good about themselves. Undoubtedly, many of these methods can help.

The problem arises when these methods and products are used, not out of a place of confidence and happiness, but out of a place of fear. When the gradual appearance of wrinkles or lines ignites such fear and misery, that a massive scramble for anti-aging products ensues.

The same goes for hair. Gray hairs can appear at any time and typically start appearing around the 30’s spectrum. The horror kicks in, and out come the hair dyes and hair fiber sprays.

But I have to make this point, simply because it is so important – and true.

Silver is Beautiful

It really is and I think it’s so crucial that both women and men who have silver/gray hair or are experiencing the first signs of it realize this. The reasons for this are below:

Silver/gray is the envy of the youth

Have you noticed how many younger people in their teens and 20’s dye their hair silver/gray? There is a reason for this – silver/gray is a beautiful color and it’s one that thousands of people wish they had.

So the next time you notice a gray hair and feel a twinge of despair, just remember there are plenty of people out there who wish they had what you have!

Silver/gray are colors of wisdom and strength

Silver is a precious metal and also has powerful spiritual meanings attached to it. It is the color of elegance, unconditional love, wisdom, intuition, and sensitivity. It is strongly connected to the Moon which graces our skies and beams gentle silver light onto the earth.

Who would not want to be associated with the Moon, in all her beauty and grace?

Silver/gray are signs of experience

Just as every line and wrinkle has been described as symbols of the battle scars of life, silver and gray hair are indicators of a life that has attained vast experience over the years.

In popular culture and beyond, premature gray hair can sometimes be a sign of stress – stress is indicative of a life that is undergoing challenges. These challenges, no matter what form they take, are obstacles that need to be overcome; and anyone who faces these obstacles head-on should be proud of themselves, as they have displayed strength and courage – two qualities that are both admired and respected.

Silver and gray hair are signs of wisdom, which has been acquired through the experience of life. With this wisdom, you can bestow it to others and guide them through the challenges that life throws at them. Count each gray hair as a day lived and spent in love, spreading your wisdom and strength to others.

Is there anything nobler than that?

Your Body, Your Choice

Ultimately, the decision to cover gray or silver hair is a personal one and people should do what makes them feel the most happy and confident. If black hair is your thing, go for it! If red hair is your thing, go for it! Everyone has the right to look, dress and express themselves in a way that makes them happy.

But if your desire to cover the silver and gray wisps is out of shame or fear, then please do read over the article again. I’ll say one more time before we conclude: SILVER IS BEAUTIFUL.

Conclusion

It is true that we do live in a very image-driven society. The pressure to look good according to society’s standards, regardless of age, is stronger now than it has ever been before. I believe that we must embrace our own unique individuality and not hold ourselves to anyone else’s standards, especially if those standards are generating misery among us. Loving oneself from inside out is a tough battle that many struggle with and this is irrespective of age.

Embracing one’s natural beauty, including the natural aging process, is surely one of the first steps to take in terms of appreciating our own individuality and loving ourselves, no matter the color of our hair.

Related Article: 5 Ways to Overcome Bodyshaming (Yourself & Others)