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Woman’s hair turned grey at age 21

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Sara Eisenman. (Photo: MEDIADRUMWORLD/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)
Sara Eisenman. (Photo: MEDIADRUMWORLD/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)

This 43-year-old got the shock of her life when her hair suddenly turned grey at age 21.

Sara Eisenman from Arizona in the US was left horrified when her hair turned grey in her early 20s, Metro reports.

“My hair turned almost entirely silver at the age of 21,” Sara said. “I went to the mirror one day to find that silver hair was emerging from the roots all over my head.

“It was a startling marker of ageing at a time when I was supposed to be at the height of youth.”

The mom of two then started dyeing her hair every two weeks to hide her natural silver strands.

“I took to colouring my hair very aggressively every two weeks, with a slew of other products – powders, hair crayons – to disguise the roots in between dyeing.

“I couldn’t afford to go to a salon, so I’d use cheap box dye and undertook this messy process at home as frequently as possible to hide what was happening to me,” Sara said.

Just hours before her son, Abe (now 8), was born, Sara dyed her hair so people wouldn’t see her grey locks when they visited her in hospital, Daily Mail reports.

But after 15 years of continuously colouring her hair, the mom decided to finally embrace the grey.

“At 37, after more than 15 years of colouring every two weeks, I could no longer remain a slave to the box of dye – other considerations were simply too important.

“I began to have some potent realisations: one, that my shame regarding my hair was connected to whole other realms of hiding and shame within, based on social indoctrination, and secondly that the emergence of my silver hair was a symbol, a crown of sorts, that marked a total release of said shame and radical willingness to fully own all that I am and thereby free myself both for my own liberation and even more so – that of my children.

“I also used this as an opportunity for a radical total self-rebirth, which manifested in myriad ways.

“First, I started wearing the clothing I always wanted to wear in new colour palettes, playing with new makeup shades, using all manner of scarves, headbands and messy up-dos to dance with the line of demarcation between the old and new 'me'.

“Thus while I found myself shunned by some of the snobby moms and other judgmental people in my life during the transition, I was coming more alive and having more fun than ever,” she said.

Although she’s received many negative comments about her hair from other women, the mom revealed she disregards their opinions, Mirror reports.

“I feel like my hair is a symbol of natural beauty and freedom, and I'm extremely grateful to play any role I can in helping women discover how amazing they truly are, how free and fun life can be, and how we can find sisterhood and community in it all,” Sara said.

“I’m acutely aware that my hair challenges a lot of people. I get myriad compliments every time I leave the house; also, occasional sideways glances, blatant stares, people wanting to touch my hair in awe, and more.

“And I also feel that perhaps not everyone likes it or 'understands' it, or wants to do this themselves. And the best part is that it doesn't matter what other people think at all because I’m free.”

Source: Mirror, Metro, Daily Mail

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