MSP HERE: Dear SYSters, I thought I'd start a thought provoking conversation about our hair. Is it our "crowning glory"?

I feel we can learn so much about ourselves if we share with each other.

QUESTION: How important is your hair to your overall appearance? Do you spend too much time styling it daily? Do you work with its natural color and texture? Or, are you in a constant struggle with your hair style, hair texture or even with coloring it to cover grays?
How important is your hairstyle to your self-esteem? Did you find a NEW hairstyle made you feel new and fresh again?

Please post & share your hair struggles, as well as insights with us! Let's help one another with our "crowning glory"...both acceptance and struggles! 

Thanks in advance. Love, Leslie MSP

Short vs. long hair? Yet, another "hair question" that has many pros and cons. How do you know which length is best for you? Do you really need to wear your hair short when you are older? Hmmm.....

For years I colored my hair because it turned a mousy brown and made me look years older. A couple of years ago, I noticed the color was not covering the gray and my natural color was darker. So I let is go natural and I really like it. I also am wearing my hair much shorter. The first time I got it cut, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but you wouldn't believe all the compliments I received. Now I really like my hair and it's so easy to wash, style, and go. The gray actually looks good against the dark.

When I was in school, I never cut my hair (it was also the 70s). By the time I graduated from high school, I could sit on it. Of course being stick straight and baby fine meant it wasn't heavy. It also didn't hold a curl, so I have always been wash and go. After graduation, I got it cut about chin length and it remained somewhere between ears and shoulders since then. It used to be a wonderful blond but there's more dishwater color than blonde and the graying has started (I'm mid 50s now). I was feeling really blah for quite a while and decided to try highlighting. I cannot believe how much just that little bit of added color brightened my face and really did help make me look a bit younger. I have received a lot of compliments. The cut is just a bit longer than pixy to help my round face look not so round and I have it cut about every three months and re-highlighted every six months. The only product I use is StuckUp by Rocco Altobelli and blow dry the ends to curl under slightly and the roots for lift. The product also gives my hair some much needed thickness.

I'm a busy, retired grandma, and have been going to the same stylist for 9 years. I also have my hair streaked, (originally mousey brown)and have said as my grey comes in, I'll go blonder! I have a cowlick at the top of my crown, and as I've grown older, if I don't blow dry my hair, it dries curly. I've had short hair since my 4 kids were born, and each time I've tried to grow it, it goes flat because it's fine and thin. Even chin length hair isn't good for me! My stylist knows I don't want to look frumpy, so she gives me short, textured, piecey haircuts that I don't need to use any kind of an iron, and just blow dry with my fingers. I use a texture spray before I dry it, and use a wax or a cream pomade afterward, depending if I want it spikey or piecey! This is the only way I can get my cowlick to stay put, because I can move it with my fingers.

Bernil....Oh, I love your hairstyle! I too am having my stylist add blonde to hide the gray. My hair is also has curl, but is fine and thin. I'm going to ask my stylist for a textured piecey cut of long and short to give my hair some more style :) Thanks for sharing your photo!

I am about to turn 55. My once red hair is now an interesting blend of red, strawberry blonde and "pale blonde" or at least that is what I like to call it. I have lots and lots of very fine straight hair. I have always loved my hair and have enjoyed having it styled in different ways and wearing it different lengths. I also enjoy trying different colours in my hair. So, yes I would say that it is my crowning glory. I change it up every year or two. Sometimes drastically. Think shoulder length permed curly layers to pixie cut :) I have had the same hairdresser for 18 years. She is a colour specialist and she knows my hair and its growth patterns by heart. She is also free lance / semi retired and comes to my house every six weeks . She listens to me and advises me, and I trust her. I can also afford her services. I went to a salon for a cut and colour while she was travelling and I was desperate and I paid four times what she usually charges for work that was not as well done. I love hair care products, and because of perming and colouring I make sure to treat my hair very very carefully using treatment masks regularly and NEVER applying any heat. Fine hair can be so brittle, blow dryers and curling irons are death to fine hair. I only use a blow dryer if I am having to go out into -30 or colder weather before my hair can fully dry naturally. Currently I am sporting a short straight pixie cut with a bit of length at the crown for movement and femininity, there are layers cut into the longer top part.

I've been a bit boring where it comes to my hair the last 2 years. I changed my color then, and have kept it the same length and color since (and my hairdresser saved before and after): https://www.instagram.com/p/0u2e3AH211/?taken-by=harmoniq.se I actually do like my own hair color, but it's the exact same shade as my eyes. The reddish (with copper highlights) makes them pop more). I used to color in darker shades of chestnut - it made my eyes look amber. I like my hair, though it has its problems - like the fact that I haven't been able to style it until my late 30s. The products that existed earlier, didn't manage to keep the style. It almost brought my hair-dressers to tears - nothing kept for more than 2 hours. This means that I'm used to just wearing my hair natural. I've had different lengths over the years - from boy short to buttocks-long. Nowadays it's shoulder-length. The last few years I've learned the importance of having a good hairdresser that you trust (my current keep logs almost like doctors do). I've also learned the value of good shampoo/conditioner, that are not supermarket-bought. My favorite brand is Redken. I mostly use anti-frizz and color keeping. When I say I use anti-frizz everyone tells me "but you don't have frizzy hair" - upon which I point ans answer "exactly!". The shampoo did wonders! I almost never blow dry my hair, either. And have learned to not wash it every day - surprisingly after a few weeks the hair gets used to it and keeps clean anyway. There's also the dry-shampoo if it really needs freshing up. At my age, my mom's hair was almost destroyed by all her styling, mine is currently in very good condition.

In reply to MSP's question whether highlights make fine hair more manageable - yes, in may case highlights do help. When highlights are due to be redone my hair is flatter on top than usual.

Leslie, This post came at just the right time for me. I had held off having a style cut with a fringe of any sort or layers, as I was too busy to maintain it; having been through that season of several years where I was flat out with young babies/kids and our business. However, I had been unhappy with it for a few weeks, and not having found a style that worked for me I justified not looking my best, but then saw a photo of me the night prior to this post. So an appointment was booked!! :) I had realised that my life had changed, and it was time for me to stop making excuses! It only takes me 5 minutes, and feels refreshing to do something for me! Thanks for this post! Kind regards, Lucinda.

I have very straight hair, what my mom refers to as "stringy". I agree with MSP that coloring adds to my ability to style my hair. I find when I get highlights/lowlights my hair has more volume instead of laying flat and "stringy".

Hi, I am 60 years old and very active, so I keep my dyed blonde with highlights hair tied back in either a braid or a french twist, it's easier to keep it this way than to cut it short, which was how I used to wear it when I was living and working in Hawaii, and surfing every day. Now I just play golf and train my dogs in agility, so keeping it tied back is both chic and keeps me cool! Gwen Malibu,CA