There is no denying Jennifer Aniston looks incredible – the former ‘Friends’ star had her 50th birthday in February this year but we still envy her beauty and style as much as when she was hanging out in Central Perk in 1994.
In an interview with InStyle magazine Aniston admitted the birthday had been a milestone for her but that it hasn’t changed how she feels about her body: “Things aren’t shutting down in any way. I feel physically incredible.”
That is, apart from, her hair.
Aniston, who had the haircut of the nineties (how many of us took a picture of Rachel Green into a hairdresser?) admits she is not embracing her hair ageing, preferring to get it dyed by a professional once a month.
It’s a habit she plans on having till the end. “I’m not gonna lie — I don’t want grey hair,” she says.
She didn’t reveal how long she had been dying her hair for or when she first noticed that single grey on top of her scalp (instead choosing to focus on her skincare obsession, which she’s had since her teenage years).
But do most women agree with Aniston? Do we largely hate our grey hairs and try to cover them up as soon as we spy them? Do we try and keep on top of them by plucking them out before anyone else notices?
Or – away from the glare of celebrity spotlight – are women learning to love their silver streaks? We asked readers what they think.
“It annoys me that women are expected to dye but men are deemed more attractive with it..."”
One said she totally agrees with Aniston: “I went grey in my early twenties and hated it. It wasn’t something I expected to deal with. I do everything and anything to not let it show. I go to the hairdressers every four weeks and it costs me a small fortune!”
Another explained how she had learned to love it over time, saying: “I started getting grey hairs in high school (like 16), and I was super self-conscious of them up through college to the point I would actively pluck or dye my hair to cover them up. At 26, I’ve got patches of grey which are highlighted by my undercut. I actually love the look.”
Others said they like them, but caveat it by saying they only have a sparse few, not a whole head: “Just turned 32 and love the few I have. Don’t want to unnecessarily colour my hair.”
Another said she doesn’t mind her grey hairs, but gets annoyed that men aren’t pressured to cover it in the same way as women. “Found my first grey at 20 and by 24 had developed a white streak which I rocked proudly,” she says. “I’m 34 now and have a lot more [grey] but still refuse to dye it despite hairdressers asking me every single time. It annoys me that women are expected to dye but men are deemed more attractive with it.”
Others cited people such as Sarah Harris, an editor at British Vogue, who has a full head of grey but is totally rocking it. “Harris looks incredible with her hair colour,” says one reader.
And some are yet to get to that stage in life: “I haven’t had any appear yet – but I hope they will help me at work in the same way as being completely bald by 25 helped my dad, in appearing more experienced than I am,” she says.